“Sugar in childhood linked with dementia in older age” screamed the headline. My children were eating ice cream at the time. It felt like a warning.
The headline was referring to a study comparing young children from conception until the age of two, born during rationing in England and those born just after it had stopped. When sugar rationing ended in England in September 1953, sugar intake rose from an average 41g a day up to 80g, almost overnight. Now researchers have found that those who were babies and toddlers during rationing had a 23 per cent lower chance of developing dementia.
While the message about sugar is valid, the study itself is inherently flawed, says Dr Federica Amati, author and chief nutritionist for health platform Zoe. “Nobody had their sugar intake measured. The comparison isn’t about diet; it’s about date of birth relative to a government policy. And this particular birth cohort is only in its early seventies now so the dementia cases captured so far are unusually young ones,” she explains. “Dementia isn’t one disease with one cause and changes in the brain start 20 to 30 years before anyone notices symptoms.”
However, it’s just one of a raft of studies pointing to a link between high sugar diets in childhood and health problems – from dental problems to obesity. Amati agrees that reducing sugar is important for children’s health. “It rests on teeth, on the taste preferences that get laid down in the first few years and on metabolic health. Those show up now, not in 2090.”
So what are the biggest mistakes parents make, and how can I discreetly lower sugar in my own kids’ diets?
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August’s stunning Sturgeon Moon – in pictures
Caption: Stars around a blood-red moon during a partial lunar eclipse in San Diego, California, U.S., August 27, 2026. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Photographer: Mike Blake
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
The August full moon, also called the Sturgeon Moon, lit up the night sky on Thursday. Here are a few of the best images.
The name’s origins
The August full moon, which reached its peak in the UK shortly after 5am on Friday 28 August, is also commonly referred to as the “Sturgeon Moon”.
Why?
That’s thanks to North American fishing tribes, who are understood to have dubbed it as such because the sturgeon species of fish appeared in number during this particular month.
Caption: Sturgeon fish swimming in a large aquarium tank
Photographer: Calimeron
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
Why was this Sturgeon Moon red?
In many parts of the world, including the UK, California and Australia, a partial lunar eclipse – whereby the Earth passed between the sun and the moon, placing the moon briefly in its shadow – was also observed.
Caption: The partial lunar eclipse of the August full moon, known as the Sturgeon Moon, is seen in the skies over the Isle of Dogs, London. Picture date: Friday August 28, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Photographer: Yui Mok
Provider: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Source: PA
Copyright: PA Wire
Caption: The partial lunar eclipse of the August full moon, known as the Sturgeon Moon, is seen in the skies over Masthouse Terrace Pier on the Isle of Dogs, London. Picture date: Friday August 28, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Photographer: Yui Mok
Provider: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Source: PA
Copyright: PA Wire
As sunlight that passes through the Earth’s atmosphere is scattered, and red light can pass through in greater abundance due to its longer wavelength, the moon appeared to be tinged red, earning the phenomenon another nickname: “Blood Moon“.
Pictures around the world
Caption: A commercial aircraft takes off during the start of a blood-red lunar eclipse as the moon rises in San Diego, California, U.S., August 27, 2026. REUTERS/Mike Blake TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Photographer: Mike Blake
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
Caption: Stars around a blood-red moon during a partial lunar eclipse in San Diego, California, U.S., August 27, 2026. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Photographer: Mike Blake
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
Caption: RYLSTONE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 28: A ‘Sturgeon’ full moon rises on August 28, 2026 in Rylstone, Australia. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
Photographer: Mark Evans
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images AsiaPac
Copyright: 2026 Mark Evans
Safe to see
Visibility in many parts of the UK may not have been great, though.
That’s due to both cloudy skies and the moon’s low positioning in the sky during the partial eclipse.
Still, unlike the recent solar eclipse, this astronomical event is at least safe to observe with the naked eye.
