Just Natural Health & Beauty magazine - October - December 2022 (issue 12)

A TASTE REVELATION

nd so, we come to a close… How is it that we are already at the end of 2022? With summer firmly behind us now, the trees gilded and the nights growing ever

more dark and chill, we look towards gathering round the hearth with family and friends; look towards Yuletide celebrations with company and the sharing of food to warm body and soul as the year tapers into its frost-covered end. And what a year it has been.

It is a final chapter, also, for Just Natural Health & Beauty, dear readers. Having bloomed from mere seeds of thought into a tangible, eco-minded, health-guiding publication, we have thoroughly enjoyed travelling this publishing path with you these past three years. It truly has been a real privilege: from interviewing those independent store owners seeking to bring ameliorative retail change to this country, to speaking with Olympic athletes and high street entrepreneurs striving to reset the nation’s mindset; striving to bring about local changes to enact worldwide effects for a planet and its myriad species, including humans, now struggling to survive in the face of global warming. Of course, it has also been lovely to receive all your positive feedback over that time. Sadly, the world being what it presently is, the ink must be left to dry on this final issue with no further words than these that follow; these, our last.

There is thus a poignancy in these late autumn and early winter days as the dark seeps in and we turn to close our doors behind us. After all, we made it to Issue 12, an issue for every month of the year. This might be the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness – yes, Mr Keats – but these are naturally the more mature, more reflective months of the twelve, as well. It is a time to consider, to muse, and to accept. For some of us, it is also time to make a change, and to grow; for now, unseen. Who knows? Perhaps a rebirth will occur one future spring.

So it is that we needs must, while we still can, nourish with knowledge, with education – not academic, but supportive of personal understanding of how best we each may prosper both physically and psychologically when it comes to nutrition, to exercise, and to day-to-day living as social animals in a world concomitantly urban and remnantly rural. The purpose of a health and wellness magazine is to guide, to inform, and assist public endeavours for happiness come from, well, health.

Thus, in this final issue you’ll find tips on immune system bolstering during the flu (and, unfortunately, Covid) season, advice on mood boosting when daylight ebbs, and discussion about making the best of the dropped mercury and plunging (or at least dipping a tentative toe) into winter wild swimming and getting one’s metabolism going in ways other than on a treadmill. There’s especial focus on these endeavours when in the Sinatran autumn (and winter) of one’s years, as well – for men and women, both.

Yet, as festive tables are readied for the weight of the traditional turkey, given that Brighton is now officially the “Vegan Capital of the World” (overtaking Bristol and Portland, Oregon for the crown), and Britain entire considered to be the leading country in terms of veganism’s popularity – it’s time to get serious about the facts behind good intentions (and on a wider scale than a sole US Presidential gesture, save a few birds from their human-designed, seasonal-driven slaughter). From plant-based alt meats to lab-grown cell ag prime cuts, we undertake one last exploration of animal-free possibilities for celebrations, or otherwise, as well as the mental health gains and long-term impact of minding the state of our gut microbiome. There’s a sagacity to possibly going Sober for October, too (rather than abstaining from those scrummy bubbles as and when seasonal social engagements so require…).

We’ll refrain from diving into the straight-out-of-ascience-fiction-novel news that moon soil has for the first time been successfully used to grow cress plants from seed… But, otherwise, this issue is all about a return to origins, to the ancient wisdom of planetary stewardship (organic regenerative agriculture inclusive), whilst simultaneously history-seeking and forward-looking in the most ethical way possible.

Consider it our sustainability issue, if you will (not that we’ve ever not been all about sustainability…). For we want what Just Natural Health & Beauty has attempted to achieve in its three years of existence to indeed sustain long after the final copy comes out of the printer and onto your local high street. No-one ever wants to see a vision fade into insubstantiality, let alone an environmental one at this critical climate juncture. But to have attempted to make a difference? Therein lies a power that cannot be taken away. And so, we leave you with the words of author Nicholas Sparks: “This is not a goodbye” – no, let us be not so final – “this is a thank you”. Look at what we began…

NICOLE RALEIGH EDITOR

MARKETING MANAGER MARK SHARP DESIGN CLARICE LEIGH & JAMES HEATHCOTE MARKETING EXECUTIVE CLAIRE CUNNAH & ISABELLE MILLER WEB DESIGN ANT PAPA

Produced by Just Natural Health, 210 Mauretania Road, Nursling Industrial Estate, Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 0YS

Just Natural Health make a

The Winter Woman: Menopause, Mindfully

Assessing the challenges a woman faces at *that* time of her life and a few lifestyle measures that can be adopted to keep her fighting back and fighting fit.

the Greenly Clean Home

Breast Cancer, Today and Tomorrow

11

Stewardship for Future Sustainability & Ethical Consumerism

Turning back to the notion of stewardship – of land and animals – and (re)stating the case for biodynamic regenerative agriculture in the 21st century.

Sunny Ideas for At Home ElectricityFree Heat

to circumvent the energy crisis? These eco tips

be just the trick.

5 Steps to Cleaner Recycling

A gentle reminder on what (and what not to) recycle, so that everyone’s efforts don’t end up in the landfill.

Planetary Beauty: The (Up)Circle of Skin Deep Environmentalism

We

Clean Eating: MediterraneanInspired Pantry Staples

far behind us,

A reminder of the facts and figures, how to selfexamine, and a look at the latest innovation in mammography.

Making Bowel Health

Cool: From Fibre as a Trend to Microbiomic Bacterial Boosts

Plant-Based Meats & Precision Fermentation Technology: A Cruelty-Free Panacea or Scientific Hype?

up-to-date

out

meat

how

being

Pets: A Question of Ethics & Emotions

With a nod to the Late Bowel Babe, we revisit how to ensure a top-functioning gut microbiome and the signs and symptoms to look out for when it comes to digestive health.

Reflect, Rebalance, and Re-energise

Unblocking our energy pathways and focusing on the importance of the chakras this winter, with Reiki and Tui Na.

Stewardship is biblically historic; it is what humans should be doing. However, instead Mankind has been enacting the opposite. Nonetheless, just as Pandoric Hope remained till the last, so it is heartening to learn that it has been projected that, if all of Europe’s farmland was to shift to organic principles, by 2050 agricultural emissions could be reduced by half and hunger become but a memory. It doesn’t take too much pondering to see how this estimate is arrived at when you consider that bird, insect, and plant life is 50% more abundant on organic farms than on those which use chemical pesticides and fertilisers. As pertains to wild bees, their populations are around 75% more prevalent on organic farms. Hope indeed, then, especially when contrasted with the horrifying possibility that by just 2031 one in ten of Britain’s wildlife species could become extinct if we don’t change our ways, from the ground up.

According to the Organic Market Report 2022, this year the UK organic market broke the £3 billion mark and surpassed non-organic sales. It seems veg box schemes during the lockdowns particularly promoted this new, more concentrated eco-minded locavore ethos, and that trend has lingered, if not proliferated. Additionally, back in the spring the Eating Better alliance reported that WWF (World Wildlife Fund) was working with five UK supermarkets to lessen shoppers’ environmental impact by half by 2030. Pledging their intentions at COP26, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op, Waitrose, and Marks & Spencer voiced an aim to focus on the central pillars of “climate, deforestation, agricultural production, marine, diets, food waste, and packaging”.

"

Nature is in freefall and our climate is in crisis, and the way we produce and consume food is one of the main drivers of this global emergency. We must stop the food we eat in the UK from causing the destruction of nature both at home and abroad."

