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HEALTH • MONEY • TRAVEL • RECIPES • FASHION • TECHNOLOGY

D I G E S T

FEBRUARY 2020

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BEYOND THE

A N D

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P E R F E C T LY

The Defiant History Behind Champagne

I N F O R M E D

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WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT OUR ALLERGIES?

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Contents FEBRUARY 2020

Features 16 IT’S A MANN’S WORLD Olly Mann’s youngest son is about to start primary school, and Olly’s choosing very wisely…

p66

ENTERTAINMENT

20 INTERVIEW:

KATHY BATES

The Misery actress on getting her big break, falling ill and becoming a spokesperson

28 “I REMEMBER”:

CERYS MATTHEWS

The Welsh Catatonia singer reminisces about her childhood and career

BEST OF BRITISH: ROMANTIC BREAKS

HEALTH

38 OUR AMAZING BODIES Discover some surprising and exciting facts about how our bodies keep us healthy

This Valentine’s Day, we visit Britain’s most romantic retreats

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF Exploring the health of the world’s largest coral reef, located in Australia’s Coral Sea

56 ALLERGIES ON THE RISE

The world is suffering from more allergies than ever before—but what’s really causing them and why?

INSPIRE

CHAMPAGNE CALLING Discovering the region beyond the famous bubbles FEBRUARY 2020 • 1

PROMISE TO BE THERE WITH A GIFT IN YOUR WILL A gift in your Will to Battersea is a promise to be there for unwanted dogs and cats in the future. It’s a gift from the heart that will change lives and help Battersea continue to give vulnerable dogs and cats a second chance in life. Visit battersea.org.uk/wills to request a gifts in Wills information pack.

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Contents FEBRUARY 2020

In every issue 9 12

Over to You See the World Differently

46 50

HEALTH Advice: Susannah Hickling Column: Dr Max Pemberton INSPIRE If I Ruled the World: David Gray

116

FASHION & BEAUTY Column: Lisa Lennkh on how to look your best Beauty

MONEY Column: Andy Webb

118

ENTERTAINMENT February’s cultural highlights

FOOD & DRINK Tasty recipes and ideas from Rachel Walker

122

98 100

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE My Great Escape Slow travel

102 106

110

p106 114

127

HOME & GARDEN Column: Cassie Pryce

p118

BOOKS February Fiction: James Walton’s recommended reads Books That Changed My Life: Meg Wolitzer

128

TECHNOLOGY Column: Olly Mann

130 133 136 140 143 144

FUN & GAMES You Couldn’t Make It Up Word Power Brain Teasers Laugh! 60-Second Stand-Up Beat the Cartoonist

FEBRUARY 2020 • 3

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The Red Cross is part of our history – make it part of our futures too

The work of the British Red Cross is as vital today as it was in World War II. It’s thanks to the generosity of our supporters that we can always be ready to help those in crisis, whether it’s an earthquake overseas or a house fire in the UK. By leaving a gift in your will, you can leave your own legacy and ensure we are there to help in times of crisis. Please will you consider leaving a gift in your will? The British Red Cross Society, incorporated by Royal Charter 1908, is a charity registered in England and Wales (220949) Scotland (SC037738) and Isle of Man (0752)

Find out how you can make or update your will using our free no-obligation will writing service — call 0300 500 0401 or visit redcross.org.uk/freewill

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Save 10%* on Bupa By You health insurance this new year When life is non-stop, taking time out for a health issue might not feel like an option. Which is why, with Bupa, you’ll get fast access to treatment and specialist support, so you’ll be back to yourself as soon as possible. As a reader of Reader’s Digest, you can save 10%* on Bupa By You health insurance.

EDITORS’ LET TERS

In This Issue… February is the month of romance, and we pay homage on p56, with a whirlwind tour of Britain’s most romantic retreats. But the season of love isn’t exclusively for couples. On p88, I take a solo trip to France’s exclusive Champagne reigion and discover some of the beautiful stories and people behind the bubbles. Unlike us, the French don’t see champagne as a drink to be savoured only on special occasions—in this part of the world, they drink it almost every day. When something is so delicious, they argue, why would you only drink it once a year? I think it’s a good message for the Valentine’s season. Why treat yourself—or your loved one—on February 14th alone, when we could be doing little things every day, to make the world a more loved-up place?

Being an avid horror movie fan, I’ve always loved Kathy Bates for her work in the spooky TV series American Horror Story and—more notably—the disturbing Stephen King adaptation, Misery. So it was a real pleasure to chat to her about her fascinating life, tumultuous career and working with Clint Eastwood on her latest film, Richard Jewell. You can read about our conversation and find out what it’s like to work with one of Hollywood’s most legendary directors on p20. Speaking of horror, February seems to be just chock-full of it. We review the gloomy black-and-white wonder that is The Lighthouse on p118, and the bizarrely sterile Sci-Fi chiller, Little Joe, on p119. Happy fright fest!

Anna

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FEBRUARY 2020 • 7

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Over To You LETTERS ON THE

December ISSUE

We pay £50 for Letter of the Month and £30 for all others

LETTER OF THE MONTH

I thoroughly enjoyed “A Greek Cypriot Christmas.” Famous Christmas traditions around the world are wonderful—sometimes wonderfully weird—and each guaranteed to put everyone in the festive spirit. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. Just for a couple of weeks every 12 months the world takes on a magic glow, people seem merrier and winter somehow feels cosy. I once spent Christmas and New Year in Greece. Pictures of unparalleled beauty, delicious flavours, intoxicating scents and joyful melodies come to mind—it was an unforgettable experience. And, like the writer pointed out, there is always room for one more at the table. I know this because we called upon friends on December 28 unannounced and they insisted on feeding us—there was no way they were leaving us out! Whether you’re celebrating a religious festival or a more secular occasion, people are sure to have their own selection of rituals and customs that make the holiday season so special. A heart-warming, uplifting article. —ARIANNA TAYLOR, Moray, Scotland

WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN Your story on the treasures of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun visiting London for the last time before ending their world tour and taking their rightful place in Egypt’s new Grand Egyptian Museum was awe-inspiring. To discover he was one of the least rich and powerful of the Ancient Egyptian rulers is unbelievable, it makes you wonder what the burial chambers of a great Pharaoh like Ramesses II was like. You have inspired me to book my tickets to go to London to see this exhibition next year and I can’t wait. — LUKE RUSSELL,

Yorkshire

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OVER TO YOU

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE I enjoyed “I Ruled The World” with Luke Evans. Recycling is very much on Luke’s mind and he is right to say people should be held accountable. Children are especially susceptible to diseases when their home and playgrounds are overrun with rubbish and human waste. In countries throughout Asia, children are swimming in polluted stagnant waters, digging through rubbish (created by us) and playing amid toxic substances at landfills. It must be hell on earth, but for those trapped in an inescapable cycle of poverty, these people have no choice but to call it home. We as a country need to tackle recycling head on. In a well-known coffee shop the other day I asked the member of staff if the empty coconut container he had just thrown in the bin was to be recycled later, he said no. Shame on us. We are contributing to the world’s problems by not being conscious and recycling. — JESSICA WARD, London

FALLING GRACEFULLY I was most grateful for your feature “How To Fall”, as was my 93-year-old great grandmother. She is surprisingly sprightly for her age, and only gave up her bicycle at 85 but the pavements where she lives in London are uneven, and falls are common with older people—a dangerous and frequently incapacitating problem. She has had three falls this year, the last of which caused heavy bruising as she fell straight on her face. Amazingly she always gets up, but knowing how to fall is going to help her, and stop serious injuries. I’ve 10 • FEBRUARY 2020

shared your information with her. She’s talking it over with her doctor and is hopeful that physiotherapy sessions will help her. — GENNA COOPER, London HEALTH

Injuries caused by falling are a growing problem. It's time to learn...

HOW TO

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…DIFFERENTLY What appears to be an abandoned ballroom is actually the inside of a violin! Artist Adrian Borda usually works more with the brush than the camera, but an advertising campaign for the Berliner Philharmoniker inspired the Romanian painter to create a series of remarkable photos. Based in his hometown of Reghin, Hungary—also known as the city of violins—he began to repurpose old, retired instruments to create these extraordinary cathedrals of light.

IT’S A MANN’S WORLD

Primary Concerns This month Olly Mann waves goodbye to life before the school run…

he time has come to choose a primary school. It seems a mere couple of years since we first carried Harvey home in his car-seat from the maternity ward, yet soon we’ll graduate to posting a Facebook photo of our allgrown-up son, standing at the front door, grinning in his school uniform, unaware that another 14 years of Physics, PE, and early starts stretch ahead of him like freshly laid turf. The county council have sent us a rather austere four-page guide to the process, referencing nothing of the joys of education, or indeed any kind of joy. Instead they provide a timetable of impending Olly Mann presents Four Thought for BBC Radio 4, and the award-winning podcasts The Modern Mann and Answer Me This!

16 • FEBRUARY 2020

deadlines—when to contact schools to arrange a tour, when to send off our application form, what the last date would be to change our allocation area, etc. Apparently we need to select up to four schools in our area and rank them in order of preference. This feels a little daunting because what had seemed a straightforward decision—we live in a village, our son will surely attend the community primary that lies a short walk from our doorstep—now presents itself as a process we should somehow be gaming. Do we vote tactically? Do we download Ofsted reports? Should we be trying to get Harvey into an "academy" school, or a "community" one? Do we gamble on the school we want, and put that in pole position, without considering any others? To ease the burden, I’ve devised the following three criteria: First. I want a school close enough that we can walk there. Partly this is illustration by Daniel Mitchell

IT’S A MANN’S WORLD

because I don’t relish needlessly burning fossil fuels, but more acutely it’s because I could do with the enforced exercise. I work from home, so committing to at least 20 minutes of mild physical activity each day (ten minutes there, ten minutes back) is 20 minutes more than I currently achieve on occasion. It strikes me, too, that by attending the establishment closest to our house, our son is more likely to befriend classmates in our postcode— somewhere to go on playdates when he’s young, and to hang out when he’s a teenager. And, who knows, maybe we’ll get on with their parents…? Second. I don’t want him enrolled at a faith school. I’m a tad hypocritical on this, because I attended a straight-laced CoE primary, with a chapel and hymns and everything, and although I misbehaved there, I can’t honestly blame All Things Bright And Beautiful. But, in my view, divvying up kids according to the religious beliefs of their parents is a bizarre way to administer education, especially as, later in life, they will 18 • FEBRUARY 2020

encounter people of all faiths and none. I want my son to be free to make up his own mind about which, if any, holy book he believes. To be frank I don’t really understand why the state is in the business of providing faith schools at all. The community village primary does do an Easter Egg hunt, and a small Nativity display at Christmas time, but is essentially agnostic. The only other school in our village, albeit slightly further away, is a faith school; a Jewish school, as it happens. I’m from a Jewish family, but my wife isn’t. Jewish tradition dictates that the religion is passed down the maternal line, so, if we selected that school, my son would be in the awkward position of being considered Jewish enough to be allocated a place, but not Jewish enough for God. Imagine asking a four-yearold to contend with that! Third. I want Harvey to be happy. (See, not all the criteria are about my anxieties and wellbeing: this one’s for him). It seems a modest aim, but one

READER’S DIGEST

easily lost in the fog of prospectuses, assessment reports and transport policies. A lot of supplementary education, in the broadest sense, I’m sure we can provide at home. So, do the pupils look happy? Are they smiling when they arrive and depart? Do the teachers look like pleasant people? Is there a tree to climb? On all three criteria, I’m pleased to report, the community primary scores well. We went to have a look around, and the kids smiled at us. There was glitter on the walls. There was a goldfish bowl on the reception desk. It looked, sort of, fun. So, that’s our decision made: we’re going with our instincts. The local school, the one across the road, the one we had naturally assumed our son would be going to, is indeed the one he will, hopefully, attend. On one level, therefore, the selection process has been pointless. I can’t even be sure, if we were to have selected a school further afield,

“MY SON WOULD BE CONSIDERED JEWISH ENOUGH FOR THE SCHOOL, BUT NOT JEWISH ENOUGH FOR GOD…" whether, in reality, he’d get in. But I’m grateful that we’ve been coerced into considering the implications of the alternatives. The illusion of choice has forced us to confront what we want, or at least what we don’t, and actively support the local school that otherwise would be handed to us by default. Now we just need to go and buy the uniform. And clean up our doorstep for that photoshoot. When you’re anticipating multiple "likes", you’ve got to think it through. n

Kissing through the ages The insult "kiss my a***e" dates back to at least 1705

A medieval manuscript warned Japanese men against kissing their partner during her orgasm, as she may accidentally bite off their tongue In 1439, Henry VI banned kissing in England to prevent spread of the plague

In 1929, anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski visited the Trobriand Islands and found that lovers partake in a variation of the French kiss that culminates in biting off each other’s eyelashes SOURCE: FACTRETRIEVER.COM/KISSING-FACTS

FEBRUARY 2020 • 19

ENTERTAINMENT

Kathy Bates:

Head Like A Bullet, Heart Like A Baby by Eva Mackevic

The Oscar winner opens up about the early struggles of pursuing an acting career, her breakthrough role in Misery and lessons learned from being a two-time cancer survivor

“I

’m your number one fan. There’s nothing to worry about. I will take good care of you.” The image of Annie Wilkes’ stern, catatoniclike face hovering obsessively over the bedridden Paul Sheldon is an iconic one for any horror movie fan. In Misery, Kathy Bates brought to life one of cinema’s most terrifying female villains: the cunning, psychopathic nurse who traps and tortures her beloved author after he gets into a car accident. Misery has gained a cult status since 1990 when it was released, with the mallet-wielding Annie earning her rightful place among the likes of Hannibal Lecter or Jason Voorhees.

And because the character is so iconically quotable (“He didn’t get out of the cock-a-doodie car!”), and visually memorable (the frumpy, demure pinafores and a golden cross dangling from her neck), it can be easy to overlook the tour de force performance Kathy Bates delivered; nimbly alternating between love and hate, extreme mood swings and maniacal episodes, she made this film—and the world took note, awarding her the Best Leading Actress Oscar the following year. It’s astonishing to think that it was her first foray into movies—at that point, Kathy was already 42, having spent most of her career performing minor stage roles as well as working FEBRUARY 2020 • 21

Kathy Bates in Misery

odd jobs, eg, as a cashier at the Museum of Modern Art. “It was a very special time [filming Misery]. I remember at first it was really exciting. I got my own trailer but after a while of sitting there I just thought, Wow, it’s kind of lonely in here [Laughs]. So I started hanging out on the set and learning a lot. At one point this costumer, who’s been in the business forever, said, ‘Get your Oscar dress ready.’ ” And I just kind of looked at him blankly because the 22 • FEBRUARY 2020

thought never occurred to me,” Kathy tells me in her laidback midwestern accent, speaking over the phone from her home in LA. I imagine she’s been asked about Annie Wilkes in every interview she’s done over the last 30 years, but she answers my questions gracefully, without a hint of annoyance or boredom. “Goodness, Misery took me on the world stage. People always identify me with that but it’s nice to be in the Zeitgeist, I guess.”

