Latest news with #Swansea
Evening Standard
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Evening Standard
Arsenal transfer blow as Liverpool beat Gunners to signing of 50-goal striker
The Dutch midfielder - whose father Kemy played for Swansea - was directly involved in 16 goals for Derby Under-18s and was won over by a pitch from Arsenal's head of academy Per Mertesacker.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
I barely touch even a drop of alcohol but I was diagnosed with liver disease - this is what I'm doing to reverse it
A woman diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in her thirties has revealed the steps she is taking to try and reverse the disease—and they're all related to her diet. NAFLD is caused by a build-up of fat in the liver, and is usually diagnosed in people who are overweight or obese. However, while liver disease is usually associated with heavy drinking, excessive alcohol consumption is not a cause for NAFLD, it is primarily connected to lifestyle factors—and that means it can be reversed. Niki Nash, 36, from Swansea in Wales, posted a video to her TikTok account @nikkin1988, listing the foods she is cutting out in the hopes of getting her liver back to full health. She told her 27,700 followers: 'Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is just a build up of fat in your liver. 'It's nothing to do with alcohol. Hence, by the name, however, limiting or reducing alcohol completely will help. 'This is usually found in people who are overweight to I'm not classed as overweight or obese. Mine is all to do with my diet. 'So to reverse the condition, you need to limit salt, you need to limit fat, such as processed food, takeaways, McDonald's, etc, and eliminate sugar from your diet as much as possible. 'This is probably my biggest factor of why I've got the disease I am addicted to sugar.' Alongside making vital changes to her diet she, she has also taken up doing 30 minutes of daily exercise. This she said: 'It will significantly increase the chances of it being reversed.' She added: 'And if you smoke, stop smoking, because that doesn't help either.' Her final tip for other people with a NAFLD diagnosis was to increase their fruit and vegetable intake—something which Chinese researchers previously found can help reverse the condition. In the video she added: 'There isn't any medication that you can take to help. Either, it's just all through a diet, health and lifestyle.' Replying to one follower, she said that she was diagnosed after having a liver function test (LFT) and ultrasound, and that she also has an autoimmune condition which affects the organ. While early stage NAFLD does not usually cause any harm, it can lead to serious liver damage, including cirrhosis if it gets worse. The potentially life-threatening later stage condition cirrhosis is when the organ is scarred, resulting in permanent damage. After posting the video, she received lots of comments from social media users going through similar experiences. One user said: 'I've just been told I've got a fatty liver when investigating something else. 'I blame my lack of inactivity and diet since switching to working from home. I just switched my diet up and now waiting...' Another user commented: 'I have NAFLD not been told what stage it is. Mine was incidental finding on an ultrasound scan. I've done lifestyle changes like you guys.' Meanwhile a third wrote: 'I'm due a scan this weekend. I've lost nearly six stone since I was told, fingers crossed this helps.' A fourth user said: 'I'm eating loads of veg, salad, fruit, chicken, tuna and wholemeal bread, [and] sugar free jelly. 'I'm three stone down since Dec awaiting a date my next scan, hopefully before Dec again.' They are among millions of people in the UK living with the condition in its early stages, which affects one in five people. Early signs include a dull or aching pain in the top right side of the tummy, extreme tiredness, unexplained weight loss and weakness. If you have cirrhosis, you can get more severe symptoms like the yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice). Other signs of the late stage of the condition are itchy skin as well as swelling in the legs, ankles, feet or tummy. The condition is often diagnosed after a blood test called a liver function test, but they don't always pick up NAFLD. It may also be spotted during an ultrasound, as described by some of the social media users. If you've been diagnosed with NAFLD, further tests may be needed to determine which stage you have. This can be a special blood test or having another type of ultrasound scan such as a Fibroscan. It follows a recent study that revealed the proportion of liver cancers linked to NAFLD also known as MASH is expected to more than double, from 5 per cent in 2022 to 11 per cent in 2050. Meanwhile the number of cases caused the most common cause of the deadly disease—the hepatitis B virus—are set to decline. Concerningly the researchers predicted that new liver cancer cases worldwide will jump from 870,000 in 2022 to 1.52 million by 2050. And annual deaths from the disease are set to rise from 760,000 to 1.37 million over the same period.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
We're Benidorm superfans – we've spent 5-figure sum in seven years… here's the reasons it's the best place to holiday
IT was the home of the beloved British comedy for over a decade, but to Mark and Karen Gregory, Benidorm is no joke. The superfans of the Spanish town have holidayed there 25 times. 5 5 The couple, both 50, have spent over £30,000 in the last seven years sunning themselves in Benidorm, located in Costa Blanca, after falling in love with it during their first visit in 2018. And the pair, from Swansea, now have no plans to holiday elsewhere ever again, despite anti-tourism protests in some Spanish resorts. Mark says: 'We used to go to Majorca and the Canaries, until we spotted a deal for a trip to Benidorm one day. 'We thought we'd try it for a week and we were so pleasantly surprised that my wife started looking for accommodation to go again as soon as we got home. 'It's the very best place to holiday. "The people who have bad opinions about it have never been. 'We aren't big drinkers but enjoy the budget alcohol. "The pints are 80 cents and bottles of cava are €2.' The couple often return to the same haunts every time they visit — enjoying a pint at the Western Saloon, dinner at Country Ribs or Kathmandu curry house, and cocktails at the Hotel California Beach Club. 'Stag groups zigzag home at 6am' They even love seeing the same Meat Loaf tribute act, often referred to as 'Meatloaf Benidorm', at venue Jokers. Moment huge fight breaks out at Benidorm swimming pool in front of shocked tourists Referencing the sitcom, which aired from 2007 to 2018, Mark reflects: ' The TV show is about typical Brits in the sun, but that's only about ten per cent of the place. 