David Edwards, Director of Food Strategy at WWF

Operating with a “WWF basket metric” – literally, a framework by which to attain the noted eco goal of 50% less meat and dairy – the chains will make annual reports to WWF, publishing the “proportions of meat, eggs, and dairy sold in line with the Eating Better Sourcing Better Guide”. That guide operates by a three-step process of “Basic, Better, Best”, with the aim being to develop a new vision of farming, promoting as normal the idea of “climate and nature friendly meat”. Obviously, this flies in the face of the vegan argument, but – as Just Natural Health & Beauty has frequently reported on – both schools of thought have their pros and cons. The key, as ever in this life of ours, is balance.

For instance, Country Living Magazine wrote about field-to-fork restaurants at the end of 2021, focussing on the 73-acre Lower House Farm and its Wild By Nature meat subscription service. The monthly meat-box scheme promotes the nose-to-tail mindset of ethical omnivorism, as we have previously written on. Tenanting 33 further acres, also, there is plenty of room for their livestock to roam and graze on pasture, supporting biodiversity in keeping numbers of

invasive plants at a minimum. The animals consume around 50 species of grasses and other flora. This is biodynamic regenerative farming, this is the new agriculture; agriculture that supports and rebuilds the environment. And that is what the term “stewardship” is all about, guardians of the Earth. Another means of restoring our local environment to a thriving condition is through regrowth and rewilding. Craig Sams wrote last year on the positive effect of carbon dioxide-consuming trees, reminding us of the outcome in the Middle Ages when millions of farmers had been killed by the bubonic plague: forests regrew over farmland. As a result, within 200 years carbon dioxide levels in the upper atmosphere dropped to such low levels that the global temperature dropped. So it is that the years 1400 to roughly 1800 are known as the “Little Ice Age”. The Industrial Revolution reversed all that, but his essential point – published before the let-down that was COP26 – is “Grow more trees; increase soil carbon by organic farming; watch the temperature drop.” Pretty simple, no?

Basic Organic Swaps for the Ethical Consumer

While one should always try to buy Fairtrade when it comes to favourite staple products such as coffee and chocolate, sugar and spices, as well as nuts and bananas (speaking of which, have you tried Ecuadorian red?) – other items within the sacred home pantry benefit both self and the environment by a fairly simple shift to purchasing organic only.

Nonetheless, this has been a rather challenging year for personal finances. Indeed, Natural Products reported that the technology platform Bazaarvoice had found that nearly 50% of us are unable to make the switch to more sustainable products due to the cost implication, and are wary of being lured in by greenwashing. Although the data mainly related to beauty, clothing, and accessories, the premise applies to what we eat and drink, also.

That said, if you’re going to go organic, definitely consider these swaps first:

SWAP Refined White Flour FOR Organic Whole Wheat Flour

SWAP Refined White Sugar FOR Organic Coconut Sugar

SWAP Peanut Butter FOR Organic Peanut Butter

SWAP Table Salt FOR Coarse Sea Salt*

SWAP Vegetable Oil FOR Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

*Sea salt doesn’t

Things could be a lot worse: at the forming of the 2015 Paris Agreement, the prognosis for 2100 was a global temperature increase of 4°C; now, it’s looking more like 2.7°C. On an additional positive note (though, let’s not go crazy here), The New York Times wrote earlier in the year that renewable energy is becoming more and more a feasibly widespread solution, with the price of wind turbines apparently having already reduced by over 50% in the period since 2010. In Europe and the coastal regions of the United States, it is the leading clean energy option. Additionally, a study conducted at the Block Island wind farm found that over a period of four years filter feeders such a mussels colonized the immediate area surrounding the turbines, as did fish communities. That knowledge is likely to be environmentally capitalised on in future, benefitting as it does local ecological sites.

Furthermore, the think-tank Ember recorded that, in 2021, 38% of global electricity came from clean energy sources (nuclear and hydro, as well as wind and solar power). Indeed, electric seems to be the future spark that will see us more firmly flung away from reliance on fossil fuels. BBC News reported earlier in 2022 that second-hand electric cars had become veritable hot sellers, the percentage of sales

more than doubling during only the first three months of this year from the year before, figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed: BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) rose 120.2% from 2021. Demand also grew for PHEVs (Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles) and HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles). Nonetheless, although Mercedes, Porsche, and Audi released fully EV models in 2021, The Financial Times noted that it won’t be until 2025, or right up until the 2030 ban on all petrol- and diesel-powered cars, that Ferrari, Maserati, Bentley and Lamborghini (for the super wealthy who might be among our readership!) follow suit.

When you consider that a recent study found corn-based ethanol to be a potentially worse fuel than gasoline alone, the shift to EVs is a very good thing indeed. This negative ecocredential is mainly due to the loss of carbon sequestration incurred by using the land for growing corn. That’s not to say that ethanol isn’t environmentally kinder, though. For instance, in Australia their ethanol is gathered from waste starch such as that from wheat, then fermented to create the ethanol, subsequently distilled and blended with local unleaded petrol to make E10.

While lockdowns and the cost of living put pause to the introduction of a ban on price promotion of junk food products, these remain crucial for bettering – that focal word – the health of Britons. Hoping the implementation will enact “transformational change” and a “wholesale shift to regenerative farming methods”, Tanya Steele (CEO of WWF UK) puts it succinctly: “we won’t save nature without changing what’s on our supermarket shelves”. As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report mentioned, any change must take into consideration “a set of multidimensional metrics capturing the timing, disruptiveness and the scale of the transformative change”, and those in relation to “five dimensions: geophysical, technological, economic, socio-cultural, and institutional”.

Certainly, staycationing has been better for the planet than flitting all over the globe burning massive amounts of fuel in the skies. One particular tourist destination close to home is pushing that eco-holidaying theme to the next level, though.

As Waitrose & Partners reported, Cumbria has its eyes set on a carbon-neutral future by 2037 via a myriad of methods. Climate change been included in the county’s public health strategy since 2019’s Storm Desmond, Cumbria granted £2.5 million in National Lottery funds to achieve its environmental goals, the first tranche released back in January 2021 for developments across “food, housing, transport, agriculture and tourism”.

One main change was the switch to electric. With approximately 100 public electric vehicle charge points throughout the area, the Lake District National Park Authority replaced “many staff vehicles with a fleet of BMW i3 electric cars”, thereby reducing the authority’s carbon footprint in 2020 alone by 33%. Besides investing in further driverless pods costing £250,000 each, meanwhile, The Quiet Site holiday park in Ullswater now generates roughly 75% of its own electricity after installing ground-source heating, a biomass boiler, and solar PV (photovoltaic) panels in the belief that within very little time at all most businesses like it will be more desirable for such self-generation of energy.

What makes grass such a green alternative to fossil fuels is that it absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it grows. So, when it’s cut and burned, the methane produced is equivalent to what was absorbed to begin with, and then further growing grass absorbs that from the atmosphere, and so on, cyclically. In comparison, fossil gas wasn’t in the atmosphere to begin with, but in the ground: the carbon dioxide from its burning is an additional pollutant. The Ecotricity green gas mill is located just south of Reading and supplies circa 5,000 homes by growing and burning some 30,000 tonnes of grass each year. Ecotricity has estimated that 3,000 green gas mills should eventually be sufficient to heat the 22 million homes in Britain currently on the gas grid. The cost would be £30 billion, a tenth of the £300 billion it will take in total to install the proposed heat pumps in every home.

Prince Charles might voice his understanding of the “frustration” felt by climate campaigners such as Extinction Rebellion, as BBC News reported – and we applaud with bemusement the fact that one of his old Aston Martins runs on “cheese and wine” (literally, “surplus English white wine and whey from the cheese process”, i.e. bioethanol) – but not everyone has the means to make the switches to alternatives that he has. Certainly, there has been questioning of the affordability of achieving the Net Zero policies the UK government has pledged. The NZSG (Net Zero Scrutiny Group) was formed to query the wisdom of such a speedy pledge, in particular given the rising cost of living.