7 min read
WORLD NEWS
Why Trump has renamed Lake Ontario
Caption: President Donald Trump holds up a signed executive order in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Photographer: Manuel Balce Ceneta
Provider: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
Source: AP
Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Donald Trump has signed an executive order aiming to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America.
Here’s why, and whether the move is actually likely to work.
Split custody
One of North America’s five Great Lakes, Lake Ontario straddles both the United States and Canada; its northern and western shores sit in the Canadian province of Ontario while its southern and eastern shores fall in the US state of New York.
Caption: YOUNGSTOWN, NEW YORK – AUGUST 27: Visitors to Old Fort Niagara State Park relax on the shores of Lake Ontario August 27, 2026 in Youngstown, New York. U.S. President Donald Trump today signed an executive order renaming the smallest by surface area of the five Great Lakes, Lake America. (Photo by John Normile/Getty Images)
Photographer: John Normile
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images North America
Caption: TOPSHOT – A Canadian flag flies along the waterfront of Lake Ontario, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on August 27, 2026. US President Donald Trump announced that he is renaming Lake Ontario — a large body of water shared by the United States and Canada — “Lake America.” Trump signed an order in the White House in a move that comes amid a spiraling trade war between the world’s largest economy and its northern neighbor. (Photo by Cole Burston / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: COLE BURSTON
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
There is no universally recognised international body setting the names of international waters, but the lake’s name has its roots in the indigenous word “Ontarí’io”, often translated as “great lake”, and traces back several hundred years.
Tariff retaliation
It comes after trade talks broke down between the two neighbouring nations last week.
That led the US to impose new 50 per cent tariffs on $20bn (£14.7bn) worth of Canadian goods.
In response, Canada is set to introduce “dollar for dollar” counter tariffs starting next month.
Analysis
3 min read
This story in pictures
Caption: President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Photographer: Manuel Balce Ceneta
Provider: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
Source: AP
Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Caption: WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 27: A map labeling Lake Ontario as “Lake America” is displayed as U.S. President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter after signing an executive order during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on August 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” amid an ongoing trade war between the U.S. and Canada. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Photographer: Andrew Harnik
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images North America
Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
Caption: President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Photographer: Manuel Balce Ceneta
Provider: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
Source: AP
Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
What has Canada said?
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to the news by saying “things must be called by their name, and this lake is called Lake Ontario – today and forever”.
Carney also highlighted that the lake’s current name predates the formation of both the Canadian Confederation and the US Declaration of Independence.
Caption: TOPSHOT – (FILES) The US and Canadian flags flutter next to the Blue Water Bridge border crossing in Point Edward, Ontario, on October 24, 2025. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on August 22, 2026 he would slap retaliatory tariffs on the United States after walking away from a “bad deal” on trade, deepening the rift between the longtime allies. Negotiations between the neighboring countries broke down on Friday in Washington, allowing new 50-percent US tariffs impacting some $20 billion worth of goods, or 5.5 percent of Canadian exports to the United States, to come into force. (Photo by Geoff Robins / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: GEOFF ROBINS
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
Analysis
3 min read
Will it work?
Trump’s executive order says it gives 30 days for the name change to be updated with the Geographic Names Information Service, the official repository of domestic geographic names in the United States.
While the US President generally has discretion over how their country recognises landmarks, other nations do not have to follow suit.
Analysis
3 min read
4 min read
How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
Gratitude
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Caption: Two adult brothers enjoy a warm embrace in a sunny park. They stand beside a decorative fence surrounded by lush greenery, showcasing a strong bond and happiness in the moment.
Photographer: Beatriz Herrera
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
Copyright: beatrizherreragonzalez@gmail.com
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Journal
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Caucasian mid adult patient writing a diary while recovering in the hospital ward – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
‘One question is how to achieve such a longevity hack when most of us have relationships that unsettle us,’ says Dr Amir Levine (Photo: Oliver Rossi/Getty)
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
Exercise with people you love (Photographer: Morsa Images/Getty/Digital Vision/Abel Mitj? Varela)
Caption: Group of Happy Asian senior women friends shopping and having lunch at restaurant on summer holiday vacation. Healthy elderly woman enjoy outdoor lifestyle meeting and eating food together.
