Seasonal sense

INSTEAD of eliminating anything from your diet right now, eat what’s here for the asking this spring.

Start with strawberries, rich in Vitamin C, fibre, potassium, folate and the antioxidant anthocyanin. They help to balance blood sugar, with polyphenols that boost the immune system and healthy cell renewal.

Move on to asparagus, the slim dark green ‘trigueros’ whose season is just beginning. They are abundant in vitamin K, needed for blood clotting, heart and bone health and cancer prevention, as well as copper, selenium, Vitamin D and the B vitamins. Also, add broad beans to your shopping list. One of the world’s oldest crops, they too are brimming with nutrients that include folate, phosphorous, manganese, magnesium and the B Vitamins.

STRAWBERRY TIME: In Spanish shops now.

Linda Hall

ON March 26 we lose an hour’s sleep, although as it’s a Sunday most of us manage a lie­in.

But even a minor time change affects the health, especially for the elderly or those with chronic illnesses, health professionals say.

Interrupted sleep patterns are the biggest problem, skewing natural circadian rhythms, while hospitals note a significantly higher risk of heart attack during the two weeks after clocks go forward. Road accidents also rise.

Seniors suffer more than anyone else, doctors found.

SPRING FORWARD: An hour’s sleep lost when clocks change.

For the first few days they recommend going to bed and rising at the same time to keep the internal clock on time, while laying off caffeine

NOT everybody can get outside to exercise, however much they would like to.