But electric itself is a tricky area. Nevertheless, arguably Britain’s greenest energy company, Ecotricity is now set to make gas from grass. Using “the first green gas mill” in the UK, wherein anaerobic digestion mimics the process of a ruminant’s stomach, the grass-generated biomethane gas can be used in standard boilers and makes significant potential inroads to fighting the current climate predicament. Given that the government’s plan to “decarbonise the nation” through the Heat and Buildings Strategy runs for 3 years, the ability to in the interim use boilers of old with updated, sustainable gas is no doubt a boon. Even though the Boiler Upgrade Scheme allows for £5000 government grants for households, to be able to use what is already in place will save unnecessary further cluttering of landfills in a mass deposit. Additionally, this move towards a greener economy contains a further wisdom: creating the possibility of autonomy from the global fossil fuel market (we can already hear your cries of accord).

If we take the comparative price implication of a gas or nuclear power station with renewable energy, for instance, it’s not just the build-out costs that come into consideration, but whether enough wind blows or sufficient sun shines in the latter category. A back-up scenario, it seems, is the only way forward at this time. However, the NZSG has tried to get fracking restarted in the past: less a financial weighing up than a geological and societal one, fracking had a moratorium placed on it back in 2019, due to the release of more GHGs and the earth tremors and similar damage it was doing to this green and pleasant land. That moratorium remains in place until it can be proven that fracking can be carried out without such things occurring. Yet, with the extortionate energy bills of this year, fracking and nuclear, and even coal, have once again been on the discussion table as alternatives.

Drax is the largest renewable energy plant in our country. Located nearby Selby in Yorkshire, the biomass power station is powered by low-grade roundwood pellets shipped in from the US that are turned into a powder blown into boilers and burnt, the steam from which process powers electricity production. Classed as “renewable” because, “Hey, trees grow back, don’t they?”, the climate think tank, Ember is now in fact trying to bring awareness to Drax’s considerable CO2 output (thought to be the largest UK source), according to BBC News. In an accounting quirk, the carbon emissions are allocated to the source of the wood, rather than the location in which the burning of that wood takes place. Ridiculous, right? And as for the trees: it can take between 30 and 100 years for each one to grow back.

Government subsidies for Drax are set to continue until 2027, but more carbon neutral options are wind and solar farms. Happily, developments in CCS (Carbon Capture & Storage) technology are looking ever more hopeful, mimicking as it does the natural photosynthetic process of trees. After all, even if we ceased emitting any carbon dioxide whatsoever right this minute, global temperatures would continue to rise for decades to come. Capture technologies include precombustion, oxyfuel, and post-combustion, as well as geosequestration (liquifying the CO2 and “storing” it in subterranean mineral zones, effecting a chemical reaction that stabilizes the CO2 into solid form). However, the science isn’t clear as to when the buried carbon could “reemerge”. As ever, there are multiple theories and plans of action out there. The question is, which one will live up to its promises?

As BBC News reported in the spring, the UK has not one but eight new nuclear reactors in mind to be built as part of a “new energy strategy”. It is projected the move, coupled with other renewable energy methods, would ensure 95% of the UK’s electricity would come from low-carbon sources within seven years. Additionally, solar panel installation and capacity is to be increased fivefold by 2035, domestic and commercial properties combined (though, the “heat pump investment accelerator competition” is not going too well thus far as an alternative to traditional gas boilers…). Interestingly, the RollsRoyce SMR (Small Modular Reactor) project has been backed by private investors and a government grant, each reactor only a tenth of the conventional nuclear plant size and yet still powering some one million homes with a 470Mw capacity (the equivalent of over 150 onshore wind turbines).

In comparison to France (which has 56 operational nuclear reactors) or the US (94), eight nuclear plants seem small fry. Nonetheless, as an island nation we are small, certainly geographically. The crucial element it permits us, as it does those other two countries, is autonomy. However, it is not properly renewable: detractors note that uranium supplies will one day run out. Furthermore, the dangers of nuclear power when it all goes wrong are catastrophic. One need only reference the Fukushima Daichi disaster of 2011, an event which meant this year saw the final closure of all of Germany’s nuclear plants to safeguard against any such potential horror scenario.

In short, what a mess the human race has gotten itself into, eh? Life certainly isn’t simple – but it never has been. With every challenge that we face, though, we carry on as best we can. Closer to the scale of one’s home, then, proper insulation of our properties lessens the requirement of an early switch on of the heating (especially at this time of year), and even a draught excluder for the bottom of doors makes an impact on (a) that radiator dial and (b) the number of layers we must don to remain comfortable in our own domestic surrounds when outside looks like a winter wonderland.

Sunny Ideas for At Home Electricity-Free Heat

Nonetheless, before you roll your eyes and shake your head at the thought of solar panel installation expenditure, it’s worth bearing in mind that solar energy doesn’t just have to be harvested with said solar panels. Here are some other ways to stay toasty(-ish) warm this winter:

Passive Solar Heating

This method lets the sun flow through windows during the day, then closing the curtains at nightfall, thereby trapping the diurnally generated heat. Simple.

Mass Heat Storage

Similar in concept to “harvesting” what Nature gives, thermal mass heat storage is the heat stored in dense objects such as the earth, rock, tiles, and cement. This is why conservatories and greenhouses work well when erected along exterior brick or stone walls.

Powered Cookers & Dehydrators

Now, they might work better in warmer climes than ours, but these marvels of invention are placed outdoors, utilising solar rays. The heat garnered can even make stew and bread!

With a solar water heater, the water pipes are exposed so that the sun’s rays directly heat the water within them, before the water moves into an insulated storage tank. Eventually, the water cools and drains back to be warmed up again. Also beneficial for shaving a few pounds off one’s energy bill, it’s certainly worth a bit of comparative research.

At the other end of the spectrum, focus shifted from the domestic to the extra-terrestrial and unchartered – while moon exploration and the potential for lunar travel (and even residence) gets ever closer, the other untapped territory heating up debate is the deep sea. With the ecosystem of the ocean’s darkest depths pretty much as unknown as any alien species to be discovered in outer space, a question recently arisen has been the need or otherwise to mine the deep sea for minerals such as copper, nickel, cobalt, and the rare yttrium (not to mention silver, gold, and even platinum). With demand for these having exploded in the past 70 years, according to The Guardian, Mankind’s historic ore mining practice has reached a critical juncture. Picture the environmental damage that mining on the Earth’s surface has done, though, and then imagine the consequences for the deep sea…

Strangely, a two-year time limit on deciding on deep sea exploration has been urged by Nauru – an island nation absolutely devastated by phosphate mining by other countries. From a lush tropical paradise overflowing with coconuts and orchids to a barren wasteland prone to drought from a lack of vegetation assisting rain clouds to form over the island (to the extent the traditional diet has been impossible to sustain and a Western tinned and processed regimen adopted, resulting in one of the highest levels of obesity in the world) – the people of Nauru can certainly be said to have suffered the consequences of mining, so why urge this deep sea extractivism? The answer is, sadly, money.

The push for deep sea mining is in conjunction with The Metals Company, a group of mining companies that argues a future of renewables critically requires seabed minerals. It reasons that if all of us become electric vehicle drivers – each 75kW battery needing 56kg of nickel, 7kg of manganese, an equal amount of cobalt, and 85kg of copper – then multiply those figures by over one billion (the number of combustion engine drivers) and you’re looking at a startling amount of metal indeed. There is, fortunately, a fight back against this seeming “it must be done now” insanity, when the technology to deep sea mine is not ready: a moratorium on seabed mining is being called for by the WWF, backed by EV-producing BMW and Volvo, as well as Google and Samsung, stating that there are sufficient resources for the next decade, by which point recycling processes will be fine-tuned enough to not need to produce components from scratch.