Photographer: CandyRetriever
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.
Leon Poultney, a writer who specialises in cars, gives his EV recommendations, and the ones that should be avoided.
Renault 5 E-Tech
Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery
Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.
The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars.
4 min read
Mercedes-Benz CLA
A champion of EV efficiency
It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.
It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.
Priced from £37,400
2 min read
Porsche Macan GTS
It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.
The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.
The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.
Kia EV 9
With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.
MG IM6
It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion.
BYD Dolphin Surf
All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.
While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
Leapmotor T03
It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps.
There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds.
2 min read
The kitchen gadgets and products a food editor swears by, all under £25
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Caption: best kitchen gadgets
Victorinox paring knife
It’s comfortable to hold, with a point sharp enough for scoring pastry.
ProCook cast iron pan
For unbeatable searing and heat-retention, cast iron is the top choice.
Tesco chopping board
Priced at just £22, I’ve yet to find another board that matches it for sheer value and quality.
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Pyrex jug
It is the perfect vessel for blending smooth sauces, melting butter, or warming stock. It won’t stain like plastic and the red measurements never fade.
Salter scales
“I’ve had my slim little set of Salter Disc Scales for over a decade, and I’m delighted to see they are still made to exactly the same reliable design today.”
Microplane grater
It uses photo-etched stainless steel teeth that stay razor-sharp for a decade, something the lookalike copycats simply can’t match.
Braun hand-held blender
It’s an essential for everything from making velvety soup to getting the lumps out of white sauce.
Bodum cafetiere
As well as delivering great results, cafetieres are easy to clean and there’s no ongoing filter paper costs or pod recycling to deal with.
5 min read
The kitchen gadgets under £25
Oxo peeler
What truly sets it apart is the chunky, rubberised handle that absorbs pressure and stays completely non-slip, even if your hands are wet. It is inexpensive and incredibly durable.
Falcon pie dish
Made by fusing porcelain onto heavy-gauge steel for smooth durability, it is dishwasher, freezer, hob, air-fryer and oven-safe.
The golden rules for a happy, secure relationship
Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr Amir Levine, author of bestselling book Attached, explains why we behave the way we do in love.
Caption: Happy woman walking with male partner in vineyard during sunset. Elderly couple are touring in field against sky. They are enjoying during weekend.
Photographer: Morsa Images
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Digital Vision
Golden rules for happy relationships
Start with your own behaviours
The foundation of a secure, connected life is being what I call CARRP: that means being consistent, available, responsive, reliable and predictable. All of these qualities can be enacted in small gestures every day.
Side view of affectionate happy couple sitting in the cozy cafe. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Son’t assume your partner knows how you think (Photo: ljubaphoto/Getty/E+)
Express your needs
People need consistency and connection to feel safe. This is not, ‘You hurt my feelings by never replying to me’, it’s more ‘this is the kind of contact that helps me feel secure’.
Golden rules for happy relationships
Unhappy married couple facing away from each other in a quiet home, concept of emotional distance, loneliness in relationship and family problems – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
The appendix ‘inflammation’ rule
If a relationship repeatedly inflames your nervous system, you need to disengage and deprioritise it.
Lean on community
You don’t need hundreds of friends. You need people and places that regularly remind you that you belong.
Caption: Happy couples talking while walking embraced during spring day in a meadow.
Photographer: skynesher
Provider: Getty Images
Source: E+
Candid shot happiness and togetherness Asian mother supporting daughter try to standing and walking first time and positive emotion – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Stop blaming childhood
Humans are much more complicated than: ‘this happened to you, therefore you are doomed to be anxious’.
