Crochet

Celebrity

With husband Daniel Lapaine

‘The responsibility of not wanting to get it wrong means you try a bit harder’

Parker, Fay and Sonny

WORDS: HAYLEY MINN. PHOTOS: ABACA/PA, GETTY, ITV/BIG TALK

Pete, are still happily married 23 years on from the first episode of Cold Feet. She says, ‘I think the audience feel that Jenny and Pete have been through lots of ups and downs. ‘They’ve been together since they were 15, and there is longevity to their friendship. ‘How do you define a good marriage anyway? Theirs is as good as anyone’s.’ And with the ongoing success of Cold Feet, Fay says she can’t see any reason why we won’t be still be watching Jenny and Pete in their 70s! She finishes, ‘It’s down to ITV, but certainly, with what’s happening at the moment, it looks like there will be some life beyond this series, so watch this space…’

BRITAIN Celebrating

Why we love

Scotland’s most famous poet has left a legacy enjoyed far and wide BURNS NIGHT

What better way to brighten a winter’s night than to gather friends for haggis, poetry and a wee dram? On 25 J anuary each year – the anniversary of Robert Burns’ birth – we celebrate Burns Night. The first Burns Night was held in July 1801 by nine of his closest friends to mark the fifth anniversary of his death. The event was a resounding success and became a lively, annual Scottish event that’s celebrated to this day.

Who was Robert Burns? Fondly known as Rabbie, Burns was born in 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire. The son of tenant farmers and one of seven children, he grew up working hard on the farm. Despite the family’s poverty, Burns’ father recognised the value of education and encouraged his children to read and write.

Burns wrote his first love poem at the age of 15 and went on to write hundreds of songs and poems that have been enjoyed for over 200 years. Many of his poems were dedicated to women and the celebration of love – he was fond of the lassies and fathered 12 children. Despite his fame, he remained an ardent advocate for social equality. Burns died aged only 37 from a bacterial infection and is buried in St Michael’s Churchyard, Dumfries.

The Great Bard’s most famous poems and songs Burns wrote more than 550 poems and songs, from the epic Tam o’ Shanter to A Red, Red Rose , a lyric Bob Dylan says had the greatest impact on his life. Auld Lang Syne is sung the world over on New Year’s Eve and is a song of hope that encourages us to raise a cup of kindness to our neighbours, to put last year behind us and look forward to the year ahead.

Did you know... ✣ Burns boosts the Scottish economy to the tune of approximately £150 million every year. In 2009, on the 250th anniversary of Burns’ birth, £9m of haggis was sold in the UK. ✣ The Robert Burns museum in Alloway is the second-most visited UK writer’s museum (only Shakespeare’s in Stratford-upon-Avon beats it). ✣ Burns has more statues dedicated to him than any other non-religious figure, part from Queen Victoria and Christopher Columbus. There are 14 in the USA – one in New York’s Central Park. ✣ Despite his success, at the time of his death Robert Burns worth was only valued at £1. The statue of Burns in Central Park Bob Dylan is a big fan

Dancing is often part of Burns Night

Burns Night festivities

Traditional Burns Night suppers are held in homes, restaurants and special venues in Scotland and around the world. Following a format, firstly the host recites The Selkirk Grace – a prayer of thanks used by Burns. A hearty meal is served and guests read aloud Burns poems, including the Address to a Haggis. There’s usually an adaptation of A Toast to the Lassies, followed by (watch out chaps) a Reply to the Toast to the Lassies. Festivities end with a rousing chorus of

WORDS: CLAIRE CANTOR. PHOTOS: GETTY, ALAMY ‘Auld Lang Syne’, some bagpipe music or traditional Scottish dancing. Most Burns suppers start with cock-a-leekie soup. Then haggis –a combination of sheep’s heart, liver and lungs with onion, oatmeal, suet and spices, wrapped in the sheep’s stomach –is served with neeps (swede) and tatties (potatoes). For some delicious Scottish pud ideas, turn to page 34. ✣ For all the info you need to host your very own version of a Burns Night supper, go to visitscotland.com.

…as are toasts

Boost your

IMMUNITY naturally!

Try these no-drug ways to build a strong immune system and keep fighting fit in winter and beyond

Have you dodged the worst of the lurgies this winter? Or do you pick up every bug going? You can give your immune system a chance to fight back with simple changes to your diet and lifestyle. One of the simplest is getting enough sleep. Aim for seven to eight hours a night, says Woman’s Weekly GP Dr Gill Jenkins. ‘Sleep deprivation decreases production of protective immune proteins called cytokines and infectionfighting antibodies and cells, making you more prone to inflammation, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.’ Another is eating breakfast within an hour of waking. Avoiding bloodsugar highs and lows helps fight inflammation, says nutritional therapist Yvonne Bishop-Weston (optimumnutritionists.com). ‘Eat every four hours if you can and have protein with every meal.’ Time to love your gut ‘Your gut contains a richer diversity of life than a rainforest,’ says TV doctor Michael Mosley, author of The Clever Guts Diet (£8.99, Short Books). And your gut’s microbiome (the 2kg of bacteria, fungi and viruses living in it) is crucial in regulating your immune system – 70% of which resides in your gut. It’s not known yet exactly what makes up the perfect microbiome, but the belief is that the more diverse your range of bugs, the better.