'Yes, you get your typical beer-bellied Brits abroad, but there is a much nicer, quieter side too. "We mainly go outside of the peak season as it's much cheaper, but there's entertainment all year round. 'People do have their own opinions of Benidorm and it is a bit of a 'Marmite' resort — but lots fall in love with it and we can see why.' The couple enjoy the year-round nightlife, particularly the live music, tribute and drag acts. And they love it so much they've visited 25 times since late 2018 — barring the pandemic lockdowns — having spent over £30,000 at various resorts in the town. Mark said: 'We mainly stick to the winter but we've been in May a couple of times. " In winter it can be nearly 40 per cent cheaper — not just to get there, but at the bars and restaurants too. 'And there is still so much to do — you never get bored.' The couple say they avoid the spots frequented by large stag dos and hen parties. Karen said: 'We know the spots to avoid. 'Simply the best' "But we do still occasionally see the stag groups zigzagging home at 6am. 'There's plenty of mad behaviour to see sometimes — and plenty of people passed out on benches.' But they find lots of quieter locations to enjoy their evenings. 5 5 Some of their favourite nights out have been to see a Pink Floyd tribute act, a Tom Jones tribute and a comedian called Tony Scott. The couple largely stay in a self-catered apartment which they visit several times a year — and get a discount because of their loyalty, which keeps costs low so they can afford more visits. But they don't mind, as all the local produce is better quality for their home-cooked meals. Mark explains: 'We do sometimes go for meals but Karen is coeliac so it's not that easy. 'The supermarkets are much better than in England and there are so many gluten-free options for us.' The couple say that since discovering their love for Benidorm they have only holidayed elsewhere once, in Tenerife. But nothing compared to their beloved Benidorm, so they have decided to forget further travel elsewhere. Mark says: 'There are times we think we might be 'Benidormed out'. 'But then we realise it doesn't compare to anywhere else. And when we go, it just gets better and better.' They now have no plans to visit elsewhere, and live a frugal life at home so they can afford their £6,000-per-year trips. Mark added: 'Whenever we go back there are new places that have opened, but we like the familiarity. 'If we go to a new place it takes a few days to find our feet, whereas going here, it's like coming home.' He added: 'People do have their own opinions, but I don't like it when people share derogatory views about it when they've never been. 'If you've never tried it, and you've just watched the TV show or read about it, don't just jump on the bandwagon. Benidorm is quite simply the best.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Teen father, 19, blamed pet dog for baby's 'irreparable' brain damage after violently shaking them
A young father has blamed his own pet dog for injuries to his five-week-old baby. Dafydd Rutherford, then 19, shook his crying baby causing his child to suffer multiple bleeds on the brain, with 'life-threatening consequences'. He then blamed the dog for knocking the baby's basket over at their home while the child's mother was shopping, a court heard. Rutherford later admitted he shook the baby to stop them crying because the dog was barking. He made the admission after hospital staff examined the infant's injuries. Megan Williams, prosecuting said the alarm was raised by medics after the baby was brought in from their home in Swansea. The child had a series of parallel bruises on its chest and was 'pale', but then suffered a seizure. MRI scans revealed that the baby had suffered bleeding to both sides of the brain, bleeding around the spinal cord, and damage to the brain caused by a lack of oxygen. Both parents were arrested - and during police interviews Rutherford denied being responsible for the injuries to his child, saying the dog had knocked the baby's basket over. He said he had picked the baby up and when they went to sleep he put the child down and went into the kitchen. But Rutherford later admitted he had become frustrated at the dog barking as well as the baby crying and had shaken the infant 'three or four times'. The prosecutor said the defendant told officers 'he didn't wish to hurt [the child] he simply wished to stop [them] crying'. Swansea Crown Court heard the victim has been left with developmental delay as a result of injuries to the brain. In an impact statement from the baby's family which was read the court they described how they had been 'torn apart'. They said in not telling the doctors what had really happened straight away so they could provide appropriate treatment, Rutherford had 'chosen to help himself rather than help his [child.]' Rutherford, now 22, of Swansea, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm. Stuart John, defending, said he has caused 'irreparable damage' to his young baby and to the wider family. He said the offence was born from 'immaturity, impulsivity, and recklessness' and was something he would regret for the rest of his life. Judge Catherine Richards told Rutherford his child had been just weeks old when he caused 'devastating' injuries in what is typically characterised as 'shaken baby syndrome'. She said the defendant had then denied being responsible for the injuries until later admitting he had become frustrated at the dog barking and the baby crying and lost his temper. Rutherford was sentenced to 28 months in prison.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Caldwell ready to roll with punches of new season
Gary Caldwell says his side are ready for the scrap of a League One campaign which is sure to deliver its fair share of "punches in the face".Exeter City's manager put the finishing touches to a pre-season with a 1-1 draw against National League South side Torquay United on Friday followed less than 18 hours later by a 1-0 win over Championship Caldwell expects similar ups and downs when their third tier campaign gets underway away against newly-promoted Doncaster Rovers on Saturday."We feel like we are ready to start the season. But as everyone knows you ain't ready until you get punched in the face," Caldwell told BBC Radio Devon. "We know at League One level we are going to get a lot of punches in the face as a group and as a club we have to be ready to stand up to that and be ready to go through the rigours of a 10 month season."Caldwell has led the Grecians to 14th, 13th and 16th place in League One in his three seasons in charge but believes his side can cabove that level this season."We do look like a team, especially in transition both defence and attacking, who are much better than we've been in previous years which is a big aspect of League One," he said."Long may that continue but we will only find that out when the real games start and that's in a week's time."