TC D / P R O D. D B / A L A M Y S TO C K P H OTO / Z U M A P R E S S, I N C . / A L A M Y S TO C K P H OTO

She’s incredibly funny, self-aware and completely deadpan—to the point that you never really know if she’s joking or not. She tells me in cringing amusement: “My mother used to say something really corny: when I was born, the doctor smacked me on my behind and I thought it was an applause—and I’ve been looking for it ever since.” The path that led to the breakthrough role as Annie Wilkes was not always an easy one, the actor admits. Landing parts could be a real struggle, with one agent going as far as telling her that she wasn’t sufficiently attractive to become a successful actress. “From the very beginning I knew acting was what I wanted to do, I just didn’t know if I could really do it as a profession. I was able to study it at the Southern Methodist University and get terrific training there. And I loved the 15 years I spent in New York, working on stage on Broadway and off. But all the time I kept thinking, Oh, what good is this? It’s selfaggrandising—what am I really doing? I’ve always struggled with self-doubt.

“ WHEN I WAS

BORN, THE DOCTOR SMACKED ME ON MY BEHIND AND I THOUGHT IT WAS AN APPLAUSE” When I was starting out in this business, a friend of mine said, “You have to have a head like a bullet and heart like a baby.” That’s my motto. It’s hard to do, you have to let things go, and do your best—but it’s out of your control.” While Kathy’s career hit a temporary slump after winning the Oscar for Misery, great roles did come flooding in soon enough. She played the title character in another Stephen King adaptation, Dolores Claiborne; an American socialite Molly Brown in James Cameron’s blockbuster Titanic and the scathing political advisor Libby Holden in Primary FEBRUARY 2020 • 23

“ I DON’T

WANT TO SOUND LIKE A GOODY TWO SHOES BUT I’M JUST SO GRATEFUL TO BE ALIVE ” Colours, which earned her another Oscar nomination. Yet in 2003, her career was suddenly put on hold when she discovered she had ovarian cancer. “I didn’t publicise. I had to stop working because I was in chemo. I just sort of went to the ground. I had about nine chemo treatments and lost my hair, the whole nine yards,” she reveals. “I went back a little too soon. It was hard working while I was still recovering and going through the chemo. I really just couldn’t do it anymore.” Barely a decade later, the actor was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she describes as a “punch in the gut” that made her feel like her career was truly over. After a gruelling battle which involved a double mastectomy, Kathy finally overcame the illness; yet it left her with a little-known 24 • FEBRUARY 2020

condition called “lymphedema”— localised swelling caused by a compromised lymphatic system. “I knew about it, I was terrified of getting it. Ten million Americans suffer from it— it’s more than MS, Parkinson’s, ALS and AIDS combined. Yet doctors spend 15 minutes in medical school on the entire lymphatic system, so if someone has it and goes to their doctor, they don’t know how to diagnose it. And it’s progressive and incurable— it just gets worse, unfortunately,” she reveals in a tone that has shifted from jolly enthusiasm to a supressed tremble. Spreading the word about lymphedema has since become one of the actor’s main missions in life: she became the national spokesperson for the condition, and the chairperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network’s (LE&RN) honorary board, raising awareness of the illness and lobbying for support for research funding. “We just want anyone who has cancer to be armed. If the lymph system is damaged, you’re at risk of lymphedema,” she warns. There’s an urgency and candidness in her voice as she describes the graphic minutiae of chemotherapy and drainage pumps—something a typical Hollywood celebrity would perhaps shy away from because they’d consider it unsavoury or embarrassing. For

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Misery

Dolores Claiborne

Primary Colours

Kathy though, making people aware of the dangers of lymphedema and arming them with the tools she didn’t have is of utmost importance. There’s no martyrdom or attention-seeking here; just steely determination to get the message across. Aside from opening her eyes to this important cause, being a two-time cancer survivor also equipped the Oscar winner with a new perspective on life. Kathy downplays her talent and success, noting how the very acting experience and learning from other people is much more important to her. “Quite frankly, I just try to be in the moment and enjoy every bit of my life; every contact with every person I come across. I don’t want to sound like a goody two shoes but I’m so grateful to be alive. My mum had breast cancer, my aunt died of it, my niece had it. It runs in my family. I’m just really grateful to be working with 26 • FEBRUARY 2020

the kind of people I’m working with. It’s a life source for me,” she says modestly. And her latest film, Richard Jewell, is teeming with people who are more than exciting to work with. Directed by Clint Eastwood, this drama about the titular security guard who got falsely accused of terrorism, stars the likes of Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde and Jon Hamm. Eastwood, understandably, was Kathy’s primary reason for wanting to be in the film. “I think I said, ‘I’m happy to just get him coffee’ ”, she laughs about finding out for the first time that the director wanted her in the film. “I think from his roles he gives people the impression that he’s very taciturn or remote but he’s just the opposite, he’s very welcoming. Clint’s a horse-whisperer of actors,” she says of her experience of working with the director. In the film, Kathy portrays Richard Jewell’s doting mother, Bobi, whose

E V E R E T T C O L L E C T I O N I N C / A L A M Y S TO C K P H OTO

Richard Jewell

READER’S DIGEST

Kathy Bates, Clint Eastwood, Bobi Jewell, Jon Hamm

tender relationship with her son Kathy was immediately drawn to. “I thought it was so real and multi-level, I didn’t think that it looked like a caricature,” she says. It also embodies the element that Kathy looks for in every project she sets her mind to: empathy and the power to change people’s hearts, which is not something you always find in big superhero movies that have been consistently on the rise in the last decade or so. “I think there’s a place for them but also I think there’s sometimes

just too much CGI and not enough TLC [tender loving care],” says Kathy. “But for now, that’s just the way things are and I’m just really happy to have a job. And with Richard Jewell, I told Clint, I’ve had a great career and after 50 years in this business, I feel like I’ve finally hit the big time.” n Richard Jewell opens in cinemas across the UK on January 31. Read our review on p119. To learn more about LE&RN, visit lymphaticnetwork.org

Hairy Matters It takes two to six months to grow a full beard but it depends on genetics, testosterone levels and lifestyle choices. At six years, the beard is the longest it will ever be and hairs will start falling out on their own. SOURCE: MENSHAIRSTYLES.COM

FEBRUARY 2020 • 27

ENTERTAINMENT

Cerys Matthews

I REMEMBER… …WATCHING A PIG BREAK ITS LEG. We were driving down a Welsh lane, behind this tractor pulling a trailer that had a massive sow in it. Suddenly, the pig decided to jump out. But it hurt itself rather badly and hobbled off with the farmer in pursuit. I was about three and, for some reason, my mum Pauline’s way of dealing with this violent situation was to break into a Welsh-language folk song about families killing pigs to eat in winter. The scene has always stuck in my mind. 28 • FEBRUARY 2020

…MY PARENTS WERE FROM VERY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. My dad, Philip, was a doctor whose family had made enough money from a hardware store they owned in the Welsh valleys to send him to college. My mum, a medical secretary, came from a family of Neath faggot makers. Dad was well travelled. Mum used to say, “The furthest I’d go when I was young was an escalator in Cardiff.” But they were together for 53 years, until he died in 2018.

JAANME S /BAL OAARDM N / AP L AM Y S TO OTOTE RS TOCK D IA MY SATOCK H OTO / ACK N L PH /S HUT

Musician and broadcaster Cerys Matthews, 50, found fame with Nineties band Catatonia. She’s now a successful solo artist, author and BBC radio DJ. Her new book Where the Wild Cooks Go is out now

CH RI S TOP HE R J ON E S / A L A MY STOCK P HOTO

Cerys Matthews on stage

…DAD WAS QUIET BUT HUGELY INSPIRING. He used to tell people he was a carpenter, because he didn’t want to be put on a pedestal because of his profession. He taught me to listen and to treat everyone with respect. He’d play me Bob Dylan, Maria Callas, Duke Ellington and all sorts of other music. And he encouraged me and my three siblings to try all different types of food. He made me open-minded and gave me a great appreciation of the world’s cultural riches. …EVERYTHING WE DID OR LEARNED AT PRIMARY SCHOOL 30 • FEBRUARY 2020

SEEMED TO HAVE A SONG TO GO WITH IT. It was a Welsh-language school in Swansea. And there were also constant solo singing, poetry and choir competitions. Music was everywhere when I was young. We’d to go the chapel with Mum each Sunday and sing various gorgeous hymns. I inherited a piano and taught myself to play that and the guitar, too. …TAKING TO THE WOODS TO GET AWAY FROM FINDUS CRISPY PANCAKES. Mum didn’t like cooking—for years, she’d only eat chicken and chips. So I had to

READER’S DIGEST

A N D RE CS IL L AG / S HU TTE RS TO CK

Catatonia in 1999

become quite independent quite quickly if I was going to have a varied diet. I’d go into a copse behind our house, which had lots of dodgy magazines and old mattresses in it, and pick edible wild plants and fungus to cook. I’d make nettle soup, for instance, which was very cheap and packed with goodness. I developed a great love of plants in general. My bedroom was chock full of them—I used to grow them. At my comprehensive school, my favourite teacher was the biology teacher, Mrs Ellis, partly because I loved learning about botany. If I hadn’t done music, I’m sure I

would’ve had something to do with plants. …RUNNING OFF TO SPAIN, AGED 18. My dad used to play flamenco music and I loved its strange scales and rhythms. So one day I picked up my guitar and went off to try my luck busking in Andalucía. It turned out it wasn’t that easy for a young Welsh girl to integrate into Spanish flamenco circles, so I ended up working as a nanny for a family outside Barcelona. But I became fluent in Spanish and was taught lots of great recipes, some of which feature in Where the Wild Cooks Go. FEBRUARY 2020 • 31

I REMEMBER…

Cerys Matthews with fellow I’m a Celebrity contestants Anna Ryder Richardson and Marc Bannerman

I’m trying to get my daughter to do a similar thing. Just pick a country and go. Because when you’re 18 your brain is so healthy and open. …FEELING LUCKY TO COME FROM WALES AFTER FORMING CATATONIA. Having Welshlanguage record labels and TV stations meant Welsh speakers like us got the opportunity to record singles and make videos much sooner than bands in other parts of Britain might be allowed to. We started to sell records [Catatonia’s 1996 debut album, Way Beyond Blue, went gold in the UK and was followed by two number one 32 • FEBRUARY 2020

albums], and tour the world’s festivals. We’d be going around with big bands such as Happy Mondays. I recall dangling my feet in a stream with Stone Roses singer Ian Brown at the bottom of Mount Fuji in Japan. You’d think, against this stunning background, we’d be discussing high art. But I found myself asking him, “Ian, what’s your favourite cocktail?” …MICHAEL EAVIS TELLING US TO GET BACK ON STAGE AT GLASTONBURY. It was our first performance, in 1998. It was pouring down but there were so many people out there watching us, singing the words to our hit single “Road Rage.”

READER’S DIGEST

Just incredible. And the rain stopped. We came off but Michael said, “No, no, no, you’ve got to go back on.” So we did an encore, which is extremely rare at Glastonbury. That concert was pretty cool.

I TV/ S HU TTE RS TOC K

…NEEDING A BREAK. I wasn’t happy touring in a band. Something had to change. So I moved to New York, then to a little hut just outside Nashville with no running water or electricity. Other musicians would come round and we’d pick away at our guitars together on the porch. After the hard life of being on the road, it was a tonic. I recorded my first solo album [Cockahoop, 2003] in Nashville, too. …DOING I’M A CELEBRITY GET ME OUT OF HERE WAS QUITE MEDITATIVE. I appeared in the 2007 series and it was really interesting not having a guitar with me, or any books to read or pens to write with. Instead, I’d just sit and stare at insects. There was one that looked a lot like a rhinoceros and had a very odd way of walking. Unbelievable. I imagine that’s what life was like before TV and radio. When you could slow down and simply watch nature as entertainment.

…FALLING IN LOVE OVER A RECORD COLLECTION. I met my husband, Steve [Abbott, a record producer, music promoter and manager], because we both worked with Aled Jones. Steve had the best record collection in the world, taking in everything from classical music to punk to Irish folk songs and Ella Fitzgerald. To meet someone who appreciates music in the same uncloistered manner as me was great. [They married in 2011]. Between us, Steve and I have five children, aged ten to 27. I’m at my happiest when we’ve had a good day and they’re all asleep in bed. …THE THRILL OF SEEING MY WORK BECOME A BALLET. I set Dylan Thomas’s A Child’s Christmas in Wales to music in 2014 and a Welsh ballet company picked it up and adapted it for a show at Saddler’s Wells. To hear the music I wrote being performed with this amazing dancing was just…oh my word. …A PERFECT MIX OF MUSIC AND SPACE. I interviewed Helen Sharman, the first Briton in space, in 2018 for my BBC 6 Music show. She told me what it felt, looked and smelled like on the Mir space station. I played the track “Space 21” by composer Max Richter in the background and as Helen was telling me about the colours she could see on Earth, how green Ireland and New FEBRUARY 2020 • 33

Cerys Matthews and her daughter Glenys pose for powerful portraits to support WaterAid’s Deliver Life Appeal

Zealand looked, the music soared underneath her. Ah, man, it was one of those moments. I’ve been doing the 6 Music programme since 2008 and The Blues Show on Radio 2 for just under two years. I get to pick every single record for both. It’s a joy to be able to share music I love from different countries and different eras with hundreds of thousands of listeners. …GOING UP AND UP AND UP TO EVEREST BASE CAMP. I walked the trail through Nepal last year. It’s a life changing experience to see the terrain change as you get higher. You go from juniper bushes and rhododendron forests to a barren landscape that’s like the moon. As 34 • FEBRUARY 2020

you walk along the glacier you hear it creaking and the gurgling of unseen streams under the rock. And your emotions are tip top because of the physical effort. You have all these headlines saying “Everest is a dump”. It’s not. They’ve been cleaning it up and all the way to base camp is spotless. ...I’VE BEEN BUILDING UP TO A COOKBOOK ALL MY LIFE. Wherever I’ve been around the world, I’ve filled notebooks with details of local dishes. Where the Wild Cooks Go is full of them, such as Mexican pineapple with chilli or Moroccan pancakes with amlou. I’ve got to know how to make interesting meals using proper traditional

WATE RA ID /C HA RL IE G RAY/S HU TTE R STOCK

ingredients, not cheap, massproduced stuff. But the recipe in the book with the strongest memory attached for me is for daal. Our neighbour Madrika used to make it in Swansea. You could smell these amazing spices. Even my mum got interested in cooking after she was taught how to make that.