Caption: Financial problems. Worried middle-aged woman holding utility bills, managing monthly household budget, sitting on bed feeling anxious. Cost of living concept
Photographer: MementoJpeg
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Reach for a
secure script
When something unsettles you in a relationship, your first reaction is not always the most accurate one.
If you’re anxious, your brain may jump very quickly to: ‘this is the beginning of the end’. If you’re avoidant, your brain may say: ‘this person wants too much from me, I need to get away’. So one very practical thing you can always do is pause and ask: ‘What would a secure person do here?’
Loneliness elsewhere
When people talk about loneliness, they often assume it means you don’t have enough people in your life. But you can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely if those relationships leave you feeling excluded, ignored or disconnected.
Frustrated lonely shy guy sitting apart of others teenagers – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
What to do
Build a community that works for your temperament and gives you regular, reliable moments of connection.
You can still be kind to people while not treating them as someone who belongs in your inner circle.
Explain what you need. Sometimes people simply don’t realise how you are experiencing them.
Check in with people: does this person actually feel that I’m reliable? Do they experience me as predictable? That’s the only way that you can start to become more secure.
Do some foods leave
you feeling hungry rather than satiated? Experts say there are…
Foods that leave you hungrier
A bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice
More refined cereals are digested quickly, and fruit juice, whilst one of your five-a-day, contains less fibre than whole fruit. This might mean you find yourself hungry again within 1-2 hours of eating this breakfast.
No more orange juice. (Photo via pixaby)
It’s estimated ultra processed foods make up at least half of the average UK diet (Photo: Getty)
Swap the orange juice for a whole orange, the cereal for oats and milk or serve it with Greek yoghurt or a boiled egg. This would increase the fibre and protein content; two nutrients strongly linked with fullness.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Caption: Gail’s croissant
Image taken from https://gails.com/collections/breakfast/products/croissant
Croissants
These pastries are made primarily from refined flour and butter, and are relatively low in protein and fibre.
Toast and jam
It is mostly carbohydrate and without protein or fibre, it is digested quickly, leaving you feeling hungry.
Caption: Toasted bread and white background
Photographer: Daniel Tamas Mehes
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
Copyright: Minden jog fenntartva!
Yakitori’s on the menu at the Japanese restaurant – but what exactly is it? (Photo: Reuters)
Sushi
Shop-bought packs can contain a lot of white rice, which is digested quickly, and the protein content is often modest.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Sarawak laksa is one of many varieties of this noodle soup (Photo: Tham Kee Chuan/Getty)
Vegetable soup
On its own, it is often very low in protein and calories, so hunger can return quickly.
Pizza
Unless it’s loaded with veggies, it’s probably pretty low in fibre.
Best pizza in Britain named – and owner reveals the secret to its success (Photo: James Linsell Clark/SWNS)
The Government has announced that the sugar tax will be extended to milkshakes (Photo: Scott Suchman)
Smoothies
Liquids are generally less filling as they require little chewing which may not trigger satiety signals.
Foods that leave you hungrier
‘Aged 14, I started what I considered to be my own little business selling confectionary,’ writes Beauty Dhlamini (Photo: Getty)
Snack bars
They are ideal for a quick pick-me-up, but if reducing hunger is what you’re after, it’d be better to swap it out.
Low-fat yoghurt
A full-fat plain Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds tends to be much more filling due to the protein, fat and fibre.