Help it flourish by eating a wide range of foods, including plenty of fibre (wholegrains, fruit, veg). Foods high in fibre act as ‘manure’, which helps ‘good’ gut bugs grow.

Pre- and probiotics are also important. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts (often called ‘good’ or ‘friendly’ bacteria), usually added to foods such as yogurt or taken as a food supplement. Prebiotics are a type of dietary fibre found in foods such as leeks, onions and garlic, which feed the friendly bacteria in your gut. Cut out bad habits Cigarettes and alcohol both suppress your white cells’ ability to multiply, affecting immunity. And stress decreases your immune system’s effectiveness.

‘Under stress, your body can only deal with major emergencies like injuries,’ explains nutritional therapist Ali Cullen. ‘Colds and coughs become less of a priority, so your body shuts down the production of lymphocytes and antibodies that would normally fight them, making you much more susceptible to anything doing the rounds.’

And don’t be a couch potato. Regular exercise is key to keeping your immune system healthy. Just a 20-minute walk a day can improve circulation, upping the ability of your immune cells to fight infection. AVOID ANTIBIOTICS Overuse of antibiotics destroys your gut’s beneficial microbes and reduces your body’s ability to fight harmful bacteria.

GET OUTSIDE This increases your exposure to a variety of microbes and vitamin D, which helps gut flora to flourish and white blood cells to fight infection. Try for 15 minutes of sunshine a day on unprotected skin – be careful not to burn.

3health-boosting habits

✣ Singing London scientists have found that it can boost the immune system (through the release of immune proteins cytokines), and may even help your body fight cancer. Singing encourages you to breathe, and it reduces stress hormones such as cortisol. ✣ Cycling Studies have found that it may help improve your immunity. As we age, an organ called the thymus, which makes T-cells needed for immunity, shrinks. But in a paper published in Aging Cell, Professor Janet Lord, director of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing at the University of Birmingham, explained findings that older cyclists produced as many T-cells as young people.

Health

✣ Meditation It can boost immunity by helping reduce stress, which weakens your immune system and drastically lowers your resistance to winter bugs. American research found that people who practised regular meditation for eight weeks had fewer colds.

4 supplements to try

If you have a healthy, well-balanced diet, you probably don’t need supplements. But if there are gaps in your nutrition, or you think your immunity may be low, a supplement could help. 1 Unbeelievable Bee Prepared Daily Defence Immune Formula, £12 for 30 capsules, Boots 2 A.Vogel Echinaforce Echinacea Drops, £4.50 for 15ml, Tesco 3 Nature’s Way Alive! Immune Support, £14.99 for 60 chewables, Holland & Barrett 4 LloydsPharmacy Zinc 15mg tablets, £2.99 for 60 tablets

Fabulous food fighters Boost your immunity year-round with what you pile on your plate. Make sure you eat plenty of these foods.

CUT BACKÉ … on processed foods. Artificial sweeteners, flavourings and preservatives kill off ‘good’ gut bugs, which boost immunity. ✣ Oily fish ‘Their omega-3 fatty acids are naturally antiinflammatory,’ says Harley Street nutritional therapist Yvonne Bishop-Weston. Non-fishy sources include walnuts, and flax, chia and hemp seeds. ✣ Yogurt The ‘good’ bacteria in yogurt (probiotics) feed your immune-boosting gut microbiome, and are believed to help restore the balance of gut bacteria after it has been affected by illness or antibiotic treatment. ✣ Turmeric A great antiinflammatory, turmeric is best eaten with a pinch of pepper. ‘Piperine, an active ingredient in black pepper, has been found to be a “bio-enhancer”, which makes turmeric more medicinally beneficial,’ says Rachel Landon, author of Superherbs (£12.99, Piatkus). ‘Otherwise it can be assimilated poorly by the body and eliminated quickly.’ ✣ Red or green peppers Their vitamin C content is key for immunity, thanks to its role in cell health and wound healing. Also eat lots of citrus fruits, broccoli and potatoes. ✣ Shellfish It has high levels of zinc, another important mineral for immune health. ‘Zinc contributes to normal immune function, helping to defend the body against bacteria and

viruses, and help aid faster wound healing,’ says LloydsPharmacy pharmacist

Pareena Patel. It’s also found in meats and dairy foods. WORDS: TANYA PEAREY. PHOTOS (POSED BY MODELS): GETTY