Agroecology is another means by which it is hoped Net Zero will be achieved globally and the very real risk of food shortages (not that we currently need reminding; nor, indeed, do the Nauru) be circumvented. As the Sustainable Food Trust reported at the end of 2021, although the rest of the world is making inroads, it was only in 2018 that the US saw agroecological developments begin with the founding of the Regenerative Organic Certification programme. Conversely, in Australia agroecology is so well-developed it’s almost mainstream, helped by the preexistence of indigenous practices, while on the African continent it is hoped that agroecological farming will provide resilience “in the face of increasingly erratic weather patterns”.

When a whirlpool of heat hit the westerlies at the start of last year, causing easterlies instead in the arctic, the resultant freeze was

well-covered by the Press. But this arctic global warming changes the migratory habits of creatures. While hurricane severity increases year by year, the indigenous word of their nominal origin “hurakan” meaning evil spirits and weather gods, according to National Geographic hurricanes are thus called when spiralling storms of at least 74mph develop over the North Atlantic and central and eastern North Pacific. When rotating madly over the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, they are known as cyclones; over the western North Pacific, they are referred to as typhoons. Either which way and whichever type they be, what’s certain is that humans need to reinvoke their role of stewards of the wild and amend the wrongs done the planet before it really is too late.

One such way is via organic land conversion, which underwent a growth period in 2020, but from 11.6% back then conversion

increased further to 24% by March 2021, according to Sophie Kirk, senior business development manager of Soil Association Certification. Then, it’s a very small step to biodynamic regenerative farming and then rewilding. Wild is certainly what several urbanised areas are once more becoming, a comprehensive survey by the ZSL (Zoological Society of London) discovering that our own River Thames is no longer “biologically dead” (as it was declared in the 1950s), but home to 92 species of birds and other creatures great and small: seahorses and eels, and approximately 4,000 seals and occasional (small) sharks, too. It might not quite be at the urban rewilding level of New York City – with its numbers of plant and animal species rivalling those of Yellowstone National Park and including almost 20,000 acres of park space after purposeful conservation methods over the years, such as wetland restoration, the banning of pesticides, and community clean-up projects – but it’s a start.

According to The Washington Post, the number of those aged under 35 turning their hand to farming is increasing, the idea of stewardship seeping into the hearts and minds

microgreen growers and the like in larger towns and cities. We could take a leaf out of the book of South Central Los Angeles, as well, though, where it is said – whether fruit or vegetable

A wilder world is being urged, certainly, El Pais reporting back in May that “predators are key to the functioning of the ecosystems”. Meanwhile, a substantial wildlife crossing is slowly starting to form over ten lanes of freeway (the American equivalent of our motorway) just outside of Los Angeles. The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is taking shape in the Santa Monica Mountains, set to be the largest in the world. Up to two million collisions between vehicles and animals occur every year. This happens because such highways often sever historic migration routes.

Staying with the concept of the necessity of predators, Rob Perceval – Head of Food Policy at the Soil Association – put the case clearly when recently writing for The Sunday Times: it is natural for humans to eat meat, but is it necessary? On the contemporary surface, the nutritional benefits of eating animal products appear hard to come by when you consider that today’s chicken meat and eggs “now contains five times less [Omega-3s] than in 1970”. However, when you compare the health gains from eating organic regeneratively raised meat with the complex minefield of ensuring adequate nutrition on a wholly vegan diet which is not WFPB (not too farfetched a comparison, as at least 54% of food consumed in the UK is ultraprocessed) – then, you can start to

understand the argument for regenerative agriculture which relies on the “fertility-building phase” of ruminants like cows and sheep grazing the pastures, their manure vital for the health of the soil. Where 128kg of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser would be needed in one year to ensure a good harvest from one hectare of wheat, only 70kg of cow manure would be necessary.

What needs to change, though, is the amount of land given to crop farming as opposed to animal agriculture, which entails a dietary shift: in the UK, in Europe, in the United States, in all these places meat consumption would have to reduce between 60% and 90%, and more would naturally become vegan and vegetarian. Cellular agriculture could very well reduce the percentage reduction once affordable enough to become an everyday consumer option, but otherwise, change is what is very much on the horizon in obligatory bold hue of warning. It might help to know that the NHS advises not to eat more than 70g of red or processed meat each day: that’s two rashers of bacon, or one and a half sausages, or no more than five tablespoons of minced beef.

Nonetheless, the monkeypox scare earlier in the year again brought into question our need for meat, or otherwise. First detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958, the virus (closely related to smallpox) is normally prevalent mainly in western and central Africa, where a few thousand cases occur annually, according to Nature journal. Luckily not as spreadable as the RNA virus that is the airborne-transmitted Covid, monkeypox (a DNA virus) instead spreads by fluid and close contact, starting with flu-like symptoms and enlarging lymph nodes, eventually forming large fluidfilled lesions on the face, hands, and feet. Recovery is normally between two and four weeks in length.

The concern was the quick succession of infections external to the African continent, including the UK. Such a concern was it that the NHS issued a warning to be extra careful with meat preparation, according to Plant Based News, monkeypox able to be transmitted in infected blood and undercooked meat from an infected animal. Given that one conjecture over pandemic origins has long been the bushmeat trade (whether of bat flesh or that of the rare pangolin), increasing cases of monkeypox do once again highlight the very real need to rethink the relationship of Mankind to meat.

"[Yellowstone] was running out of trees, it had riparian

A How-To Quick Guide Sustainable Eating:

When it comes to living (yup, we’ll stick with the word for now) sustainably – really, truly being able to say that the lifestyle choices you make are both well-informed and effective – whilst it might be no bad idea to listen to Cate Blanchett’s podcast, Climate of Change (developed with clean energy campaigner Danny Kennedy), and glean a few tips from the Australian duo on such subjects as bringing clean energy to night fisherfolk in the Philippines, solar power to the Navajo Nation, and the future as electric, we’ve also a few tips for closer to home. From that catalytic home hub that is the kitchen, here are some simple starting places from which to launch onto your environment-friendly trajectory from here on out (you can even listen to an episode of Climate of Change while you do so):

Chill Those Citrus

As much as it’s not particularly seasonal or local eating, we all love our lemons and oranges in the winter months (not least to bring us hope of warmer days to come in, oh, about half a year’s time).

So, make those vitamin C-rich citrus last longer by keeping them in the fridge.

Stop, Stock & Store

Those bits of veg that you’d normally chop off and chuck (and those remainder meat and poultry bones if you’re of an omnivorous dietary bent)? Hold off from stepping towards the bin and instead pop them all in a pot, add some seasoning, and boil up and simmer into a perfect stock for future dishes.

Arts and culture are what are vital at this juncture for spreading the “green message”, if you will; a message which transcends borders, of all kinds. To this end, the Barbican staged Our Time on Earth earlier this year, an exhibition of “art, science, design, music and philosophy” seeking “to transform the conversation on climate emergency” and leave ticket holders “feeling empowered to make positive change” –and thereby ensure the safeguarding of tomorrow’s world. A simple animated short, the title Humanity’s Impact, sets a different scene, one reminiscent of the nuclear test sites and fixed-smile advertisements of mid-20th century North America. When the floodgates open, it’s not water, but plastic that pours forth. Given that an estimated 20,000 bottles per second are thrown away (1 million after 1 minute) and that only 9% of those are recycled (the remainder dumped, burned, or simply deposited in landfills and even the oceans), Studio Birthplace decided to hit viewers between the eyes with a not too unrealistic future vision come from our disregard for plastic waste.