I’ve been here so long now that, even though we’re in a big city, everyone’s face is familiar, too. This is how life should be.

…CELEBRATING DIVERSITY IN LADBROKE GROVE. I’ve lived in this part of west London on and off for more than 20 years. All walks of life from all corners of the world are here. And there are lots of characters. In other places, you’re supposed to look a certain way, but in my area, the more different you are, the better.

As told to Simon Hemelryk

…TO ALWAYS READ. People in power want you to think a certain way. But I don’t want to or let them hoodwink me. So I’ve got to keep the information coming. n

Where the Wild Cooks Go (Particular Books) is out now. Cerys’s BBC 6 Music programme is on every Sunday morning, 10am—1pm. The Blues Show is on BBC Radio 2, Monday nights at 9pm FEBRUARY 2020 • 35

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HEALTH

Amazing YOUR

BODY Your fingerprints can predict some health issues. Looking at the sun can make you sneeze. You grow a new skeleton every ten years. Science hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t uncovered every mystery, but what it has discovered will blow your mind

photographs by Grace Huang

By Ashley Lewis, with additional reporting by Marissa Laliberte, Jessica Migala, Meghan Jones, Alyssa Jung, Claire Nowak, Teresa Dumain, and Lauren Gelman

YOUR AMAZING BODY

Science knows why...

1You get goose bumps.

When you feel a chill or see something scary, your body releases a surge of adrenaline. The point is to make your body hair stand up—which helped our animal ancestors stay warm and also made them look larger in the face of predators. Getting those individual hairs to stand to attention requires the teeny skin muscles at the base of each follicle to contract, making your skin look vaguely like a goose’s postplucking—hence, goose bumps.

2You grow wisdom teeth.

Wisdom teeth are actually a third set of molars. They allowed our forebearers to munch on rough food such as roots, nuts, and meat, especially when other teeth fell out (alas, our ancestors had poor oral hygiene). About 35 per cent of people never develop wisdom teeth, partly because of an evolutionary shift that means the human jaw is often too small for them. The rest of us start developing them by age ten, though they don’t fully emerge until young adulthood, which is when we (allegedly) acquire some wisdom.

fingers and toes wrinkle in water. 3Your When you’re in the bath, water seeping into your skin 40 • FEBRUARY 2020

What gives you a stitch?

makes the upper layers swell. That causes the blood vessels below to constrict, which in turn causes some of the upper layers of skin to collapse. The irregular pattern of swelling and falling skin is what we see as wrinkles on our fingertips and toes.

knees crack after sitting 4Your for a long time.

The sounds you hear are probably caused by gas being released from the spaces between your joints—just like when you crack your knuckles. Meanwhile, muscles or tendons rubbing against your bones may also make your joints creaky. “We say motion is

Hair by Paul warren using rené Furterer For Judy Casey inC., makeuP by allison brooke, nails by tee Hundley

READER’S DIGEST

lotion,” Kim L Stearns, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon at Lutheran Hospital in Ohio, told the Cleveland Clinic. “When you’ve been sitting around, fluid in the joints doesn’t move. The more active you are, the more your joints lubricate themselves” and the less noise they will make. The popping shouldn’t alarm you unless it is accompanied by pain or swelling.

sent to the brain to produce the images you see. “When a camera flash goes off, it’s so bright that it overstimulates the photoreceptors,” Elaine Icban, an assistant professor of clinical optometry at the New England College of Optometry, told statnews.com. While the photoreceptors are recovering, your brain “sees” nothing and fills in the blanks with spots.

get a stitch in your side 5You from running.

sneeze when you look up 8You at the sun.

Starting a new exercise routine can cause pressure to push up from the abdomen or down from the lungs onto the diaphragm muscle between them. This restricts blood flow and causes the irritated diaphragm to spasm. Once your body gets used to exertion, side stitches should cease.

stomach growls when 6Your you’re hungry.

When the receptors in the stomach walls sense an absence of food, they send out electrical waves. These cause the muscular walls of the stomach to squeeze and release, making a rumbling sound. You may also hear some sloshing as these contractions move water and stomach acid around inside.

see spots after a camera 7You flashes. The photoreceptors in the back of your eye convert light into electrical impulses that are

Photic sneeze reflex— sometimes called sun sneeze—is the name of this peculiar phenomenon. “The optic nerve, which senses a change in light, is very close to the trigeminal nerve, which controls a sneeze,” says Amy Rantala, MD of the Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. When you look up at the sun—or, for that matter, when you step out of a dark room into bright light, whether it’s artificial or natural—your optic nerve constricts your pupils. Your trigeminal nerve may get the sensation that there's an irritation in the nose, thus triggering a sneeze.

cell in your body 9DNAEach endures tens of thousands of lesions every day.

Ultimately, this damage can alter a cell’s DNA and programme it to destroy body tissue, resulting in the disease we know as cancer. Luckily, your body also contains the first line of defence: FEBRUARY 2020 • 41

YOUR AMAZING BODY

enzymes are constantly checking DNA strands for signs of cancer and replacing damaged parts.

You might smell like a 10 rotten egg after eating meat.

Consuming too much meat (particularly red) plus an inability to digest it well can lead to a sulfurous odour caused by the food’s sulfurcontaining amino acids. One small study found that women rated men’s body odours as more attractive, more pleasant, and less intense after they had eaten no meat for two weeks compared with when they’d eaten red meat, according to the University of California, Berkeley.

11You shiver when you’re cold.

“Your body is always trying to keep its temperature as close to 37°C as possible,” says Dr Rantala. “You shiver when you are cold in an effort to create heat” by contracting and expanding your muscles repeatedly in quick bursts.

Still trying to explain... hanging ball at the back 12The of your throat.

Scientists don’t understand exactly what the uvula does, but because it is largely unique to humans, they suspect it plays a role in speech, possibly secreting enough saliva to lubricate the mouth 42 • FEBRUARY 2020

Why do we shiver?

while speaking and swallowing. For speakers of languages such as French and Arabic that use sounds known as uvular consonants (the r in the French word maître, for example), a missing uvula may alter their speech.

13Hypnic jerks.

An estimated 70 per cent of people have felt a sudden jerk right before they fall into a deep sleep. Research hasn’t pinpointed the reason behind these so-called hypnic jerks, but one theory is that as your breathing and heart rate slow down, your muscles start to relax and may twitch. It could also be that the brain sends a signal to your muscles to tense up because it misinterprets their relaxation as a sign that you’re falling.

READER’S DIGEST

14“Old-people smell.”

A small study from 2012 confirmed that older people have a less intense scent (some call it musty or grassy) than young and middle-aged folk. It’s not clear what causes this shift in odour as we get older, but researchers speculate that it might be due to a type of white blood cell supply that increases as we age.

15Different blood types.

Scientists aren’t sure why humans have different blood types. There does appear to be an association between blood types and certain diseases. For example, people with blood type A are at a higher risk for some forms of stomach and pancreatic cancer compared with people with blood type O, who are more likely to have ulcers and ruptured Achilles tendons.

16Handedness.

Other animals, including polar bears and chimpanzees, also have handedness, but those species are split 50/50 between right and left. Humans are the only ones that show a distinct bias as a species toward one hand (90 per cent of us are right-handed), and scientists have no idea why.

17The appendix.

Charles Darwin theorised that the appendix was the useless evolutionary remains of a larger structure that housed bacteria our plant-eating ancestors needed to

digest stubborn plant tissues such as tree bark. Modern scientists aren’t convinced. Some think that the tubelike organ actually promotes the growth of some kinds of good gut bacteria.

18Fingerprints.

Our fingerprints are unique, though they do come in a few broad patterns: loops, whorls, and arches. Researchers have found that some patterns are associated with certain diseases— people with loop prints have a higher incidence of bronchial asthma and dementia, for instance. What we don’t know is why fingers have these swirly patterns in the first place. For many years, scientists

How does saliva help you taste?

YOUR AMAZING BODY

thought they helped us grip things, but fingerprints actually allow less of our skin to come into contact with objects. Another theory: they somehow protect our fingers or provide touch sensitivity.

BODY PARTS YOU NEVER KNEW HAD NAMES

You’ll be amazed to know that ...

between your eyebrows

one in ten cells in your 19Only body is actually human.

or outer corner of your eye where the top lid meets the lower one

Of the 100 trillion cells in our bodies, the majority are microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. In fact, the National Institutes of Health Human Microbiome Project found that microorganisms make up about one to three per cent of the body’s mass, or as much as six pounds of bacteria in a 200-pound adult.

Your salivary glands 20 produce one to two quarts of spit every day. Saliva breaks down food and keeps the mouth infection-free. Plus, without saliva, you wouldn’t be able to taste anything! Food molecules need to dissolve in saliva for taste buds to recognise them.

might be missing an 21You arm muscle.

About 86 per cent of us have a palmaris longus muscle running from the elbow to the palm. To test whether you have it,

44 • FEBRUARY 2020

1. Pate The crown of your head 2. Glabella The smooth space 3. Canthus The point in the inner 4. Columella nasi The skin that separates your nostrils 5. Rasceta The horizontal creases on the insides of your wrists

6. Lunule The crescent-shaped area at the base of your nail

7. Philtrum The cleft between your top lip and your nose

8. Lingual frenulum The membrane that attaches your tongue to the bottom of your mouth

9. Gnathion The midpoint of your chin

10. Suprasternal notch The depression below your neck between your clavicles 11. Acnestis The area of your back that can’t be reached for scratching 12. Popliteal fossa The back of your knee

READER’S DIGEST

touch your pinkie to your thumb and tighten your wrist muscles; a tendon connected to the muscle will pop out in the center of your wrist, below your palm. It helps wrist flexibility, but there’s no consequence if you’re born without one. Scientists aren’t sure why some people have the muscle and others don’t, but they think that it probably helped our primate ancestors grip and swing through trees.

Your heart can pump one 22 million barrels of blood in a lifetime.

Meanwhile, your kidneys filter your entire supply of blood more than 30 times every day. The average adult has 4.8-6 quarts of blood, and the kidneys filter about half a cup per minute.

lungs have an 23Your enormous surface area.

Tiny air sacs called alveoli allow oxygen and carbon dioxide to move between the lungs and the bloodstream. Average adult lungs have about 480 million alveoli, the surface area of which could cover half a tennis court.

The average human passes 24 about 360 pounds of poo per year. Before you get grossed out, consider this medical wonder: A fecal transplant to help someone with an infection called clostridium difficile—in which doctors take a

healthy person’s poo and put it into the sufferer’s gastrointestinal tract— has a 90 per cent cure rate—a higher rate than with antibiotic treatment.

might be able to 25You wiggle your ears.

Thirty million years ago, the three auricular muscles of the outer ear helped our evolutionary ancestors pivot their ears the way cats do. This movement doesn’t serve much purpose to modern humans—other than as a party trick. Only about ten to 20 per cent of us are able to engage those muscles now.

can live without your 26You stomach.

With some weightloss surgeries and some stomach cancers, patients might have part or all of their stomach removed. Once it's gone, surgeons will connect the esophagus directly to the small intestine to digest food there.

skin glows in the 27Your dark.

A decade ago, Japanese scientists used ultrasensitive cameras to discover that human beings give off light, sort of like fireflies. Chemical reactions within our cells transmit a glow, mostly from the forehead, cheeks, and neck. The glow is faintest late at night and brightest in the late afternoon, possibly because of changes in our metabolism. n FEBRUARY 2020 • 45

HEALTH

HOW TO DO BE A WELL WOMAN Knowledge is power, they say, so wield some girl power with these health dos and don’ts

Susannah Hickling is twice winner of the Guild of Health Writers Best Consumer Magazine Health Feature 46 • FEBRUARY 2020

Check your breasts

Make sure you know your own breasts and how they should feel. Check them regularly, preferably in the shower or bath. Make it a habit. That way, you’ll notice when something feels different. Make sure you feel around the armpits and up as far as the collarbone. Look at yourself in the mirror too, with your arms by your side and raised. Don’t delay making an appointment with your GP if there are any changes.

have mammograms when called Between

ages 50 and 71, you’ll be called for breast screening every three years. You can still be screened after that—and remember that breast cancer is predominantly a disease of older women—but you’ll have to be proactive by contacting your local screening unit yourself.

always go for smear tests The aim is to

prevent cervical cancer by identifying abnormal cells before they become malignant. You’ll be invited up until the age of 64. Up to age 50 you’ll be invited every three years. From 50 to 64, it’s every five years. You’ll only be called after that if one of your last three tests was abnormal.

DON'T

ignore unexplained bleeding If you have bleeding between periods or after the menopause, see a doctor straightaway. It may simply be vaginal dryness, the fact you’re approaching menopause, stress, or even chlamydia (yes, STIs are becoming more common in older people). But occasionally it could be a symptom of cancer of the vagina, vulva or womb.

practise pelvic floor exercises Urinary

incontinence as we get older is more common than most of us care to admit. It often happens when we sneeze or laugh. But regular pelvic floor exercises can help a lot. Sit comfortably and squeeze the muscles you’d usually use to stop yourself peeing ten to 15 times. Don't hold your breath or tighten your stomach, buttock or thigh muscles at the same time. Gradually build up

the length of time you hold each muscle squeeze, until you can do it for a few seconds.

DON'T

think women’s symptoms are always the same as men’s It’s now recognised that women don’t always feel the same heart attack symptoms as men. This means they’re less likely to seek help. While crushing chest pain, pain in one arm or in the stomach, neck, jaw or back and feeling sick are common clues, women sometimes might not feel any pain at all. Little known female symptoms include a sudden feeling of intense anxiety, or coughing or sneezing excessively.

look after your bones

Osteoporosis is the cause of many fractures that occur after falling from standing height or lower. The best ways to keep bones healthy are avoiding smoking and keeping booze intake low, taking regular exercise, especially weightbearing exercise such as running, brisk walking, tennis or dancing, and eating foods rich in calcium (such as dairy and soya-based foods, and nuts) and vitamin D (like oily fish). n

For more weekly health tips and stories, sign up to our newsletter at readersdigest.co.uk FEBRUARY 2020 • 47

H E A LT H

Broccoli or cauliflower? ANSWER: BROCCOLI At 2.6g of fibre per 100g, broccoli has twice the fibre force of cauliflower.

Ultra-Fast Food Quiz Bacon or sausage? ANSWER: BACON A rasher of bacon, cooked well, has fewer calories than the average sausage. Opt for a slice of lean back bacon with the rind and fat cut off, rather than fatty streaky bacon.

Lunch or graze? ANSWER: GRAZE Nibble throughout the day rather than eating a hefty lunch. Spreading out calories stabilises blood sugar and insulin levels and avoids post-meal fatigue. It also means you never get full and so are less likely to make the kind of poor food choices you make when you’re famished.