Which yoghurts are the best options? (Unsplash)
Caption: BANGKOK, THAILAND – OCTOBER 17: A “KT Herbalist”, a Kratom cocktail made from Kratom, coffee and siamese herbs is seen at Teens of Thailand, a bar in Bangkok’s Chinatown on October 17, 2021 in Bangkok, Thailand. In April 2021, the start of Thailand’s third and most deadly wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thai government banned the sale of alcohol in restaurants and bars, crippling the already suffering food and beverage industry. With a lack of government aid and support, some bars have shuttered their doors in hopes of reopening post-lockdown, while others shuttered their doors for good. But six months into Thailand’s most recent lockdown, Niks Anuman-Rajadhon, owner of Teens of Thailand, a gin bar located in a renovated shophouse in Bangkok’s Chinatown, decided that instead of waiting for the government to allow the sale of alcohol again, they would take advantage of Thailand’s recent legalization of Kratom. Kratom is a locally grown herbal drug with mild opioid and stimulant effects and was reclassified from a type-5 narcotic to a legal-to-grow herb in August 2021. While Thailand prepares for a tentative reopening on November 1st, the alcohol ban and curfew are set to continue, leaving business owners questioning if the country can revive its suffering tourism industry. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)
Photographer: Lauren DeCicca
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images AsiaPac
Alcohol
On an empty stomach, it can actually increase your appetite.
What to eat instead
Instead of thinking about avoiding foods, think about what you can add to them.
Add beans, lentils or shredded chicken to your vegetable soup and pasta.
Thicken your smoothies with Greek yoghurt, chia seeds and oats.
Apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with berries and hummus with oat biscuits are better snack options than a pre-made snack bar.
Have alcohol alongside a balanced meal containing protein and fibre.
How to age well
without pain
Will Harlow, a physiotherapist
for the over-50s and author of Independence for Life, shares
the key signs you’re ageing
badly – and what to do about it.
How to know
Ageing well is maintaining the ability to do what you want you want for as long as you want without needing help. Everyone is talking about longevity but what’s the point in living longer if the last decade is painful and you’re [totally] reliant on people?”
The signs to look out for
Senior woman on sofa feeling and suffering from back pain. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
The most obvious early warning sign of bad ageing is pain says Harlow.
Another is losing confidence in doing daily tasks, which can quickly lead to a lack of independence.
One call Harlow often receives is people calling after having a fall and struggling to get up.
4 min read
How to age without pain
Many will worry about not saving enough for retirement (Photo: Alex Tihonov/Getty/Moment RF)
Not just stopping
When people retire, they often put their feet up and stop. Your body really is use it or lose it.
Sleep
Throughout our entire lives, Harlow says we need between seven and nine hours of sleep.
Naps before 1pm can lead to better cognitive performance in the following hours (Photo: Lord Henri Voton/Getty Images)
Caption: Maribel Ezcurra, 77, a retired milling machine mechanic, practices tai chi with fellow seniors in a park in the Playa neighborhood of Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Photographer: Ramon Espinosa
Provider: AP
Source: AP
Social isolation
The lack of connection can increase the risk of premature death by
as much as 29 per cent.
Strength training
It really is the proxy for
overall independence.
The more muscle mass you have, the less chance of heart disease, diabetes, falls and even anxiety, depression and dementia.
Caption: This is a photo of a senior man helping his wife lift weights. See PA Feature HEALTH Physio. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA feature HEALTH Physio. PA Photo.Picture credit should read: Alamy/PA.
NOTE TO EDITORS: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature HEALTH Physio.
Photographer: Alamy
Provider: Alamy/PA
Source: PA
The brain can be linked to muscle mass too, Harlow says. It’s not just about being able to lift things. It gives you more energy, better sleep and you’ll look and feel better.
How to age without pain
Daily habits
Do short bursts of exercise, between 30 and 60 seconds, in otherwise dead time during the day.
Fit more walking into your day (Photo: andreswd/Getty/E+)
Sleep can affect your heart health (Photo: Flashpop/Getty/Digital Vision)
Stretch in bed
Take joints through a full range of motion for five minutes to loosen it before getting up.
Don’t crash diet
It can increase the decline of muscle mass and bone density, which needs to be avoided.
Calorie counting every day can be a pain (Photo: Getty)
How to age without pain
(Photo: Inga Erhan/ Gingagi/ Getty).
Protein
Harlow advises 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight to stop muscle loss alongside resistance training.