Create a Cake; Stir Up a Sauce

When bananas are looking a little overripe (you’ll remember this scenario from the lockdown days) or when tomatoes and avocados are looking less than appetising, then do as the best domestic chefs do and get creative: from banana bread to apple crumble, from spicy salsa to a guacamole with a kick –there’s no excuse to chuck a little past their best ingredients in the rubbish bin. This is the zero wastestriving era, folks.

The Grated Freeze

Gone are the days when that last chunk or little nub of cheddar would be left unused and unappealing (even vegan ones).

All the best home culinary artists know you can simply get the grater out and pack away portions in the freezer for use as a topping later on. Simple.

Directors Sil van der Woerd and Jorik Dozy also attached a Call To Action from Plastic Pollution Coalition. Of all the plastic left behind, 40% of it comes from packaging. Plastic and polystyrene constitute 75% of all rubbish found on British shorelines, according to the Marine Conservation Society UK. Indeed, for every 100 metres of beach, normally an average of 112 pieces of litter can be found. Ever since Covid struck, disposable masks have frequently featured amid those items.

Another campaign that took off in the spring was Greenpeace and Everyday Plastic’s, challenging (and thereby surveying) consumers over their plastic usage – divided into 19 different categories of the material – in The Big Plastic Count. A pertinent study, given that a Plastic Soup Foundation large-scale study, the results of which were published ahead of a proposal for European legislation to restrict microplastics being added to such products as cosmetics and personal care items, discovered microplastics in some 7,704 of those very items. And now, microplastics have even been discovered in human blood.

A Guardian article noted that scientists have found microplastics in nearly 80% of all participants who took part in a recent study. PET plastic (think drink bottles) and polystyrene (no explanation needed there) were the most prevalent, along with polyethylene (hello, plastic bags…). The research –funded by the Dutch National Organisation for Health Research and Development, as well as Common Seas –was published in the journal Environment International and took into consideration short-term impacts on the blood results, including having drunk from a plasticlined coffee cup or having worn a plastic face mask.

The health implications of the findings are as yet unknown, but further research is planned to look especially at the potential problems for babies and small children, as well as any negative fallout on the immune system. Another study has already discovered that microplastics are able to latch onto the outer membranes of red blood cells. This is thought to be of concern regarding any impact on their ability to transport oxygen; it is all worrying when applied to the scenario of placental nourishment of unborn foetuses.

After all, it seems an obvious statement to make, but – all things taken into consideration – it appears it’s yet necessary to point out that pollution is deadly for humans, too. Take air pollution: according to Harvard University research, 8.7 million deaths a year globally are attributed to the toxicity of the very air we breathe. One would have thought the Clean Air Act of 1956 might have changed matters, but up to the 1990s we were still breathing in lead from exhaust fumes, sipping it from water pipes, and even ingesting it from tin cans. A lackadaisical approach to our historic stewardship role has come back to haunt us. Indeed, according to the New Scientist, in 2019 pollution accounted for 1 in 6 deaths (as it did in 2015). That’s 9 million people globally. Although deaths from household or indoor air pollution decreased in that period from 2.9 million per annum to 2.3 million, outdoor air pollution conversely rose from 4.2 million annual fatalities in 2015 to 4.5 million. For some reason, lead poisoning is increasing, as well. Seven years ago, half a million perished from it; in 2019, around 900,000 did. Given the ecosystem that is Earth, however, everything is interconnected; a source can ever be found.

At the start of the year, BBC News reported that the smog problem in Delhi, for instance, is actually rooted in India’s water crisis. It has been exacerbated by smoke from (now illegal) winter crop stubble burning being carried on the wind and the end of the rainy season, coupled with a transformation of landscape forced by late 19th century colonialism. During that period, forests were cut down and rivers were made to be suddenly connected with canals, diverting water to where it hadn’t flowed before: by independence in 1947, repeated droughts turned hopes to the “green revolution”. Whereas traditionally the fields had grown millet, rice paddies sprang up, thirstily drinking up groundwater supplies. And when it wasn’t paddy season, it was wheat growing season. Although indigenous maintenance of the land from East to West over millennia has at times necessitated burn-offs and cutting back, nothing on such a scale. This is not stewardship: this is destructive deforestation and misinformed usage of land – and Nature is in revolt.

What of pesticide use, though? Concerns stretching back to even before Rachel Carson’s seminal Silent Spring, more recently The Guardian reported that the Red Tractor label had come under fire for being far from a “high standard” environmental label, allowing unacceptable levels of pesticide use and failing to provide means by which to reduce pesticide use. The news follows on the tail of the overruling of the ban on bee-harmful pesticides; this, with roughly a third of the world’s insect population classed as endangered and over 40% of species in decline. Butterflies alone have lost half of their numbers since 1976 (14 years after Carson’s book) and 13 species of bee have gone extinct in the same period.

As The Guardian also reported at the start of the summer, there seems to be a war on Nature, one made all the more serious with the murder this year of journalist Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira, “killed in an undeclared global war against nature and the people who defend it”, according to friend of the late Phillips, The Guardian’s Global Environmental Editor, Jonathan Watts. In Watts’ terminology, the “frontlines of this war are the Earth’s remaining biodiverse regions” where exploitation of natural resources is rife and money driven. Phillips and Pareira were murdered in Brazil’s Javari Valley. So, when we speak of forests cut down for further soya planting, when we discuss wetlands being destroyed and oceans turned acidic – we are talking of an ongoing and literal battle to reimplement a “stability for our climate and planetary life-support system”, of a return to our powerful role as stewards.

The seriousness of topic is not misplaced in such a publication as Just Natural Health & Beauty: it reasserts all too humanly the critical juncture we are at, and why all of us must make simple yet better choices as individuals so as to aid rehabilitation of this wonderful marvel of a biosphere which we inhabit. Indeed, reining in such a goal to a more national platform, Waitrose & Partners wrote on those safeguarding “the future of Britain’s flora and fauna” late last year, encompassing moorland upkeep and purposeful propagation of seeds that would otherwise disappear into the history books, of “environment-driven improvements” to farms and their agricultural and livestock systems, tapping into methods of the past to circumvent the industrial-dependent practices that have led us to where we are today. What becomes a common theme is slowing down the pace.

The Manifesto of the Organic Farmers & Growers

Organic delivers transformation across all farming systems

Organic is a solution to carbon sequestration

Organic builds biodiversity Organic is agroecological and regenerative

Organic ensures the integrity of our food

Organic has high animal welfare

Organic can be one of a range of farming systems

Organic is the only globally recognized agroecology standard for food production

Organic delivers a market demand

Organic is an untapped opportunity

A cleaner way of farming comes in another form, potentially, also, with a scientific review published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology proposing that probiotics could be the key to reducing antibiotic use in the livestock industry. Bacillusbased probiotics are being suggested as a method for reversing the rise in antibiotic resistance and at the same time positively impacting, for instance, post-weaning diarrhoea in pigs by around 30% and lessening broiler death rates by between 6% and 8%. At the moment concerning only monogastric animals, such as pigs and chickens, if effective, the research would go a long way to halting the prognosis by the WHO that superbugs will “kill more people than cancer by 2050” if antibiotic resistance continues to worsen.

Environmental protection and stewardship, of course, extends into the more difficult requirements of such a title, as evidenced in New Zealand’s recent announcement that it is going to undertake the “world’s largest feral predator eradication”. Before you think, “Well, that’s not natural”, the predators in question to be culled are those introduced to Rakiura, or Stewart Island, from abroad. Including possums and rats, feral cats and even hedgehogs in its sights, the four-year plan (at a cost of $2.8 million [c. £2.34 million]) aims to save such indigenous species as the iconic kiwi and the world’s only flightless parrot, the kakapo. Again, it ever comes down to a question of balance, with all that fragility of ecology’s scales.