Strawberries or blueberries? ANSWER: BLUEBERRIES Both are great for you, so you can only do yourself good by eating lots of these fruits. But blueberries are particularly high in fibre—four times that of strawberries—and contain more natural sugars, more Vitamin E and even some micronutrients that boost memory. 48 • FEBRUARY 2020

Brown sugar or white sugar? ANSWER: NEITHER Sorry to trick you on that one but, essentially, they’re both sugar. Neither has any nutritional benefit or is any better than the other. The brown colour does not imply a healthier version in this case.

Green olives or black olives? ANSWER: GREEN OLIVES Why? Because green olives haven’t ripened fully so contain roughly half the fat of olives that have ripened and blackened.

Sparkling water or soda water? ANSWER: SPARKLING WATER Soda and sodium sound very similar, don’t they? Soda water uses sodium bicarbonate to carbonate it, making it salt-rich. With only 3mg of sodium, sparkling water is the outright winner in the low-salt stakes, beating soda water’s 75mg.

Soup or salad? ANSWER: SALAD Some soups are very healthy, but a salad of mixed greens and raw veg, is a better light-lunch option. It contains more fibre and lots of disease-fighting antioxidants. n

READER’S DIGEST

Ask The Expert: Cancer Angus Dalgleish is professor of oncology at St George’s Hospital University of London and Principal of the Institute for Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy How did you come to specialise in cancer? When training as a junior doctor, I found that the incidence of cancer was significant and the ability to treat it very basic. On one ward round, the surgeon missed two or three patients. It turned out they had cancer and he didn’t like telling them, because at that time there was nothing more he could do. I realised there was a real unmet need. What are the most important things you can do to avoid getting it? Don’t smoke is the big one. Look at increasing physical activity and having a healthy diet. An antiinflammatory diet high in fibre with lots of fruit and veg and only a little meat may help protect against bowel cancer. There’s also evidence that supplementing vitamin D3 levels helps prevent pancreatic and colon cancer. What other cancers might you be able to prevent? To help guard against melanoma, avoid bad sunburn. Lung, throat, oesophageal, head and neck cancers

are all smoking-related, and pancreatic cancer might be too. How can you help yourself if you get a cancer diagnosis? This year a review of studies showed that supplementing vitamin D3 at the time of cancer diagnosis improves your survival outcome. And if you haven’t addressed diet and exercise before, now is the time. In particular, a highfibre diet will help you have the good bugs in your gut that will enable you to respond better to treatment. What are the most promising developments in the fight against the disease? Without doubt immunotherapy, which uses the patient’s own immune system to fight the cancer. It is now the first-line treatment for melanoma and lung cancer, and rapidly becoming second-line treatment for everything else. Other promising treatments include cancer vaccines and targeted chemotherapies. n For more information, visit icvi.org.uk FEBRUARY 2020 • 49

HEALTH

T Medical Mysteries Dr Max Pemberton ponders the undeniable link between doctors and detectives Max is a hospital doctor, author and columnist. He currently works full time in mental health for the NHS. His new book, The Marvellous Adventure of Being Human, is out now 50 • FEBRUARY 2020

here is a loud crash and the assembled doctors and nurses wince. Someone helpfully hands Dr Katz, the consultant, a tissue. He has porridge all over his trouser leg. He carefully dabs at it, then freezes. He looks up at the patient who is lying in her bed and stares at her for a few minutes. Then he picks up the toast from where it landed when he knocked over the breakfast tray. “This toast is hard” he says and then adds “the porridge has gone cold.” Clearly he’s gone mad. “It’s obvious what’s wrong with Mrs Hudson, isn’t it?” asks Dr Katz, surveying the bemused nurses and junior doctors standing around the bed. Mrs Hudson was admitted after having a fall. She doesn’t seem to be making much progress. Of course, I realised later, I had missed a number of vital clues as to why Mrs Hudson was so frail, because while I was looking, I wasn’t seeing. Much of being a doctor is detective work. Reaching a diagnosis is not dissimilar to the deductive process employed by any good sleuth. Possible suspects are drawn up and through lines of enquiry are eliminated until

one culprit remains and hence the diagnosis reached. It’s no coincidence that one of the greatest fictional detectives was created by a doctor. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle based the character of Sherlock Holmes on a professor called Joseph Bell whom he had worked for while a junior doctor. Bell used to amaze Conan Doyle by his careful analysis of apparently unrelated observations to help clarify his patients’ conditions. You can clearly see the way this was used in the creation of Holmes. In fact, the techniques of observation and deduction form part of the training at medical school. Mrs Hudson had cataracts, she had arthritis. But what was the significance of the open box on the side table which contained dentures? What had cold porridge and hard toast to do with this? “Of course she’s not getting better, she’s not eating enough”—hence the cold porridge and hard toast—and this in turn, Dr Katz concluded, was because she didn’t have her dentures available, her eyesight was poor and the food was put out of reach. Her arthritis meant that she couldn’t cut up her food properly and the tray which was left in her room each mealtime was merely removed uneaten without question. While this happened in my first year as a doctor working in geriatrics, I never forgot it because it taught me the importance of observation.

Mrs Hudson’s case is by no means unique. It’s estimated that six out of ten older people are at risk of being malnourished or their situation

IT’S ESTIMATED THAT SIX OUT OF TEN OLDER

PEOPLE ARE AT RISK OF BEING

MALNOURISHED WHILE IN HOSPITAL getting worse while in hospital. And with nine out of ten nurses admitting that they don’t have enough time to help patients eat, this is hardly a surprising statistic. This neglect isn’t out of malice, it’s because, increasingly, nurses’ time is taken up with reams of paperwork rather than the job of actual nursing. But it’s not as if older people are the only ones in hospitals who have difficulty feeding themselves, and yet you don’t see rows of under-fed babies when you visit a paediatric ward because they’ve been left with a bottle and told to get on with it. I can’t help but suspect that the current rates of malnourishment in older people in hospital are symptomatic of the way that we as a society ignore older people: another case of looking without seeing. n FEBRUARY 2020 • 51

HEALTH

The Doctor Is In Dr Max Pemberton Q: Help, I think I’m shrinking! I’ve always considered myself tall, but yesterday I had to go to my doctor for a checkup, and when they measured me I was shocked to hear that I was two inches shorter than the last time I paid a visit. Where have those inches gone? —Elaine, 73 A: This is an incredibly common worry, especially for older women. As people age, changes to their skeleton mean that sometimes people do get shorter. Over the years the discs between the vertebrae (the bones that make up the spine) flatten, the joint space might narrow and muscles start to lose mass. This can have a knock-on effect on posture causing older adults to stoop more. Staying active, stopping smoking and eating a healthy diet with good levels of calcium and vitamin D are all ways to slow down the decline in height. Dramatic loss of height can be more concerning. This is particularly common in 52 • FEBRUARY 2020

women after the menopause because the drop in female sex hormones can result in thinning of the bones— osteoporosis. This can mean the vertebrae lose their strength and become compressed or crushed. If you have back pain then it’s important to discuss this with your doctor as it may be an indicator that this is happening. The other thing to bear in mind, is that it’s normal for our height to vary during the course of the day. People often find that when they check their height, they are taller in the morning. The reason for this is that our spine has natural curves in it. During the night, as we lay horizontally, gravity pulls us downwards and this straightens out the spine and the vertebrae spread out slightly. The result of this is that our spine is a bit longer and so we appear taller in the morning. n Got a health question for our resident doctor? Email it confidentially to askdrmax@ readersdigest.co.uk illustration by Javier Muñoz

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HEALTH

Expect More From Your Memory It’s time you stopped limiting your learning, says our memory expert, Jonathan Hancock

ow many African countries can you remember? Try to say as many as you can before reading on... There are 54 countries in Africa. If you got them all, well done! Hardly anyone does, of course. But most people could have gotten more than they did. Motivation is a big part of memory. Be honest: if there’d been a big prize for this task, wouldn’t you have pushed yourself a bit more? But self-belief is often an even bigger factor. And, since most people don’t expect much from their memory, they limit their chances of success from the word go. Not everyone, though. Yanjindulam Altansuh from Sweden learned 187 people’s names in 15 minutes. Lkhagvadulam Enkhtuya from Mongolia memorised a random sequence of 5,597 ones and zeros

54 • FEBRUARY 2019

in half an hour. When people get competitive about memory, they do amazing things. Back in the 1980s, I broke a world record by memorising six packs of playing cards. Now, the record is 37 packs—in just one hour. Psychologist Carol Dweck popularised the “growth mindset”— the belief that you can keep improving your abilities, with commitment. Here are four ways to use that approach. Step 1: Admit what you’re good at. Think about the things that you remember with ease. There’s no reason why your memory can’t work that well all the time. Step 2: Watch how others do it. Notice people who seem to have a knack for names, or manage to hold their to-do list in their head. See if you can spot some of their secrets. Step 3: Find ways to get better. Any information can be made more memorable by organising it effectively, and using your imagination. Experiment with a range of creative memory techniques. Step 4: Practise: Take every opportunity to use your memory. Stretch it a little each day by setting yourself challenges. Now, go back to the challenge at the top of the page. Push yourself to do better, and really believe that you can. n Jonathan’s new book, The Study Book, is out now from John Murray Learning

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HEALTH

WHY ARE

ALLERGIES

ON THE RI SE By Pascale Day

ACCORDING TO THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY, MORE THAN 150 MILLION EUROPEANS SUFFER FROM CHRONIC ALLERGIC DISEASESâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;AND THEY PREDICT THAT BY 2025, HALF OF THE ENTIRE EU POPULATION WILL BE AFFECTED. BUT WHY ARE ALLERGIES ON THE INCREASE, AND HOW CAN WE STOP THEM DEVELOPING FURTHER?

WHY ARE ALLERGIES ON THE RISE?

LET ’S START AT THE BEGINNING: what exactly qualifies as an allergy? “It’s a reaction modulated by your immune system, where it recognises something as foreign and reacts to it with a high degree of reactivity,” says Dr Adrian Morris, Adult and Paediatric Allergy Consultant. Allergens can come in many shapes and forms, from food and pollen to fur and dust. “Normally your body tolerates these things and nothing happens,” Dr Morris continues, “but if your immune system thinks something dangerous is attacking it, it’ll react and try to fight it.”

he rise in allergies has been swift in recent years—according to research by Mintel, around 44 per cent of British adults now suffer from at least one allergy, the numbers growing by roughly two million between 2008 and 2009 alone. But allergies have actually existed for a long time; it’s thought that rashes, red eyes and runny noses could even date back as far as Ancient Greece. Scientific progress into allergies only really began to advance in the 19th century; the first known recording of hay fever was made in 1819 by Liverpudlian doctor John Bostock, and it was another 50 years until Dr Charles Blackley connected it to pollen. So it’s perhaps truer to say that allergies became far more diagnosable around the beginning of the 20th century, and the continual 58 • FEBRUARY 2020

discovery of new allergens makes them more ubiquitous than ever. What we know for certain is that allergies have always been a product of our environment. Back when hay fever was making its debut in British medical papers, major agricultural changes were afoot. The reform of corn laws in 1846 allowed the import of cheap wheat and as a result, much of England’s farmland lay fallow. Later, “dairy herds increased and Italian rye grass was introduced, which pollinated more heavily than any of the traditional grasses,” says Thomas A E Platts-Mills in his paper, The Allergy Epidemics: 1870-2010. These significant environmental changes had a vital impact on the rise in allergies, the increase in pollen posing a threat to the immune systems of many. In 2019 however, we’re seeing a different kind of alteration to our

S U S I E K E A R L E Y / A L A M Y S TO C K P H OTO

We have such cleaner lifestyles now. We're not exposed to bugs and germs as much anymore so our immune systems react to things that aren't actually a threat environment. We are, by now, all aware of the havoc climate change is wreaking on our planet, and it’s undoubtedly making our allergies worse. As temperatures rise, so does the pollen count. “Longer, hotter summers increases the amount of grass pollen in the air,” Dr Morris explains, “meaning that allergen levels shoot up, so allergies

that weren’t quite so bad will be more manifested or severe.” And it’s not just the lazy summer days agitating our sinuses—it’s thought that air pollution can also have an effect on those who suffer from asthma and hay fever. The increased amount of carbon dioxide in the air, released through our burning of fossil fuels, encourages FEBRUARY 2020 • 59

The alarm sounded for Americans when the number of peanut allergic children doubled and then tripled, reaching 1 million in 2008 grass to grow, thus creating more pollen. And, if you drive a diesel car, it might be time to trade it in for something more environmentally friendly—according to a study on allergies and air pollution published in Asia Pacific Allergy (2013), “The fact that diesel fuel combustion results in up to 100 times more particles than gasoline suggests that 60 • FEBRUARY 2020

diesel exhausts may be a significant contributor to increases in the prevalence of allergic diseases.” Of course, the state of our habitat isn’t the only contributor—changes to public hygiene have also affected the way our immune systems react to allergens. Bad news for those who love a daily scrub: with more stringent sanitation comes more risk

READER’S DIGEST

of exposure to allergies. The "hygiene hypothesis" dictates that those who are overprotected from bacteria in childhood are more susceptible. “We have such cleaner lifestyles now,” explains Dr Morris. “We’re just not exposed to bugs and germs as much anymore, so our immune systems start to react to things that aren’t actually a problem or threat.” Proof of this can be seen in those raised in farming communities, says Professor George Du Toit, Consultant Paediatric Allergist at The Portland Hospital. “Children born into environments with farm animals appear to have less allergies than those who are genetically similar but born in cities, perhaps due to exposure to healthy bacteria from pasteurised milk,” he explains. “Being exposed to healthy bacteria is good for wellbeing in general.” But the prevalence of allergies in children can become an issue way before they are even exposed to this environmental bacteria. In recent years, there has been a documented rise in the amount of caesarean sections, which, according a series of studies published in the Lancet, accounted for more than 21 per cent of births in 2015. One particular study of more than a million children conducted by researchers at Örebro

University shows there could be a link between the development of food allergies in children born via C-section, due to the different bacterial flora they’re exposed to. This in turn has seen a rise in vaginal seeding, which involves swabbing the mother’s vagina and wiping the swab across the baby’s mouth in order to deliver the bacteria it would have picked up with a vaginal birth. No allergy has seen such a dramatic increase, though, as those caused by food. With peanuts in particular, a significant rise in the late 1990s was even labelled an epidemic. “Peanut allergies began as a phenomenon largely affecting children living in western countries, the US, Canada, Australia and the UK,” Heather Fraser wrote in her book The Peanut Allergy Epidemic: What’s Causing It and How to Stop It. “The alarm sounded for Americans when, between 1997 and 2002, the number of peanut allergic children doubled and then tripled, reaching an astonishing 1 million in 2008.” The cause of this insurmountable rise? The truth is, no one’s really sure. As with most food allergies, it could be down to the age at which they’re first consumed, or again, our rigorous hygiene routines.