Don’t wait
Harlow finds that many patients put off making a change to their lifestyle until their lives are consumed by pain.
Menstrual pain, woman with stomachache suffering from pms at home, endometriosis, cystitis and other diseases of the urinary system – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Caption: Close-up view of female jogger tying laces of her sport shoes before running exercise routine. Motivation, healthy lifestyle and fitness concept.
Photographer: Xavier Lorenzo
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Recovery
For most people, it’s about reducing the number of times per week you’re exercising, not reducing intensity.
The three ageing tests to do
Lie completely flat on the floor and get back up to a standing position using any technique. This should take less than 10 seconds.
See how many times you can sit on the chair and stand back up again in 30 seconds. Men should be aiming for more than 14 times and women 12.
The single-leg stand, which involves standing on one leg and balancing for 10 seconds. Everyone should be able to do that and for those under 65, Harlow asks them to do it with their eyes closed.
Amati says that for parents of younger children, the single most positive thing they can do is to drop sugar-laden “follow-on” and “growing-up” milks.
“The National Health Service, Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and the World Health Organisation all agree they’re unnecessary,” she says. For the third of 18-month-olds who drink them, they supply half of their free sugar intake. “Water and milk are the only drinks for infants,” she says.
Rather than “rationing” our children, she recommends replacing it with healthier food. “A diet with enough good in it squeezes the rest out without anyone having to play sugar police. What children need is patient, unpressured exposure to the harder flavours like broccoli, lentils, olive oil, plain yoghurt. It can take 10 offers before a food is accepted. Most of us stop at three,” she explains.
She advises I focus on frequency, rather than quantity of sugar. “Every sugar exposure drops the pH in the mouth for 20 to 40 minutes, so it’s the grazing that does the damage, not the pudding. The same biscuit eaten at the end of lunch and eaten alone at four o’clock are not the same event for a child’s teeth,” she says.
I set out to make sensible swaps that won’t cost money and will teach good habits that will, hopefully, set them up for the future.
Swapping ice cream for frozen milkshake
It’s been a hot summer and frozen snacks have played a larger part in our diet than usual. We’ve swapped shop-bought ice cream for making our own lollies by freezing milkshakes.
I blend milk, bananas and frozen strawberries or blueberries (which are significantly cheaper than fresh and keep the drink cool enough to be refreshing). Each time, I make enough milkshake to fill up half a dozen lolly moulds. My children have got involved with the blending, which always makes them more inclined to eat their food.
Dr Amati says this is an upgrade from most shop-bought ice cream that carries “emulsifiers, stabilisers, flavourings and a much higher free sugar load. Yours has three ingredients you can name.” She cautions about portions. “Blending breaks down the structure of the fruit, so the sugars are released from the food matrix and behave more like free sugars. Intact fruit slows its own absorption; blended fruit doesn’t.”
I hadn’t realised that the milk is a huge positive in a frozen milkshake lolly. “Calcium and casein buffer acid in the mouth, which protects teeth. The fat and protein slow the sugar release. A blended fruit-and-milk drink behaves quite differently from blended fruit on its own,” she says.
She suggests that 150ml “treated as a nutritious pudding, rather than a drink, is a genuine upgrade on the freezer aisle.”
Taste verdict: An average 9/10 from the children.
Cost saving: Frozen strawberries at £3 per packet (Tesco), milk £1.20, and three bananas at 49p makes 14 lollies for £4.69, compared with Twister mini lollies at £4.90 for 14. A saving of 21p per lolly.
Swapping biscuits for healthy cake
We usually save cake for rare occasions, but I figure that if I make it healthy then it can swap with some of the biscuits which we keep in the cupboards. I substitute banana and dates for refined sugar and add in ground almonds for protein.