Conversely, as BBC Future covered in the summer, the US military is looking into the potential for sonar to mimic natural noises so as to avoid the devastating confusion it causes whales, leading to fatal beachings. PALS (Persistent Aquatic Living Sensors) projects look at the aquatic infrastructure and what sounds signal distress and disturbance in the natural world. Notably, a shrimp-based sonar system is in development from this research (after extended observation of snapping shrimp habits). Adaptation: not just for non-human animals.

Make your meals plant-based, serve healthy portions, and leave no waste.

Climate Savvy

End the year on an ecologically beneficial high and make changes that could see –according to the University of Leeds – global temperature increases cap at 1.5°C. If you don’t manage to adopt these six key habits before the year’s close, then perhaps they’ll make for good New Year’s resolutions…

Key Ways to Be Coolly Eat green Dress retro

2.

Set yourself a limit of three new items per annum.

1. 3.If your electronics are under 7 years old, you don’t need the latest gadgetry.

Do you really need to own a motor vehicle this day and age?

If you do, keep the one you have that bit longer: the Joneses don’t need to be kept up with (and that’s not even mentioning the fuel prices).

End clutter Holiday local Travel fresh the system

5. Change6.

Take one short-haul flight every 3 years; try not to take a longhaul flight more than every 8 years.

Pervade your living and community space with the green ethos: insulate, think energy efficiency at all times, and campaign for a more environmentally minded neighbourhood.

WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) reported last spring that 89% of us were recycling nearly half of our total household waste. Nonetheless, a huge pandemiccaused problem was disposable face masks, anti-bacterial wipes, and even lateral flow tests.

With world-dominating coffee chain Starbucks having pledged to phase out single-use coffee cups by 2025 (only three little years away) and thereby become “resource positive” and work toward a 50% reduction in overall waste by 2030 (as well as partner up with EV (electric vehicle) chargepoint companies at its drivethrough locations and develop its own EV infrastructure) – there will also be a “borrow a cup” scheme for a small deposit. This will commence in the US and Canada for a mere dollar that can be returned to the customer upon return of the cup (just like our Boston Tea Party’s “E-coffee” concept over here). Indeed, in the UK Starbucks already charges 5p for a single-use coffee cup and discounts 25p if a

customer provides their own reusable vessel. It's a necessary move, to say the least, when you discover that in only 2018 the chain produced some 868 kilotonnes of waste and used around one billion cubic metres of water, producing 16 million tonnes of GHGs in the process, too.

As BBC News reported, there’s a bit of a difference between recycling in the to-the-letter correct way of things and being a well-meaning, but sadly “wishcycling” individual who potentially does more harm than good. Indeed, according to Wrap, while some of us are missing the news that we can actually recycle empty shampoo and conditioner bottles, as well as cleaning product and bleach bottles, and even aerosol containers and foil – all of it clean, of course – there are others who are chucking the likes of, you guessed it, single-use coffee cups. Although on the surface it seems they would be perfectly recyclable, that cellulose fibre has a thin plastic lining and the lid is also not the type of plastic that is recycled. Hence Starbucks’ move.

The restrictions on recycling are so that the cleaned and sorted 99% pure material can be upcycled into something new. For instance, aluminium and other metals can become new tin cans and even bicycles. Pretty cool, yes? It’s therefore great to know that 9 in 10 people in the UK are recycling, thought to be reducing the nation’s CO2 by some 18 million tonnes annually (that’s an equivalent removal of approximately 12 million cars from British roads).

Rather than comprising a whole load of recycling, stuff old loo rolls with shredded paper, twist the ends, and use in the woodburner as firelighters, or if you’re really keen on upcycling, invest in a brick/log press to make paper, um, logs.

Contrary to common belief, pizza boxes are actually recyclable as they go to a papermill to be washed and pulped. Nonetheless, remainder crusts and excessive grease mean burning as RDF.

Beggars belief, but given the quantity of nappies sent to recycling centres: used nappies are not recyclable.

If a simple rinsing out doesn’t shift obvious food debris, give it a proper wash to ensure the item gets recycled. There are separate collections for recycling and glass for a reason: if a glass jar has a metal lid, pop the lid in the recycling and the jar in the bottle box. Easy as that.

So, how to make sure we’re recycling correctly? Just follow these five easy steps:

Nurturing the Zero Waste Mindset, and Ourselves

An estimated £140 million worth of clothing is sent to British landfills every year, with the global clothing sector alone emitting up to 10% of annual GHGs. But upcycling works just as well in the fashion stakes as it does in the cosmetic. You don’t have to be a wannabe seamstress or tailor, either. Although some sewing skills are handy (as is a sewing machine), those less naturally gifted with a needle and thread can also avoid adding to the already wasteful clothing sector by buying second-hand –call it vintage if you want to put a gloss on it. Indeed, in the 16th century second-hand clothing markets were so popular that a Venetian proverb popped up, advising, “Never inquire who owns the clothes a person is wearing”.

Zero waste and less wasteful living as notions have been around for centuries, quite literally. Indeed, an 1829 book by Lydia Marie Child, The American Frugal Housewife stated the essence of a more mindful way of life as, “Nothing should be thrown away so long as it is possible to make use of it”. This included worn out sheets, broken bowls, and empty bottles. However, not everyone has time to be sat sewing or repairing or preserving and pickling (yes, we’re combining our points here, shifting rooms in the domestic scheme of zero waste living). Yet, far from falling back into a throwaway culture, a happy medium should be just that: happy, in terms of self and the environment.

Moderation, then: buying package free shampoo and body bars if you can or opting for the vegan bottled version if you can’t; carrying reusable shopping bags with you wherever you go; methods by which new plastic isn’t bought as much as is possible and practicable. Other simple lifestyle hacks include freezing candles for 24 hours before lighting them so as to elongate their burn time (make sure they’re covered or wrapped, so moisture doesn’t affect them, though).

Then, there’s miso. Miso paste is a bit of a kitchen lifesaver (though the some 125 million in Japan who have it every day could have told you that). From soup to cake, miso also lends itself to being that je ne sais quoi ingredient in homemade dressings and sauces. This is because of its umami quality, of course, but miso also has a low carbon and water usage footprint and can be kept in the fridge for up to a year or longer in the freezer.

It is nutritionally and digestively beneficial, too (it was once used medicinally!). Indeed, in addition to the effectiveness of this fermented foodstuff’s main probiotic strain, A. oryzae, on maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, studies also show that miso might protect against hypertension, might even be useful in fighting cancerous tumours, according to one study by the Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine at Hiroshima University.

Miso comes in a range of colours, but the main three are white, red, and yellow. In general, the darker the miso, the more aged it is, though genmai miso (brown rice), mugi miso (barley), and soba miso (buckwheat) are naturally darker in colour. If having a bowl of miso soup, be careful not to boil the miso as the probiotic strains will be killed off.

Another way to live a more zero waste lifestyle is obviously to cut out convenience food as much as possible, due to the swathes of wrapping and packaging that such products entail. That said, one company has come up with a solution for our snacking habits: a wrapperfree energy bar. Hertfordshire-based Nurhu, founded by cyclist Mike Bedford, introduced its vegetarian energy bar in an edible wrapper to the market at the start of 2022, according to Speciality & Fine Food magazine. Essentially an edible glaze that makes the bars waterproof, one need only wash the bar before consumption. They even come in a range of flavours and provide approximately 20g of carbohydrates per bar.

Not sure about washing such a snack before eating it (it’s not an apple, after all)? Then, if you’ve leftover spaghetti from last night’s supper you can do as the Italians do and turn it into a frittelle or frittata. Supper made even tastier than yesterday – Benissimo! Nonetheless, knowing portion sizes helps to combat food waste in the long-term. Yet, the concept of upcycled food has been gaining ground since last year, including pasta, tortilla chips, and vodka.