No allergy has seen such a dramatic increase as those caused by food

FEBRUARY 2020 • 61

WHY ARE ALLERGIES ON THE RISE?

Could it also be attributed to better diagnosis? Professor du Toit thinks not. “Diagnosis isn’t necessarily a factor. Nut allergies are easy to diagnose; when someone is allergic they experience obvious symptoms soon after exposure.” An allergic reaction manifests itself in many ways, varying from mild (itching of the mouth or rashing) to severe (anaphylaxis). In the 20 years up to 2012, the was a whopping 615 per cent increase in hospital admissions for anaphylaxis, and 4,836 hospital admissions in 201718 alone. The constant fear of this kind of reaction can have a huge impact on quality of life, and the reaction itself can, in some cases, be fatal. In the last year alone, two high-profile allergyrelated deaths have been brought to court: dairy allergy sufferer Owen Carey, who was celebrating his 18th birthday in Byron Burger, died after eating chicken marinated in buttermilk, which wasn’t listed as an ingredient; while teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died of anaphylaxis onboard a flight after a severe reaction to sesame, which also wasn’t listed in the ingredients of her Pret a Manger baguette.

Right now there isn’t a cure for allergies, but it’s clear that if we are to gain any control over their increasing numbers, we need to make vital changes. Taking responsibility for our carbon footprint is essential, and crucially, food labelling needs to be better policed. Natasha’s Law, campaigned for by Ednan-Laperouse’s parents, is due to come into force in 2021 and is backed by The FSA: “This [law] will require businesses to provide full ingredient and allergen labelling on pre-packed for direct sale food,” they tell us.

When you live in a home with sickly siblings, you're less likely to develop allergies than if you live in a clean, sterile environment

62 • FEBRUARY 2020

Plus, there are ways we can help to prevent them. It’s important to remember that in our younger years, the stronger one’s immune system, the less likely it is to develop an allergy. For this, you must have exposure. Allowing children to be around harmless bacteria will do just that: “It's much better to be exposed to viruses and other sick children, because the bacteria will switch allergies off,” Dr Morris advises. “When you live in a home with sickly siblings, you’re less likely to develop allergies than if you live in a clean, sterile environment and you’re an only child.”

If we are to gain any control over the increasing numbers we need to make vital changes With food allergies, both Dr Morris and Professor du Toit recommend weaning babies onto products that contain potential allergens, such as peanut butter, egg and soya, early in life. “This has been shown to significantly decrease rates of allergy,” says du Toit. “A broad, expansive diet is encouraged, that's rich in common food allergens.” Desensitisation is also something that is gaining more traction. “This

involves giving an individual minute traces of an allergen over a period of time,” Dr Morris explains. “Starting with a tiny trace and building it up, until they can tolerate a higher level of that allergen.” What’s so important about this method is that successful desensitisation can eliminate the constant fear that many of those who are allergic face every day: “We can improve their quality of life tremendously.” n FEBRUARY 2020 • 63

10%* off Bupa private health Insurance for Readers Digest readers What is Private health insurance? Health insurance is an insurance policy that covers the eligible costs of private healthcare, from diagnosis to medical treatment for certain physical and mental conditions. The benefits • Quick access to medical advice and treatment • Flexible appointments around your schedule • Expert support to help you deal with health issues big and small • Bupa health insurance allows you to adapt aspects of your policy to help suit your needs and your budget Why Bupa? • Over 70 years’ experience • From cataracts to cancer, muscle niggles to mental health problems, you can call Bupa direct - usually without the need to see a GP first† • 24/7 health advice with Bupa Anytime HealthLine. No matter what time of day it is you can get advice from one of Bupa’s trained nurses • Access to breakthrough cancer drugs‡ How Bupa can help Bupa’s purpose is helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives. They cover a range of mental health conditions and can provide access to a nationwide network of clinical resources for physical problems.

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INSPIRE

UNUSUAL ROMANTIC

BREAKS From the crackling of an amber fire to rain pattering at the window of a snug bedroom; these are BEST OF the best love British nests in Britain By Jessica Lone Summers

Hywel Sele Lodge SNOWDONIA

Located in the magical depths of Nannau estate lies this beautiful slice of Tudor history. Encompassed by wildlife, deer, and incredible flora and fauna, this picturesque location is brimming with heritage. Not everything that happened here was savoury but it’s certainly exciting. History buffs will lap up the adventurous past and revel in learning of fabled amorous tales—as the owner imparts, “Welsh princes and English kings are interwoven into the romantic myths and legends of this truly unique holiday cottage based in Snowdonia.” You’ll be spoilt for choice with magnificent walks from the lodge; but without a doubt the most mesmerising on the list is the circular walk that will take you to Mawddach valley. Cycle around the grounds spotting wildlife as you go, and drive into the nearby town of Dolgellau to explore the electrifying Welsh culture and cuisine. dioni.co.uk

BEST OF BRITISH

The Found SUFFOLK

For all the fairytale fanatics out there, there’s—finally—a romantic tower where you can truly let down your hair— eat your heart out, Rapunzel. This circular Martello tower (a small defensive fort) was originally built to defend against the Napoleonic forces in the 1800s and according to the owner, “7,000 bricks were used, yet not used, since Napoleon never invaded.” Since those times, it has been repurposed for far more peaceful uses and now stands as an impressive

68 • FEBRUARY 2020

circular landmark with eye-wateringly attractive interiors. With the coastline and town just moments away you’ll spend your days skipping rocks on the beach, picking up sumptuous goodies from the local farm shop and being spoilt by delectable food and wine at indulgent restaurants. Come along for a wildly romantic trip for two, or invite some of your loved-up friends for an unforgettable couple’s retreat for six. uniquehomestays.com

READER’S DIGEST

Finn Lough ENNISKILLEN, NORTHERN IRELAND

As William Shakespeare once wrote in A Midsummer Night's Dream, “So we grew together, Like to a double cherry, Seeming parted, But yet an union in partition, Two lovely berries moulded On one stem.” Taking note of his whimsical approach to love in the forest, “two berries” looking for a place to stay certainly couldn’t pick a more fantastical place than this. From snuggling up to gaze at the stars to walking hand-in-hand through the

Irish wilderness, the modern world will feel long forgotten. Says owner Gillian Beare, “At Finn Lough, we aim to offer something different for the discerning traveller, something beyond four walls and a bed. We offer a sense of place in which you can escape from life’s everyday noise and spend luxury time in the heart of the woodland.” With such a delightfully romantic location to stay at with your partner, who says your love bubble has to be a figure of speech? finnlough.com

FEBRUARY 2020 • 69

BEST OF BRITISH

Spitbank Fort PORTSMOUTH

There’s escaping from the world with your significant other and then there’s escaping to the middle of the sea... Spitbank Fort, a historical man-made island is an extraordinary special place. Those who want a romantic journey on the seas without having to use their sea legs will revel in its dreamy isolation. From spas to historical tours you’ll be hard pressed to find a more remote—yet catered for—romantic venue.

62 70 • FEBRUARY 2020

While you roast marshmallows over an open fire drum, lie in a blanketcovered bed while the waves lap at the walls below you and dine in the Officers’ Mess, you’ll be transfixed with the ambiguity of time. The eras of the ages fade into one when you’re at sea. Away from the world you’ll stare into the vast ocean that holds old tales of past lovers and feel completely at peace. sharphamtrust.org

READER’S DIGEST

The Danish Cabin CORNWALL

The season of love isn’t solely for couples. For those who have a family, taking a Valentine’s break away can be a wonderful way to celebrate the love that brought everyone together. And, if you intend to celebrate your love for your partner without leaving the children at home, taking the (often grubby) little humans somewhere they can run and be rugged is not only important but it's—largely—a necessity.

The Danish Cabin provides just that; an open, family friendly, tree-housestyle hut that’s—quite simply— architectural genius. Rustle up some delicious drinks in your private bar and then throw back the doors to reveal a cacophony of gentle hums as the forest creatures go about their busy lives. Hike, scramble, surf and unwind in this utterly absorbing love-nest. canopyandstars.co.uk/thedanishcabin

FEBRUARY 2020 •103 71

BEST OF BRITISH

The Brochs of Coigach INVERNESS

Simplicity is the most understated form of luxury. When you pare back the frills and the trims it’s often more rewarding. Such is the case with The Brochs; two understated, semi-underground cottages that are so entwined with their natural habitat, that—if you blink—you might miss them. The scenery, saunas, coastal breeze and warm interiors all link seamlessly together to bring the cosiest little

. . . 72 • FEBRUARY 2020

escape one could imagine, in a divine Scottish highland setting. Says owner Reiner Luyken, “They’re recreations of Iron Age roundhouses, and as cosy and luxurious and ecofriendly as one only dares to dream of. A balm for the soul set in the seclusion and natural calm of one of Scotland's grandest landscapes, that about sums up what the Brochs are.” thebrochs.co.uk

READER’S DIGEST

Belle Grove Barns NORWICH

If you ever wished for a Mad Hatterinspired tea party, you’ll be delighted to discover the possibility is in fact very real. As topsy and turvy as they come, Belle Grove Barns is a location with more twist and turns than a rabbit hole, while remaining impeccably lavish. Agreeably deep tones fill the colour palette creating an atmosphere so warm that it feels homely and familiar; and the scores of art that deck the walls and ceilings take influence from Middle-Eastern culture, the Renaissance era and the Medieval Age—blending the sultry with the sweet in an uncanny way.

Take a walk around the manicured gardens for a classic intake of English countryside, or venture a little further and discover quaint beaches, churches, buzzing pubs and delicious food. Says co-owner Jo, “Belle Grove Barns is sumptuous and exotic, this is a destination that transports you far away—without having to fly!” Truly, what could be more romantic than a holiday without the CO2 output? bellegrovebarns.com Have you been to a particularly lovely romantic spot? Email readersletters@ readersdigest.co.uk and let us know FEBRUARY 2020 • 73

If I Ruled The World David Gray The first thing I’d tackle is off-shore wealth. I’d initiate a global crackdown on all tax-avoidance and evasion schemes whereby countries are harbouring billions, if not trillions of pounds. My first priority would be to unify the world taxation system. As much as charity is a wonderful thing, it’s also a rather dangerous, self-aggrandising concept that’s come to stand in for a lot of things that should be paid for by taxation and by companies and individuals who can afford to foot the bill.

Singer-songwriter David Gray’s fourth album, White Ladder, was the 10th best selling album of the 21st century in the UK and has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide

I’d crack down on illegal dealing in animal parts. This is something that I find deeply distressing to read about. These problems are huge and to tackle them we need more than rules and regulations—we need a massive organisation of well paid, highly educated people on the ground who can not only enforce an antipoaching and anti-smuggling agenda, but also educate local people and people in the countries where the parts are going to. I’d install “unslammable doors”. This is to tackle one of the great evils of our world… teenagers. I’m

INSPIRE going to summon some of the brightest minds in the world of design to build them. They’d be fitted to every teenager’s bedroom door so that when their volcanic tempers erupt and they go for the big slam, they’ll be greeted with just a soft, silent closing, which will be the parental riposte to their unreasonable behaviour. Elon Musk, get busy… I would create affordable, inner-city housing. I’ve been living in London for over 25 years and the city is being reshaped by forces of investment and money. Rather than the city generating more apartments because it needs more riverside apartments, what you have is money coming from all over the world, building loads of luxury apartments that no normal Londoner could ever live in, and most of them are unoccupied. People like nurses, teachers, road sweepers, artists and musicians are being banished out to the edges of the city, so they have to travel in each day. I would have an enormous high quality, affordable housing programme. Poetry would be everywhere. I used to love reading “Poems on the Underground”—as you sat rattling along in the carriage with all these dreary, dead-eyed people, you cast your eyes about and there above all the adverts was a poem. You’d think it was the last place that a poem could succeed, but it’s perfect, because

poetry is a silence within noise. The transportive power of poetry is an unexploited resource and I would have it in our cities, in our countryside, on our television screens. I would announce a day of silence. This would be for National Music Day. On this day no music can be played anywhere on earth, in any form. Then at midnight, I will commission the next generation’s John Tavener to create some kind of choral piece which will be sung at midnight to celebrate how important and sacred music is. I would bridge the gap between old and young. Seeing the older generation so undervalued tugs on my heartstrings. When you go to warmer countries where everyone sits out in the street, you see the young and the old all together in a more communal way. In our culture older people are marginalised. I don’t see why everyone over the age of 75 should just be left on the shelf—there’s a lot of value there, these people can tell us a few things! It’s one thing that I think is unforgivably amiss in our country and I’d be taking measures to integrate young and old for the greater benefit of all. n As told to Anna Walker An 20th anniversary edition of White Ladder will be released on February 14. The 20th Anniversary Tour will commence on March 20. Visit davidgray.com FEBRUARY 2020 • 75

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Debate continues to rage over whether the Great Barrier Reef is dying. David Levell investigates whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really happening to Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world-renowned marine park

B AT T L E F O R S U R V I VA L

At the other extreme, sceptics of man-made climate change dismissed the bleaching as either exaggerated or part of a natural cycle—or both. Adding to the confusion, many refutations of the GBR’s “death” gave the impression that it is not in serious trouble. So who do we believe? “Both are very far from the truth,” says David Wachenfeld, director of reef recovery at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. “It’s not dead, and it’s not fine. It’s under extreme threat, parts of it are highly damaged, and it needs us to do more than we’re doing now. Collectively. Globally.” One easily overlooked difficulty with discussing the GBR is its sheer size. Observations of one part twist easily into misleading conclusions about the whole. “The Great Barrier Reef is absolutely enormous,” says

Wachenfeld. “I don’t think many people can understand something at that scale. They think of it as a single tourism destination like they might think of the Eiffel Tower. But so far— and I’m crossing my fingers here—no cyclone, bleaching event or anything else has caused severe impact over the whole Barrier Reef.” There’s a reason explorer Matthew Flinders termed it the Great Barrier Reefs—not Reef, as it's now known— back in 1814. The “reef” is actually 2,900 individual reefs in an area roughly the same size as Poland, with enough coral acreage to cover metropolitan London 15 times. Most visitors experience only a tiny fraction—seven per cent of the reef receives 83 per cent of the tourism. Stretching 1,400 miles along eastern Australia, collectively it forms the world’s largest living structure. Those

"The Great Barrier Reef is not dead, and it’s not fine. It’s under extreme threat, and parts of it are highly damaged" 80 • FEBRUARY 2020

photo, previous spread: © shutterstock/tanya puntti

IN RECENT YEARS THE WORLD RANG WITH SHOCK REPORTS that mass coral bleaching was devastating Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR), the largest and most famous of all coral ecosystems. Some despairing commentators pronounced the reef as almost or already dead, thanks to global warming. One media outlet even published its "obituary."