I feel smug about having created a cake with no added sugar but Amati reminds me: “You haven’t taken the sugar out. Dates are roughly 65 per cent sugar and blended into a batter those sugars count as free sugars, same as the caster sugar you replaced.” But she does say that this is a more healthy way of eating cake. “There is fibre from the dates and banana, fat and protein from the almonds. That combination slows digestion, creates a gentler blood glucose response and keeps everyone full for longer.
“You’ve also added potassium, magnesium and vitamin E, which caster sugar contributes nothing of. So it’s a nourishing cake rather than a healthy food, and that’s exactly the right thing for it to be. Cake is allowed to be cake.”
Dr Amati recommends adding savoury snacks into our diet too. “The best children’s snacks are fruit, cheese, oatcakes, yoghurt, veg and hummus, because they’re cheap, they involve chewing, and they don’t need a label read.” Zoe makes its own snack bar, too, though Dr Amati says for children she reserves these for out-of-the-house situations.
Taste verdict: Mixed: a 9/10 from my eldest and me but my youngest did not like it.
Cost saving: Bananas 49p, Dates £1.40, Ground almonds £3.40, eggs 80p. At a total of £5.89, this was more expensive than a tub of millionaire’s from Sainsbury’s at £3, but it felt worth it with a very simple ingredients list.
‘I substitute banana and dates for refined sugar and add in ground almonds for protein,’ writes Genevieve
Swapping shop-bought bread for home-made
My husband Mark used to make bread frequently, and somehow as life gets busier our bread machine gets forgotten. Yet it’s delicious and waking to the smell of fresh bread is genuinely quality-of-life improving. I’m always shocked by how much sugar is in supermarket bread and I’m keen to start enjoying the real deal.
I, however, haven’t really experimented with the bread machine before. I use Mark’s recipe and somehow create a brick. This one’s going to take me a bit of practice but it will be worth it.
Taste verdict: Inedible, but I know from past experience this becomes 8/10 with practice.
Cost: A huge saving. Homemade bread costs 70p per loaf compared to £2 for supermarket bought, a saving of £475 per year.
Swapping shop-bought pasta sauce for home-made
I’m a big fan of a tomato and mascarpone pasta sauce. We have an M&S garage around the corner: it doesn’t sell actual mascarpone but sells the ready-made sauce and, when time is pushed, I’ll grab it. But I know that when I take the time to make my own it’s delicious – and very simple. And it has no added sugar. The same, of course, applies for most sauces, including the mild curries that our children have started enjoying, so my husband Mark, who cooks a lot, has started making korma sauce too.
Taste verdict: 9/10 – of course the homemade versions are better.
Cost: £2.35 – a saving of 20p. Tomatoes 85p, half a tub of mascarpone £1.20 and basil 30p compared with shop bought pasta sauce, £2.55.
Swapping cereal for eggs
During term time our children frequently eat eggs for breakfast but our leisurely mornings this summer have thrown our egg habit. Instead, the children have been eating high-protein, very low-sugar Surreal cereal. It’s not cheap (£4 for eight servings) and I’m excited to return to eggs: scrambled, omelette, dip dips or splat eggs, as my children call fried eggs.
Dr Amati recommends checking all cereal labels carefully. “Swap high-sugar cereals for plain porridge or wheat biscuits, with berries or sliced banana for sweetness,” she says. “Check the label on anything marketed to children – several “healthy” children’s cereals run above 20g of sugar per 100g.”
Taste verdict: 10/10
Cost: It’s 80p for two eggs, compared with 50p for a 30g serving of Surreal cereal so it is more expensive
Conclusion
We haven’t given up all sugar in our diets – there’s no way my children would let me – but we have cut down on UPFs (ultra-processed foods) in the process of reducing free sugars, which feels much healthier all round.
I’m keeping Dr Amati’s advice in mind: “I avoid added sugar sauces and soft drinks at home and focus on fresh whole fruit. We do have ice creams and sweets at home but they’re eaten as part of a meal instead of in isolation.”
Now, I just need to keep it up.