Additionally, Natural Products News reported in late 2021 that zerowaste shopping was having a bit of a moment. So much so, in fact, that The People’s Pantry sent out into the wilds of North London ‘Ernie’, a

“repurposed, battery-powered vintage milk float”, in order to make easier local, packaging-free shopping in the great British nostalgic vein of the milkman of old. Launched by husband-and-wife duo Stephen Thomas and Lisa Jones last summer, now consumers in Muswell Hill can choose from “banks of refill dispensers carrying about 130 sustainably sourced products”. This includes food and drink, as well as personal hygiene and cleaning products. Entire streets can book a group visit and Ernie’s co-working “ex-Royal Mail vintage bike”, aka ‘Eric’, provides doorstep delivery for those working or isolated at home. A closed-loop system, deliveries are in reusable glass containers “left out to be collected, sanitized and returned” – just like milk bottles.

Nevertheless, even though companies like The People’s Pantry and Müller’s delivery service Milk & More offer functional zero waste options, the i reported earlier this year that zero waste stores themselves are in crisis. Following an upsurge in custom during the pandemic, lately many have been closing their doors as, with the return to “normal”, the fast pace of life we once all knew pre-Covid flourishes ever faster and “convenience” becomes the name of the game. Again, we can only do what we can: each person must take responsibility for their own path (and the trail of debris or otherwise that they choose to leave behind).

Seeking the Greenly Clean Home

The summer sunlight is all good and well, but it’s always a shock to see how clearly it shows us our lack of dusting skills around the home, isn’t it? If you’re anything like us, the mere mention of “bleach” provokes a shudder of horror (perhaps even a released gasp of disbelief) at the notion that such a toxic product would ever be allowed into our abodes. Happily, there are plenty of nature-derived and safer (for people and planet) options out there to choose from these days.

With Unilever having released a paper-based laundry detergent bottle in Brazil this year, and with paper-based haircare bottles on the horizon, it’s clear that planet-friendly packaging is here to stay. Designed with Pulpex’s technology, the move is part of Unilever’s pledge to halve its use of virgin plastic materials by 2025 (somewhat tardy, given it was responsible for 70,000 tonnes of plastic waste across just six developing nations in 2020).

One of the most fundamental nuggets of wisdom to impart is “a little cleaning every day” – it really does go a long way. Rather than waiting until the end of the week and losing one’s hard-earned weekend hours to ensuring our living space is fit for purpose, by staying on top of little tasks each morning and evening, you can forgo the need to employ a cleaner, too (you know, when the idea of tackling the grime becomes anxiety-inducing).

Grandmothers and mothers have had precious wisdom imparting to them by their grandmothers and mothers when it comes to keeping a sparkling and pristine (or as pristine as one likes) home. These tips include:

Use two denture-cleaning tablets to clean a stainless steel sink, filling the sink halfway with water. Leave overnight and then use the water to clean the side draining board as well.

Draw a chalk line where you want trespassing ants to stop and not advance beyond. Obviously if it rains (and, clearly, said chalk line is outside the borderline of the front door, etc.), you must redraw the chalk.

For microwaves which are perhaps become petri dishes, add four tablespoons of lemon juice to one cup of water and boil for five minutes in the microwave uncovered, so that the steam coats the inside. Remove the bowl and wipe dry.

If drawers are starting to stick, rub a bar of soap along the runners: now, that’s a smooth gliding action!

When it comes to the weekly change of bed sheets, once everything has been removed, don’t forget to run the vacuum across the mattress to remove dead skin cells – and also thus sleep easy that no creepy crawly dust mites are partying beneath your slumbering body.

If you’ve been surprised one too many times by spiders in your shoes, it might be time to employ the method of tying stockings (sans any holes) over the top with a rubber band. You’re welcome.

To sharpen scissors or secateurs, simply cut through a folded sheet of aluminium foil or coarse sandpaper. Cleaning and upkeep tips extend to the garden as well, of course.

If you’re fed up with silverfish running about in your wardrobe or chest of drawers, then place some whole cloves in a piece of muslin (tied with a ribbon in colour of choice, if you so wish).

In order to remove cat or dog hair from furniture, although you might have semi-effectively been using a lint brush for years, a more effective method is to rub them down with damp rubber gloves. Trust us.

If you find you’ve a few mouldy areas occurring (the bathroom is notorious for this), then a simple wipe down of those places susceptible with a mixture of one litre of water to three drops clove oil (the oil used to numb toothache) works wonders for killing mould spores.

Once a month, clean your washing machine. An eco-friendly all-purpose cleaner should do the trick: first, just wipe down the inside and the seals around the door, as well as the filters and the drain; then, run an empty hot wash with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda.

Forget Green Washing; Time to Beware Humane Washing

You’ll have heard of greenwashing, but have you heard of humane washing (no, nothing to do with an admirable level of hygiene)?

Well, whereas greenwashing (also known as “social movement washing”) is about convincing consumers that products are sustainable, humane washing sets out to persuade people that products are ethically produced. Indeed, The Ethical Consumer has set out the different types of “washings” that the public at large is exposed to.

From beewashing to woke washing, it’s certainly eye-widening to come to understand the various marketing tactics. All inspired by the term “whitewashing”, a covering up of the (oftentimes dirty) truth, by using a proclaimed commitment to bees (we’re looking at you, M&S) to sell goods, or announcing a commitment to the UN sustainability goals without having the foggiest idea how to actually pursue that (termed “bluewashing”, after the colour of the UN flag) is morally wrong, to put it bluntly.

Closely connected are carbonwashing (groundless claims about a low-carbon impact) and veganwashing (pretty selfexplanatory), while purplewashing relates to a surface-level pledge to female empowerment whilst behind the scenes actively leading to the disadvantage of women. Similar to this is wokewashing, social cause commitments turning out eventually to be wholly empty and in fact damaging to the communities supposedly advocated for.

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As Siân Sutherland, Co-Founder of AA Plastic Planet, notes, the beauty and cosmetics industry alone contributes some 120 billion units of packaging each year. How, then, can its place on the world stage in times of critical climate change be ameliorated?

The (Up)Circle of Skin Deep Environmentalism

Well, by-product beauty is one concept. Indeed, Anna Brightman, together with her brother, co-founded UpCircle Beauty, a company which uses aromatic spices and plant-based food remnants from which new and other products are created. Even the packaging is put together on the basis of “Return, Refill, Reuse”: the Refill section on their website guides customers on how not to smash glass containers when returning them for refill. Thus closing the loop, or quite literally circle, of production, UpCircle’s sustainability ethos withstands even the wastefulness of Black Fridays – that shopping glut of a day in the calendar.

UpCircle has been certified plastic negative with its recently released eye cream that has done away with the plastic pump. Certainly, UpCircle’s highly saleable concept works to do away with such MultiLayered Plastics (MLP) as used in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry (with 40% of global plastic being that manufactured for packaging alone). India is particularly culpable, generating some 3.3 million metric tonnes of MLP every year, as reported by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). In fact, UpCircle has partnered with repurpose Global to “remove more plastic than it creates as a business”, earning it the coup of having been certified Plastic Negative.

UpCircle also aims to adhere to many of the United Nations’

17 Sustainable Development

Goals (SDGs): 2 (zero hunger), 5 (gender equality), 6 (clean water and sanitation), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 12 (responsible consumption and production), and 13 (climate action). This year, the company’s goal was to hit 7 (affordable and clean energy) and 10 (reduced inequalities), as well.

Methods employed to reach these goals include sourcing date seeds from Israeli date growers and grinding them down as extract in products or collecting the considerable citywide used coffee grounds from cafes in the capital (all collected by bike) for formulating exfoliating products. Furthermore, employees take public transport to work and UpCircle also permits volunteering days so they can undertake beach cleans and other such environmental pursuits.