Made up of 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, the Great Barrier Reef draws visitors to its coral and marine life

photo: ©istock

billions of tiny corals are the only fauna visible from Earth’s orbit. Yet just a quarter of a century ago, it was even bigger. Total coral coverage has halved since the 1980s, according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science. Leading factors such as agricultural run-off degrading water quality and plagues of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish—which thrive on run-off— are the focus of recovery plans, and progress is being made. But now the GBR faces an

existential crisis beyond the power of Australia to address alone. “Global warming is the number one threat to the reef,” Wachenfeld says. Mass coral bleaching hit the GBR two years in a row—in 2016 and 2017—which had never happened before. Bleaching occurs when heat-stressed corals expel the algae zooxanthellae that live inside them in a symbiotic relationship and give them their colour. They do this because zooxanthellae, when overexposed to heat and light, produce oxygen in toxic amounts. However, FEBRUARY 2020 • 81

Above: Cyclical population explosions of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish have caused widespread damage to the Great Barrier Reef. Below: The area is also home to six of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seven species of marine turtles

READER’S DIGEST

without zooxanthellae, corals turn white and—if water temperature stays too high too long—begin to die because they need zooxanthellae to supply nutrients and recycle waste products. After they bleach, these stressed corals either slowly regain their zooxanthellae and colour as temperatures cool off, or else they die. Some corals bleach after only four weeks of a 1°C rise, and start to die after eight weeks. Coral reefs usually recover from occasional smaller-scale bleaching,

sees less than three per cent of GBR tourism. “We flew for 2,500 miles in the most pristine parts of the reef and saw only four reefs that had no bleaching,” coral reef ecologist Professor Terry Hughes said of the northern survey, calling it “the saddest research trip of my life.” Why the huge north–south divide? Do the cooler waters that southern corals inhabit offer better protection against heat-induced bleaching? No. “Corals are very tightly adapted to their local conditions,” says

photos: ©istock X2

“We flew for 2,500 miles in the most pristine parts of the reef and saw only four reefs that had no bleaching” but extreme coral bleaching events were unknown as little as 20 years ago. The 2017 event was the worst yet, although it didn’t bleach 93 per cent of the total coral, as was commonly assumed. This was a misreading of the finding that 93 per cent of the 911 reefs inspected had at least some coral bleaching, from minor to extensive. Follow-up surveys showed an overall 22 per cent mortality. Even so, the result was the biggest ever recorded coral die-off. The damage was heartbreaking, especially in the waters off Australia’s northeast coast. The relatively remote north had always been the least affected by human impact as it

Wachenfeld. “A month at 1°C above average in February is a different temperature at Heron Island (south) than at Lizard Island (north)—it’s a lower temperature—but it’s still the same amount of stress to the corals.” In other words, coral bleaches at cooler temperatures in the south than in the north. The south’s reprieve in 2016 was Cyclone Winston, which brought a tropical rain depression that acted as a buffer, dropping sea temperatures below local norms and increasing cloud cover. “We dodged a bullet,” says Sara Keltie, naturalist-guide at Heron Island, where reefs are still vibrant. FEBRUARY 2020 • 83

Best known for nesting turtles and an eco-resort, Heron Island has the GBR’s oldest scientific research station, where marine biologists have been studying just how much climate change it can withstand. The mass bleaching in 2016 coincided with an El Niño, a natural climatic cycle featuring raised sea temperatures. However, Keltie says, because we’re warming the ocean with carbon dioxide, “corals are getting closer to their bleaching thresholds, so when an El Niño comes through, a greater proportion of the species are pushed over.” Some have argued that the coral 84 • FEBRUARY 2020

will move south over time. According to Wachenfeld, this thinking ignores the impact that climate change has already had on the GBR. “Corals have been around for 400 million years,” he points out. “They’ve seen climate change before. But climate has never changed as quickly as we are changing it now. So the fact that animals have adapted and coped over geological time-scales in the past doesn’t mean they will in the future, now we’re changing things faster. “The second problem is that hundreds of millions of humans rely on coral reefs for food, for coastal

photo: ©istock

A marine biologist surveys an area of bleached reef. Parts of the Great Barrier Reef are under severe stress, while others are still relatively unscathed

READER’S DIGEST

protection from wave energy, for income from things like tourism. It’s no good to tell a human, “Look, your reef might die in 20 years because of climate change, but don’t worry—in 5,000 years it might come back again.” A third problem for coral reefs is the other threat posed by climate change, which is also happening too rapidly for corals to manage. “Climate change is making the ocean more acidic,” says Wachenfeld. “About 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide we put into the atmosphere as we burn fossil fuel dissolves in the oceans.” Carbon dioxide in seawater forms carbonic acid, which releases hydrogen ions that bond with the free-floating carbonate ions needed by hard corals to make their calcium carbonate skeletons. The more carbon dioxide in the sea, the less able hard corals are to build reefs. Hydrogen ions will even start dissolving hard coral and shells to get carbonate if the free-floating supply runs short. On Heron Island, a long-term experiment has observed the impact of various acidities and temperatures on coral reef mesocosms (ecosystem replications). Two futures were tested—a 4°C rise in global temperature from the pre-industrial average, which is expected by the year 2100 if nothing is done to slow carbon dioxide emissions; and a 2°C

rise, which is the cap on warming sought by the Paris Agreement (the international accord for addressing climate change). Ocean acidity from atmospheric carbon dioxide levels that would produce these temperatures was also examined. “Every single coral in both future scenarios went bone-white,” says Keltie. “But they followed two different trajectories. In the donothing scenario, the corals starved to death and started to dissolve.” While a 4°C future appears fatal, there is hope for coral reefs in a world that meets the Paris Agreement targets. “In the dosomething scenario, some of the corals survived—slower growing corals like boulder corals, which have lower energy demands,” says Keltie. “At the end of the experiment they were still growing and reproducing.” For Wachenfeld, world efforts can’t stop with the Paris Agreement. “None of the forecasts I’ve seen are below 2°C by 2100,” he points out. “The most recent consensus says in the short term global warming could get to +2°C, but to keep healthy reefs into the future we have to bring it back to +1.5°C. Even at 1.5, coral reefs will be under severe stress— the reef has just had its worst-ever bleaching at about +1. “The reef is very much alive, but it’s also very much under pressure and desperately needs more help.” n FEBRUARY 2020 • 85

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TR AVEL & ADVENTURE

CHAM BEYOND

Anna Walker explores the rich history, beautiful Champagne

’m racing through the streets of Reims, capital of France’s Champagne region. I’m late to my tour of the iconic house of Champagne Mumm, where I intend to visit the cellars before tasting their famous blends. So distracted was I by the miles of vineyards that stretched out beyond the windows of the small train

88 • FEBRUARY 2020

transporting me from Paris to this infamous region, that my wallet— and with it, the sense of tranquillity I’d set off with—had somehow escaped me. As I rush through the quaint streets, I catch glimpses of the region’s capital. To my left, the ruins of La Porte de Mars, the widest arch of the Roman world, looms

PAGNE THE BUBBLES

gastronomic gems and fabled wines of the region of France triumphantly. To my right, countless wine bars, cafes and restaurants. I glance at the map given to me by the patient concierge of my hotel— The Reims Continental—who met my flustered entry with a calm call to the train station’s lost and found, and a promise to show me the fastest route to my appointment. I turn a nondescript corner and the sound of

the road, the chatter of tourists, the slightly oppressive heat of the midAugust air, seems to melt away. There is only the quiet hum of distant distilleries, and as my senses prick up, I detect a hint of Champagne in the air. Huge, gilded letters announce my arrival at the champagne house, and I’m whisked inside, down to the cellars. FEBRUARY 2020 • 89

C H A M PA G N E: B E YO N D T H E B U B B L E S

The region of Champagne is different underground. That beating sunlight that had my shoulders blushing pink is replaced by a damp, dark chill. The labyrinthine cellars vibrate with drama, and with history. In hushed, echoing tones, we’re guided through the process of champagne creation, from first fermentation to the secrets to extracting yeast (creating an ice cube at the neck of the bottle to capture the dead sediment). Eventually we emerge, bleary-eyed to the bright summer sunshine for the tasting, and as I take my first sip, I consider the way the bubbles mirror the journey of the champagne 90 • FEBRUARY 2020

itself, rising up from underground to sparkle on the surface. Awaking refreshed the next day, I have a chance to explore Reims in earnest, with a walking tour. I’m shocked when my guide Béatrice explains that 80 per cent of the city was decimated during the First World War, where its location at the centre of the strategic axes between the east and west found it unwillingly positioned at the front line. Following the carnage, the city was rebuilt in a stunning art deco style, and as I look up, I notice details that had passed me by during my lazy ramblings the previous day. Beautiful

READER’S DIGEST

wrought iron balconies, ornately carved fruit baskets. The architecture of this city is a message of defiance. A mission to build beauty in the wake of ugly destruction. No trip to Reims is complete without a visit to the cathedral. My guide ushers me back, further and further from its entrance until we are far enough away to take in the entire building. I’m dumbstruck. It’s by far the most beautiful cathedral I have ever set eyes on, dwarfing even the Notre Dame in its intricate details and magnificent stature. During the war it was used as a hospital, housing both German and French patients. A fire that broke out during the height

of the bombardment almost utterly destroyed the cathedral, and images of its famous “smiling angel” statue, which lost its head during the fire, drew outrage in the international press—a symbol of German barbarity destroying French culture. Today, the cathedral stands as a symbol of forgiveness. The stained-glass windows, which were blown out during the conflict, were replaced in 2015 with glass by German artist Imi Knoebel. The then German minister for foreign affairs, now President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said a scar had been healed by the gesture. A short walk away I head to the FEBRUARY 2020 • 91

C H A M PA G N E: B E YO N D T H E B U B B L E S

iconic Café du Palais for lunch. Established in the 1930s, this familyrun restaurant is something of an Aladdin’s cave, as diners enjoy traditional dishes under a stainedglass art deco roof, surrounded by unusual trinkets and works of art including drawings by Marc Chagall. Dishes are hearty and delicious, and I enjoy tagliatelles au fromage de Chaource, a rich, cheesy pasta dish that is recommended to me by almost every local I encounter. I leave Reims enamoured by this city of resilience, where years of damage and destruction have left the region only more determined to preserve 92 • FEBRUARY 2020

their traditions and create new ones. Following the black and gold signs in place to guide tourists, I depart for Hautvillers. Once home to Dom Perignon, a 17th century Benedictine monk known around the world as the spiritual father of champagne, for his work to refine both the production and quality of the drink, something he pursued as part of his perceived mission from God to create the finest wine in the world. With only 800 residents, Hautvillers is tiny. But my enthusiastic local guide Mégan couldn’t imagine herself living anywhere else. It’s quiet here, and peaceful. And the views over

READER’S DIGEST

the vineyards of the region are unparalleled. We wander through the surrounding Unesco vineyards and marvel at the expanse of greenery before us. I imagine the scene just a few weeks from now, when thousands of workers from all over Europe will descend on this tiny town, ready to join the harvest, and the festivities that follow. Having explored the vineyards, I find myself longing to meet one of the producers, and the house of Guy Charbaut fits the bill perfectly. Wine growers from father to son for three generations, the family’s vineyards consisting of pinot noir, meunier

and chardonnay grapes cover over 20 hectares and the couple have now opened up their home to visitors for wine tasting, gastronomy as well as accomodation. Situated on the canal of the Marne, it’s a traditional French residence, and over an international dinner with my fellow guests, I sit next to the owner Xavier, and his wife Nathalie. As we sip a 2008 vintage, I ask, half-jokingly, if he remembers the harvest of that year. He does, and in incredible detail. He tells me it was remarkably similar to this year, so it’s as though I’m seeing the past three months, bottled before me. Each of the seven courses is paired with FEBRUARY 2020 • 93

C H A M PA G N E: B E YO N D T H E B U B B L E S

a different champagne from their vast collection and I depart for bed feeling suitably mellow. The next day I’m treated to a tour of the Charbauts’ traditional chalk cellar. Eighty-two feet below the surface, my guide tells me that Mr Charbaut doesn’t care for trends—he makes the wine that he likes. The Charbauts are something of a relief after tastings at some of the larger scale producers—it doesn’t feel as though there is a right or wrong answer. Here, champagne is an everyday drink. When something tastes this good, they reason it doesn’t make sense to only enjoy it once a year. 94 • FEBRUARY 2020

In the cellars, I meet Fred, who’s in charge of much of the production. Down here he can tell the weather above ground just by laying his palm on the cold chalk walls. As we share a bottle together, my hosts talk charmingly about the power of champagne to bring magic to the everyday, and how it should be thought of like lasagne—always better on the second day, when it’s been allowed room to breathe. I’m sorry to depart the Charbaut household, but the family present me with a bottle as I leave, and I’m brought right back to their warm hospitality when I open it on a drizzly winter day back home in London.

READER’S DIGEST

A short drive takes me to Mutigny, a commune with under 200 residents with largely pinot noir vineyards within its borders used by houses including Bollinger, Moët and Chandon and Roederer. I meet with Soizic Percher, a young girl completing an internship here, and embark on a circular walk of the vineyard, with wine tasting and a picnic. She will miss this year’s harvest by just a week, and her disappointment is evident. She lets me try a grape straight from the vine, showing me how to pinch it between thumb and finger so it shoots out of its red skin. It’s tangy and very sweet. When I ask her of her own love for champagne she laughs and quotes Coco Chanel, “I only drink champagne on two occasions. When I am in love and when I am not.” For my final day, I’m to take flight in the giant helium balloon in Epernay. Based on a Victorian tradition, the Epernay Tourism Office have brought it back, much to the delight of visiting tourists. Getting my balance 500 feet in the sky, it’s a remarkable way to end the trip. Looking over the landscape, I can see each stop of my journey laid out below me. Every bottle, every bubble consumed across the planet, is crafted within my eyesight. It’s amazing to think that these grapes will be enjoyed across the world—the

huge magnum bottles I saw being prepared for the Kentucky Derby, the vintages being sent out in batches for weddings and parties, and the Guy Charbaut bottle that was already nestled amongst my luggage to head back to London. n

TRAVEL TIPS The best way to organise a trip to the Champagne region is through La Champagne, Refined Art de Vivre. Launched by the Regional Tourism Agency of the Grand-Est region, Comité Champagne and the Champagne Producers and Growers’ Association, they work with over 80 experienced partners to deliver authentic and memorable holidays that show visitors all the sides of Champagne. Visit visitlachampagne.travel to plan your own adventure FEBRUARY 2020 • 95

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TR AVEL & ADVENTURE

My Great Escape:

Dreamy Dubrovnik Charlotte Marion from Berkshire reminisces about her multiple visits to the colourful city of Dubrovnik

he first time we went to Dubrovnik, Croatia, I knew it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be our last. It was October 2006 and for our first wedding anniversary, we decided to get away from it all and head off to what was then a country that few of our friends or family knew much about,

98 â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 2020

except from the news of war that had dominated in the previous decade. We were met by the friendliest people, so passionate and fiercely proud of their country. The weather was a perfect 20 degrees which warmed our souls as we had escaped the autumnal blues back in the UK for a week. And the sea was the

cleanest and bluest I had ever seen. This was our first of many stays at the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel where every room has a never-ending sea view and you feel as though you could be the only ones there. It has a spa and a pool, and it offers blissful privacy that we craved as newlyweds back then. Every time we return we find something new, even in the beautiful Unesco site of the old city. I think it took us a few walks up, down and around the walls before we finally found the little hole-in-the-wall bars of Buža I and Buža II. Even now, my husband and I often talk of our first visit where the cable car up to Mount Srd lay in ruins and we ambled up the 412m peak which stands proud behind the whole city. It was so hot that I drank and drank, but having reached the top to take in the stunning view of the Elaphiti Islands, I was quick to discover there were no toilets for this western visitor at that time. I think it was the fastest walk down back to the terracottatiled town we have ever had! Luckily, the visitors of today looking to find the locations of their favourite TV show (Game of Thrones) can use the cable car, which was fully restored back in 2010. n Tell us about your favourite holiday (send a photo too) and if we print it we’ll pay £50. Email excerpts@readersdigest.co.uk FEBRUARY 2020 • 99

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

SLOW TRAVEL FOR THE DEVOTED: WEST AFRICA There’s slow, and then there’s slow. Taking a mere 134 days, Dragoman’s bus-based group tour travels from Senegal to South Africa promising safaris, beaches, waterfalls and 17 countries—some which few tourists visit (dragoman.com).

FOR CYCLISTS: TRANSYLVANIA For groups or private travellers, The Slow Cyclist promises gently-paced cycling through Carpathian Mountain foothills, idyllic Saxon villages and ancient beech forests in Romania’s handsomest region (theslowcyclist.co.uk).

FOR OENOPHILES: PORTUGAL Original’s “Slow Travel” collection includes a private itinerary investigating pretty winelands in the Alentejo and Douro River regions— with time also allotted for porttasting amid cobbled Porto (originaltravel.co.uk).

FOR TRAIN BUFFS: CANADA Retracing Michael Portillo’s steps in Great Canadian Railway Journeys, Ffestiniog’s 16-day train tour chugs from the Atlantic all the way across to Vancouver. En route come the magnificent Canadian Rockies (ffestiniogtravel.com).

FOR ANIMAL FANS: INDIA Part of wildlife tour operator Naturetrek’s “Go Slow” portfolio is an 11-day small-group tour of Central India’s tiger reserves. As well as the headline act, you might also see leopards, sloth bears and giant squirrels (naturetrek.co.uk) n

by Richard Mellor

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MONEY

Getting Better For Less When the sniffles strike, don’t panic. As Andy Webb explains, choosing your medication more carefully could save you money… 102 • FEBRUARY 2020

s winter drags on, so too do the chances that we’ll come down with some seasonal sniffles. And when it happens, we’re likely to turn to brand name medications to help us get better. Why? Well, there’s still that feeling that the more expensive something is, the better it’ll be. And when we’re sick we just want to get well fast. So we’re happy to pay a premium for guaranteed results, rather than risk it with cheaper alternatives. But are the cold and flu tablets and sachets from the likes of Beechams Andy Webb is a personal finance journalist and runs the award-winning money blog, Be Clever With Your Cash

and Lemsip actually any better than own-brand versions? In short, either no, or not by much. And the same goes for most other medications you can pick up from the supermarket or pharmacy, from painkillers—such as ibuprofen and paracetamol— through to vitamins and creams. Here’s how you can massively cut down what you spend on keeping healthy and getting better, both off the shelves and over the counter.

paracetamol and 12.2mg of phenylephrine. So if they have the same dose of each drug—and you do in most of these off-the-shelf sachets, pills and medicines—the effect is going to be pretty much the same, and all for less money. So ditching the premium brands for the generic alternative can easily save you money with no or minimal difference to the actual job they do.

Look for the active ingredients

DITCHING PREMIUM BRANDS FOR GENERIC ALTERNATIVES CAN SAVE YOU MONEY

When you’re looking at different medications that claim to do the same thing, the best way to compare them is to check for the active ingredients. These are the main parts of the medicine that help you. With cold and flu remedies, it’s likely to be paracetamol and phenylephrine hydrochloride (a decongestant). This is what you get in Lemsip for example. It’s also what you get in the own-brand version from the likes of Boots, Tesco and Asda—all cheaper than the big branded version. There could be some extra ingredients that differ. Perhaps a flavouring, or a coating. But these aren’t doing anything to fix you. They just, potentially, make it taste a little nicer. It’s those active ingredients that are key. You need to check the quantities too. The aforementioned cold sachets all contain 1000mg of

Identical medicines, different packaging And it’s not just the ingredients and quantities that are the same with these pills. There are even occasions where the exact same medication is contained in different packaging— but at different prices. The own-brand cold and flu sachets from Asda, Tesco and Boots are identical. They’re so identical in fact, that they come off the same production lines at the same factory. The only difference is the branding. The way to tell that these are identical is in plain sight on the box. Look for a long number starting with FEBRUARY 2020 • 103

MONEY

the letters PL. This is the product licence code and it’s unique to each formulation. The fact that the PL number is the same on all the brands mentioned shows they are the very same product. Yet, those three retailers all sell the product at a different price. At Boots—likely the premium shop in our minds for medication—ten sachets cost £2.99. At Tesco it’s almost a pound less at £2.05, while the Asda version is even lower at £1.75. That’s 40 per cent less at Asda for the exact same product from Boots. You see this across many different medications, even sometimes within the same brand. Panadol produce a variety of painkillers, including Panadol Extra Advance and Panadol Period Pain. You’d 104 • FEBRUARY 2020

think from the names that they act differently. But as it happens they are the very same pills containing 500mg of paracetamol and 65mg of caffeine and with the same PL code. They do exactly the same job—and sometimes at different prices. So it’s worth taking a few minutes when you’re buying any medications to quickly check not just the active ingredients but also the PL code to see if you can buy a similar or identical generic version and save yourself some cash.

Are you entitled to free prescriptions? Though you don’t need to pay for prescriptions in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, you do have to pay in England. It’s a standard fee of £9

READER’S DIGEST

YOU SHOULD CHECK TO SEE IF THE MEDICATION IS AVAILABLE FOR LESS OVER THE COUNTER whatever it is you’ve been prescribed, but there are ways to cut down that cost. First, you might not actually need to pay at all. You can get free prescriptions in various scenarios including if you are over 60, under 16, between 16 and 18 in full-time education, pregnant or claiming some benefits. Some medical conditions are also exempt, including cancer and epilepsy. Don’t pay if you don’t need to!

Pay less for your prescription If you do have to pay for your prescription, then there are a few tricks to pay less. You can check if your GP is willing to increase the dose. It’ll cost you the same at the pharmacy no matter the quantity of

medication prescribed. You should also check to see if it’s something readily available for less off the shelves or over-the-counter, as it could cost you less. This is especially important if you’ve been given a private prescription as these can cost a lot more. If there isn’t an easily available option, then it’s worth booking in with your GP to see if they would be happy to prescribe the same or similar drugs to you but subsidised by the NHS. Get a prescription season ticket if you require two or more prescriptions each month for an on-going condition you might want to consider a prepaid certificate. These can be bought for either three months (£29.10) or 12 months (£104) and allow you to get multiple drugs at once. With two medicines a month for a year this certificate could save you £110 over the 12 months or £20 over three. And those savings will increase the more medications you need. Not all pharmacies accept these, so you can check online or call 0300 330 1341 for more information. n

What’s in a name? The reason that many pubs in England have such specific names goes back to Medieval times, when the majority of people were illiterate but could recognise pictorial signs and symbols. This is why names like “Boot and Castle”, “White Hart” or “Fox and Hound” are extremely common, and have become associated with traditional English pubs. Where painted signs were too expensive, pub landlords would hang objects such as “The Copper Kettle” outside of the building to make it easily recognisable. FEBRUARY 2020 • 105

FOOD

Quinoa Salmon Serves 4 •500ml water •2tsp bullion powder (Marigold recommended) •200g quinoa •4 salmon fillets •200g Tenderstem broccoli tips For the quick radish pickle garnish •10 radishes •3tbsp red wine vinegar •3tbsp granulated sugar •1tsp Nigella seeds For the persillade •30g parsley, leaves picked •1 lemon, zested and juiced •1 garlic clove, crushed •3tbsp olive oil

Rachel Walker is a food writer for numerous national publications. Visit rachel-walker.co.uk for more information

106 • FEBRUARY 2020

With Persillade

As the winter fug starts to pass it’s nice to start eating something a little lighter than thick stews with heavy carbs. This is such a quick and easy one-pot dish with a couple of zingy, bright garnishes which couldn’t be easier to whisk up and take it from a standard dinner to something a bit special 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 2. Bring the water to boil in a shallow (lidded) casserole dish. Stir in the bullion powder, add the quinoa and allow it to reach a rolling simmer. Place the salmon fillets (skin side down) and Tenderstem broccoli in the pan. Cover and put it in the oven for 15 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, make the two garnishes. For the radish pickle, slice the radishes width-way as thinly as you can (use a mandoline if you have one). Heat the red wine and sugar until the sugar granules melt. Allow it to cool, pour it over the radishes and stir in the Nigella seeds. 4. To make the persillade, wash the parsley in cold water, spin it dry, pick and slice the leaves. Put them in a jam jar along with the lemon zest, juice, crushed garlic and oil. Shake until combined. 5. Divide the salmon and broccoli between four plates. Top the salmon with the persillade and serve with fluffed-up quinoa and the radish pickles. TIP: If you manage to track down black quinoa it makes for a particularly pretty plate of food. Freekeh is also a deliciously smoky grain which works well (but will need a 25 minute head start on the salmon and broccoli). This dish is delicious cold too, and is ideal for a packed lunch. Make the night before, use two forks to flake the salmon and cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces. photography by Tim & Zoé Hill

Drinks Tip… Chardonnay doesn’t have to be boring. Try Majestic’s Spring Break Chardonnay (£7.99) for bright, clean flavours which pair beautifully with this light dish

Serves 4-6 • 150g digestive biscuits • 100g butter, melted • 1 egg white • 200g caster sugar • 1tsp fresh thyme leaves, picked • 4tbsp cornflour • 500g ricotta, drained • 250g quark • 3 eggs & 1 egg yolk • 1 lemon, zested To garnish: fresh thyme and blueberries

Show us your take on these dishes!

Just upload the picture to Instagram and tag us, @readersdigest_uk 108 • FEBRUARY 2020

Lemon And Thyme Ricotta Cheesecake This baked cheesecake is a favourite—the ricotta and quark mean that it’s light and not too-sweet. Around this time of year fresh fruit may be in short supply, but with lemons available year-round there’s no better way to treat your tastebuds to sunny, bright Italian flavours

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 2. Put the biscuits in a bag, bash them with a rolling pin and mix in the melted butter. Press the biscuit crumb into a 23cm springform cake tin, and bake for 15 minutes. 3. Whisk the egg white and brush it over the hot biscuit base—leaving it to harden as it cools, creating a seal. 4. Meanwhile, grind 1tbsp of the sugar with the fresh thyme in a pestle and mortar. Tip it in a mixing bowl with the rest of the sugar and then stir in the cornflour, ricotta and quark, beating until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by with the final egg yolk and lemon zest. 4. Tip the filling over the base and cook for ten minutes. Then turn the temperature to 140°C and cook for 1.5 hours until the filling is set round the edges with a slight custardy wobble in the middle. Take the thyme and blueberries and serve at room temperature. n

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HOME & GARDEN

Ensure your utility room is as pretty as it is practical by giving it a budget-friendly facelift

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espite spending a considerable amount of time carrying out chores in our humble utility spaces, this part of the home is frequently overlooked when it comes to interior design. Built mainly to house appliances and storage, it can be tricky to see past the practicalities of this oftencompact room and figure out how to make it a stylish space, too. Like every other room in the house, a good place to start is to decide on a colour scheme. To keep costs down, work around your existing cabinets and worksurfaces; for example, wooden units paired with white walls and sage green touches will give your utility room

Homes and gardens writer and stylist Cassie Pryce specialises in interior trends and discovering new season shopping 110 â&#x20AC;˘ FEBRUARY 2020

a light and fresh look, or use white gloss units as a starting point for a sleek monochrome scheme. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really not happy with your existing cabinets, consider changing the door fronts for an affordable update, or even painting them a different colour and replacing the handles for a whole new look. Patterned or colourful tiles are a simple way of injecting personality into a lacklustre space, whether this comes in the form of new flooring, or even a small splashback behind the sink. Not only will they help add character, but tiles are a practical surface for withstanding daily wear and tear. To provide additional storage to built-in cabinets, open shelving offers a handy way to make the most of even more wall space. Display dog treats and pet accessories in pretty containers, or fun retro laundry signs to make the space feel less clinical and part of your home. n

Shelves of Space Raw scaffold shelves, from £50; washing tablets box in chalk, £18; pet bins with leather handles, from £25; peg bucket in chalk, £15; pet grooming bucket, £17; pet treat tin, £12; pet bowl with paw print, from £12; utility bucket in chalk, £25; galvanised steel indoor watering can, £15, all Garden Trading

HOME & GARDEN

Happy Home-Growing Gardening doesn’t have to be drab, as Jessica Lone Summers explains. Here’s how to liven up your love for growing things

middle and balancing on the rim of the jar. Eventually, when it’s sunny enough, remove the sprouts and move to a larger pot for new sweet potatoes to emerge.

ebruary is here, and with it comes a month of cold, harsh, plant-beating weather. And, after all the necessary pruning, protecting, preening and planting, there isn’t a whole lot left to do but wait. So, what better way to while away the hours until the sun comes out than with the following frolicsome projects?

Grow your own indoor garlic. Using a cleaned tin can (a baked bean one is perfect) create some holes at the bottom to allow for drainage then cover the inside with a coffee filter to keep the soil in. Add the soil up to two inches below the rim and plant a few garlic gloves separately, with the skin on and facing their pointy sides up. Cover with soil and keep it moist. When the shoots start to grow simply cut as needed with scissors and add to your food for some delicious home-made seasoning.

Grow a houseplant from a sweet potato. The beautiful vines that grow from sweet potatoes were historically used as ornamental plants and still largely are. To grow yours, submerge half the sweet potato in a jar of water by inserting three toothpicks into the

Make old toys into a garden. Old, long-forgotten rustic toys make excellent, decorative plant pots. Take a toy truck, for example, create drainage holes in the wagon boot, then fill with soil and a selection of your favourite succulents. n

112 • FEBRUARY 2020

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FASHION & BEAUT Y

The Power Of Red Lisa Lennkh on why you should find your shade of the colour of love and desire this February

alentine's Day gives me the perfect excuse to wear my favourite colour, red. Of course, the Little Black Dress has its place in every wardrobe, but I think there is an excellent case to be made for having a Little Red Dress as well. Just as I know there is a red lipstick shade for every woman, I believe there is a red dress for every woman. Either a clear "universal" red shade that works on everyone, or one that leans towards warm or cool, depending on your 114 • FEBRUARY 2020

skin tone. I always choose a warmer shade of red because a rich blue-red makes me look tired and drained. Red has always been the colour of fashion. It has impact. Even the simplest item in a show-stopping colour of red makes a style statement. Red is an extreme colour. It demands our attention. Physically, it stimulates faster breathing and quickens the heartbeat, which is why it has always been associated with love and passion. In nature, it symbolises danger. Like all animals, we are programmed to pay extra attention to red; stop signs are red for a reason. The designer Valentino has built his whole brand around the colour. He's used it as his signature hue since his very first fashion show in the early 1960s. His designs are clean and simple. Reds get noticed, but in an elegant way. Another oracle of style and fellow lover of red is Diana Vreeland who once had this to say: “Red is the great clarifier—bright, cleansing, revealing. It makes all colours beautiful. I can’t imagine being bored with it—it would be like becoming tired of the person you love.” She also said, “All my life I’ve Lisa Lennkh is a banker turned fashion writer, stylist and blogger. Her blog, The Sequinist, focuses on sparkle and statement style for midlife women

pursued the perfect red. I can never get painters to mix it for me. It’s exactly as if I’d said, ‘I want Rococo with a spot of Gothic in it and a bit of Buddhist temple’—they have no idea what I’m talking about. The best red is to copy the colour of a child’s cap in any Renaissance portrait.” I know exactly what colour of red she means. The Italian Renaissance painters perfected those deep, rich, intense, absolutely perfect reds which I'm forever searching for in a lipstick and in clothing. While I think a head to toe red look is fantastic, it isn't easy for everyone to wear. I also enjoy the colour pop that just a touch of red adds to an

outfit. It pairs beautifully with every neutral colour. All denim with a red handbag, a grey or camel dress with a red shoe, or a black suit enlivened by a red scarf, for example. Red is truly a colour for all seasons; it looks just as appropriate in summer as it does at Christmas. I've always found my red purchases to be excellent year-round investments, which is why I wear it so much. As style icon Audrey Hepburn correctly pointed out, “There is a shade of red for every woman.” If you haven’t found yours yet, maybe this Valentine month is the right time to investigate. n FEBRUARY 2020 • 115

FASHION & BEAUTY

Budding Beauty: The Truth Behind CBD

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Jenessa Williams on how CBD can benefit your beauty routine

ith sales nearly doubling in 2019, the trend for Cannabis-infused products isn’t going anywhere this year. From bath bombs to salad dressing, pet lotions to cocktail mixers, CBD is popping up in all manner of household spaces—including your bathroom cabinet. So what is the difference between CBD oil and traditional marijuana? Well, for starters, CBD oil isn’t going to get you high. CBD is merely a cannabinoid chemical compound, found within the cannabis plant. Isolated from THC (the psychoactive constituent), it lacks the dizzying effects you would get from smoking, but has been thought to reduce pain and inflammation, absorbed quickly into the skin through our natural receptors. Getting to work fast, its effects on acne and eczema have pricked the ears of cosmetic experts in search of an allnatural glow, as well as natural remedy enthusiasts intrigued by its correlation with calming the side effects of premenstrual tension and menopause. If you’re looking to shop CBD for yourself, ease yourself in with a hemp/CBD blend. Hemp already contains natural traces of CBD, and most commercial products will mention a blend of the two. Reputable brands will indicate the total cannabidiol content in milligrams, but be wary of UK laws when shopping online—indica and sativa-only blends are still controlled substances here due to their high THC levels. For anti-ageing, antiinflammatory effects, add a couple of drops to your usual moisturiser, or in more severe cases of acne and aches, opt for a soothing balm in problem areas. n 116 • FEBRUARY 2020

1. Herbivore Emerald Deep Moisture Glow Oil, 30ml, £42 2. Ohne "Yours, Hormonally" 1% CBD Oil, 10ml, £27 3. Holland & Barrett CBD Muscle Balm 100ml, £24.99

DIGESTED N E W M O N T H LY P O D CA S T Each month Reader’s Digest navigate the woes and wonders of modern life, weighing in with leading experts on the everyday tools we need to survive and thrive in 2019. To subscribe to Digested for monthly episodes—including our latest, “Myth-Busting The Menopause”—visit readersdigest.co.uk/podcast or search “Digested” on iTunes.

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FILM

HHHHH

If the year’s most romantic month has you rolling your eyes at rose and chocolate-plastered window displays, gooey-eyed couples holding hands whichever way you look and cinema listings brimming with cheesy romcoms that hit new heights of stupidity, here’s a slightly extreme palate cleanser: a demonically good, mucky stew of a film, that reeks of seawater, petrol and hangover breath. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson are the sole stars of this surreal nightmare from the director of 2015’s The Witch, Robert Eggers, and both deliver monstrously good

performances. Dafoe plays a seasoned lighthouse keeper, Thomas Wake, living on a tiny remote island, where he’s tasked with training his new apprentice, Ephraim (Pattinson) over the course of four weeks. In classic mythological fashion, a storm is brewing, and with it come mermaids, delirium, tentacles and dark secrets. It’s difficult to classify this film—which is a huge part of its mysterious appeal. Is it a mind-bending psychological horror? Is it dreamy, Tarkovsky-inspired art house? Is it a twisty Hitchockian thriller? Who knows. All we know is that The Lighthouse will lure you into its depraved malaise in a matter of seconds, driving you—along with Thomas and Emphraim—to the brink of insanity.

118 • FEBRUARY 2020

R E A D E RS D IGE S T.C O.UK/CULTURE/FILM

Sea shanties, mermaids and moonshine: Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson shine in this briny new horror

THE LIGHTHOUSE

H HH H H Drama: RICHARD JEWELL Clint Eastwood’s new film tells the true story of the eponymous small-time security guard who got caught up in the Centennial Olympic Park bombing of 1996. Originally hailed as a hero who discovered the backpack with the bomb, the media and FBI very quickly turned on him, declaring him the primary suspect. It’s an engaging watch that relies mostly on its strong performances; Paul Walter Hauser is touchingly vulnerable as the gullible Jewell, Olivia Wilde shines as the predatory reporter

Kathy Scruggs and Sam Rockwell brings the house down as Jewell’s foulmouthed attorney, Watson Bryant. An interesting, educational watch; but whether it’s Eastwood-good, is a whole other question.

HHHHH Biography: MR JONES This captivating war drama comes from the Polish cinema auteur, Agnieszka Holland, and tells the true story of journalist Gareth Jones (James Norton) who travelled to the Soviet Union in 1933 and broke the story of the devastating famine that killed millions of people. Though the film does feel a tad HHHHH stiff at times due to awkward dialogue and Sci-Fi: LITTLE JOE The Day of the Triffids ill-fitting montages, it’s mostly a meets Body Snatchers in this clinical consuming work that takes horror-lite, starring Emily Beecham and Ben Whishaw. Alice (Beecham) is a single pleasure in chewing the scenery with cavernous mother and an overworked but dedicated plant breeder at a corporation long-shots and low-key colour palettes. Look which develops new species. Against company policy, she covertly engineers a out for Peter Sarsgaard’s new, very special flower: one that makes colourful performance as journalist Walter Duranty. its owner happy in return for love and care. But does her creation have a malicious agenda of its own? by Eva Mackevic 119

TELEVISION

LADHOOD (BBC1; BBC IPLAYER) What is it? Acclaimed stand-up Liam Williams’ wry six-part look-back at his own misspent youth in Garforth, Leeds. Why should I watch it? It’s an unusually reflective, funny and above all else honest study of how and where certain British men pick up their worst habits. Think The Inbetweeners but with the considerable benefit of hindsight. Best episode? Episode 2 (“Friday Night”), which recounts an unnervingly universal tale about our hero’s not entirely healthy relationship with the demon drink.

TOP OF THE POPS: 1989 (BBC4; BBC IPLAYER) What is it? BBC4’s Friday night nostalgia standby starts a new decade by rounding off an old one. Why should I watch it? These shows increasingly serve as their own form of social history: as we stand, we’re revisiting the last days of the Radio 1 old guard and of producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman’s chart dominance, and the beginnings of a ravey new dawn. Farewell soap stars in sweaters; hello facemasks and shell suits. Best song? You’ll have to hold out until the August ‘89 episodes for Black Box’s landmark “Ride on Time” to hit number one— but once it does, you won’t stop dancing.

by Mike McCahill

IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA: SEASON 14 (Netflix) This cult favourite— about the world’s worst people running a grimy Irish pub—keeps hitting new highs. 120 • FEBRUARY 2020

SEX EDUCATION: SERIES 2 (Netflix) The return of one of 2019’s most enjoyable shows, with Asa Butterfield still suffering under the thumb of therapist mum, Gillian Anderson.

YOU: SEASON 2 (Netflix) This twisty psycho-thriller became a much-discussed sensation last year; can its second run possibly live up to the impossibly elevated expectations?

BBC PICTURES

WHAT TO STREAM THIS MONTH:

MUSIC READER RADAR: SIMONE ERINGFIELD, Cambridge Student

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: FROM THIS PLACE by PAT METHENY

Pat Metheny is one of those artists whose stream of creativity just never seems to run dry. The legendary jazz guitarist has been making music for four decades now, and his body of work includes 20 Grammy awards in 12 separate categories. This latest album is a sort of culmination of his impressive oeuvre, blurring boundaries and music styles like only Metheny can. A sumptuous, atmospheric ode to jazz fusion, From This Place is an intoxicating concoction whipped up with the help of exciting guests and trusted long-time collaborators, including drummer Antonio Sánchez (whose credits include the neck-break soundtrack to Birdman) who knocks it out of the park with his ridiculously punchy fills; or British pianist Gwilym Simcock who twists and twirls around Metheny’s guitar like a seasoned dance partner. It’s a thickly layered, thoughtfully paced, delectable record that dares to go into slippery territory, owning every step along the way, taming and hemming in the most avant garde of concepts, resulting in a strong, sometimes rapturously frenzied sonic experience.

by Eva Mackevic

Watching: COISA MAIS LINDA (Netflix) An insight into bossa nova culture in 1950s Rio de Janeiro, through the perspective of two women as they open a club in the city, and the difficulties they face in a corrupt, patriarchal society. Reading: THERE IS NO PLANET B BY Mike Berners-Lee One of the most accessible, clear-cut books on climate change currently out there. It’s time to educate ourselves about environmental issues and, most importantly, learn what we can do ourselves. Online: @LAETITIAKY (Instagram) This hair artist sculpts amazing pieces with her long braids, that she balances on her head. Her work addresses issues around race and body positivity in a powerful way. Listening: FATOUMATA DIAWARA I love Malian music and hers is uplifting, honest— perhaps even motherly—in her warmth and strength. Email your recommendations to readersletters@readersdigest.co.uk

BOOKS

February Fiction A debut novel that’ll make you laugh and cry, and a cerebral political thriller set in Ukraine are our top literary picks this month Saving Missy by Beth Morrey (HarperCollins, £12.99) There’s much excitement in the book world about this debut novel— and it’s not hard to see why. Missy, the highly appealing narrator, is a 78-yearold north Londoner rattling around alone what was once the family home and losing confidence that she’s anything but an old biddy. But then she meets two extraordinarily nice local women, who set about rescuing her from her loneliness. As they do, the return of Missy’s self-esteem and capacity for fun are very touchingly done. And so, as she looks back on her past, is her increasing awareness of what’s really mattered in her life. James Walton is a book reviewer and broadcaster, and has written and presented 17 series of the BBC Radio 4 literary quiz The Write Stuff 122 • FEBRUARY 2020

I do, though, have one gripe. These days all writers at the more commercial end of the spectrum seem obliged by law—or at least their publishers—to serve up a big closing twist. This Beth Morrey duly does, the trouble being that her twist feels not just unnecessary, but something of a cheat. Luckily (in a way), it’s so strangely out of place that the book is easily strong enough to survive it. Nonetheless, the oftenforgotten fact remains: better no twist at all than a dodgy one. Independence Square by A D Miller (Harvill Secker, £14.99) A D Miller is a former foreign correspondent who draws on his insider knowledge to write intelligent political thrillers in the tradition of John le Carré. His new one opens in Ukraine in 2004, with the Orange Revolution poised to overthrow the Russianbacked president. (Incidentally, don’t worry if you’re a little rusty on your 21stcentury Ukrainian history—one of the pleasures the book offers is the chance to effortlessly find out about it.) In those days, main character Simon Davey was a well-regarded British diplomat trying

to bring about a just and peaceful outcome. But in alternating chapters we also see him years later, jobless and wifeless back in London, after someone told the press he’d had an affair with a female protestor. So who betrayed him and why? Simon’s quest for answers proves pretty complicated for both him and us. What is clear, though, is that he wasn’t the only one betrayed. Despite the protestors’ idealism, their hopes for a better country were cynically dashed by people who simply had too much to lose. Independence Square is, then, quite a bleak book—but I’m afraid it also feels like an authentic guide to how the world works.

Name the author Can you guess the writer from these clues (the fewer you need the better)? 1. Born James Grant, he’s now one of Britain’s biggest-selling authors. 2. He chose his pen name partly so that his novels would be placed between Raymond Chandler’s and Agatha Christie’s in bookshops. 3. The main character in those novels is Jack Reacher. Answer on p126

PAPERBACKS We’ll Always Have Casablanca by Noah Isenberg (Faber, £12.99). A comprehensive account of the making of one of the great films— and of how it came to be so loved. Moonlight Over Mayfair by Anton du Beke (Zaffre, £7.99). Romantic novel, set in the 1930s, from the long-serving Strictly favourite— featuring, as you might imagine, quite a lot of dancing. The Patient Assassin by Anita Anand (Simon and Schuster, £9.99). Anand does full justice to the astounding story of Udham Singh, who witnessed the 1919 Amritsar massacre and finally took his revenge on the British officer responsible in London in 1940. The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri (Zaffre, £8.99). Heartstoppingly powerful novel of Syrian refugees, as featured on Radio 2’s book club. Bernard Who? by Bernard Cribbins (Constable, £9.99). The bona fide national treasure looks back on his 75-year (!) career in this funny, charming and anecdote-filled memoir.

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