The company’s climate change praxis, though, takes shape also in the form of open letters to Downing Street, including protesting the recent lightening on laws on bee-killing pesticide use in agricultural practices. They even want to encourage competitors in the sector, and thereby expand the environmental ethos throughout the closed loop beauty industry. Currently, fermented beauty is trending, with kombucha brands popping up (in bubbly fashion, no doubt…).

Next on UpCircle’s list of new products are concentrated shampoo and conditioner pastes, deodorant, bath salts, hand cream, lip balm, and sunscreen SPF 30 – for which, when Brightman was speaking at the NOPE exhibition back in the spring, 23 iterations had already been rejected in the search for a mineral SPF derived from tomato seed extract gathered from the juicing industry.

Jada Pinkett Smith’s beauty range, Hey Humans is also pursuing the eco-conscious vein, as Vegconomist reported earlier this year. A 99% plastic-free brand, Hey Humans also shuns all parabens, phthalates, and silicones. After all, our skin is a microbiome too; a veritable ecosystem vibrant with life, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi both on the surface and in the pores.

However, “clean” make-up has recently come under fire for promoting unrealistic and even “glasslike” beauty ideals, the seemingly poreless skin of models and influencers found to be directly (though perhaps inadvertently) offensive in its marketing for those people who suffer from acne, rosacea, eczema, and similar. A truly “clean” brand of make-up or skincare should embrace the effects of that product in a fashion which encompasses the veracity of human skin experience, blemishes and all. Flawless skin isn’t always flawless and good lighting goes a long way in producing filter-like photo effects (as anyone with a Smartphone knows only too well). Also, no make-up (rather than skincare) is actually “clean” as it affects pores and causes a build-up in the skin of dirt and oils that can actually worsen skin health in the pursuit of a facial canvas that exhibits no tell-tale signs of the visage beneath the make-up layers.

Rather, it pays dividends to take care of our skin in other ways. For instance, have you tried the traditional (and highly effective) technique of simply plunging your face into ice cold water in the mornings? Free and a fabulous waker-upper, if that seems too intense a morning ritual, then freezing green tea as ice cubes and then wrapping these in a cloth before rolling around the face (that proneto-puffiness eye area in particular) is a brilliant postwork method promoted by “shamanic facialists”, such as Julie Civiella Polier, a Reiki specialist and natural aesthetician. Not only does the ice work in the same way as the ice water method, but the green tea also contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Whatever suits you as an individual, it’s certainly not as difficult as it used to be to stay both natural and planet friendly in pursuit of personal beauty these days.

What a Package:

Vegan Productivity and a Cleaner Future for Medicine and Motors

With the corrugated packaging company Smurfit Kappa now officially having been given the Vegan Trademark (The Vegan Society’s 60,000th registered product), it seems this world of ours really is tangibly moving away from needless exploitation of animals. Operating in 36 countries around the globe, the certification means not only are there no animal derivatives in Smurfit Kappa’s products, but nor has there been any testing on animals in the process of production.

Indeed, in addition to the useful guidance of the Vegan Trademark when it comes to food and drink, the label helps to identify animal-friendly items in cosmetics and personal care products and clothing, yes, but also cleaning products and more recently medicine and even “personal pleasure toys”. Ooh la la.

Seriously, though, as regards medicine Paraveganio was released in the spring by German pharmaceutical company Axunio, the first paracetamol in the world to carry the Vegan Trademark, according to Vegconomist. Paracetamol includes a flow regulator, magnesium stearate. This is a salt from stearic acid together with magnesium, which can be of animal origin: in Paraveganio, by contrast, the origin is always vegetable. Containing 500mg of proven active ingredient paracetamol, Paraveganio is, alas, still only available in Germany, but plans for expansion are afoot. Here in the UK, there’s still a long way to go, however (75% or so of our most commonly prescribed medicines contain animal-derived ingredients and/or are tested on animals). Deemed “clean medicine”, other companies looking to shift medicine to more vegan ground include the French company Veggiepharm and the US’s Genexa.

From packaging to paracetamol and into the environs in which you might find both – Japanese production printing systems company Ricoh has also launched a first-of-its-kind plant-based inkjet printer ink, too. What a boon for brand

owners and print manufacturers, allowing a reduction in environmental impact, not only through use of a plant oil base, but because Ricoh’s latest ink does away with the petroleum element, also, lessening any VOCs (volatile organic compounds) released during the printing process. Certainly, the move should eventually permit a more widespread eco-friendly shift in the printing business across the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) zones.

What of the drive to the office, though? Well, erm, working from inside out, a recent PETA survey found that manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, and Renault and Citroën have been shifting to animalfree interiors in their vehicles. The move includes using vegan leather for seats, trim, and steering wheels. Volvo, in fact, has pledged to not only convert all its vehicles to animal-free materials by 2030, but to EVs (electric vehicles), too.

Of course, there’s a considerable cost implication in swapping one’s petrol or diesel (are you really still driving a diesel engine?) motor out for an electric one. Additionally, EVs have quite hefty embodied emissions (those implicated in the materials and manufacture), coming in at around 10 or 11 tonnes per EV.

Nonetheless, with the considerable uptake of the Cycle to Work scheme throughout the country now (some 40,000 employers; around 1.6 million employees) – not to mention the increased interest in cycling prompted by the national lockdowns – it might be worth considering not an electric car, but an electric bike, instead, particularly if you live in especially hilly towns or cities (you, and your quads, know who you are!).

Cycling Through the Options

The Ethical Consumer has a very good guide on where to start and how to decide whether an e-bike or simply eco-friendly bicycle suits your needs best (indeed, it could be that a well-built second hand bike is most appropriate, as well as longest-lasting). Some people even elect to hire a bike occasionally, rather than investing in owning their own. Definitely consider this option instead of buying an electric bike, which has quite high embodied emissions numbers, if it will only be used occasionally. That said, the embodied emissions for an average bicycle are 174kg CO2 equivalent each.

Only about 14% of the cycling population of the UK owns an e-bike (twice the number who owned one before the pandemic), but over a third of Brits are keen cyclists. In the grand scheme of

Europe, though, our cycling stats in comparison to our other modes of transport are paltry. As The Ethical Consumer urged, “increasing bike usage is an essential part of moving towards a low-carbon economy”.

That said, even the diet of a cyclist was taken into consideration in a study undertaken by Mike Berners-Lee, as cited in The Ethical Consumer guide. Did you know that the carbon impact of a cyclist travelling one mile fuelled by bananas is 40g CO2e, whereas the same distance undertaken by a cyclist who has eaten a cheeseburger is 310g CO2e? Although a meat-eater’s cycle is almost CO2 equivalent to driving the same distance in an energyefficient car, nevertheless, asparagus lovers who care not to indulge seasonally in that veg and consume asparagus imported by air increase their mile cycle CO2 equivalent to a whopping 4.7kg.

The plant-based locavore cyclist riding a second-hand pair of wheels seems a perfectly achievable future, doesn’t it?

Cycling, Sizeism & Sexism

It might not be immediately obvious, certainly not to the bike-world layperson, but women have a harder time becoming fully fledged cyclists than men do. Of all cyclists in Britain, 70% of regular riders are men.

According to several surveys undertaken by JoyRiders, who provide a “Rite of Passage” to help women integrate into the cycling community, 30% of women would like to cycle regularly but don’t, 50% of them considering roads too dangerous and lacking the confidence to assert their right to space. Meanwhile, 30% of those who would like to cycle don’t yet own a bike, with 1 in 10 women fearing ridicule in the form of sizeism or even sexism. They sadly have a point, with far more female cyclists being harassed and abused than male riders.

The fact of the matter is that if more women cycle, then more children will cycle (not that dads aren’t having a good go at teaching their children). However, using a bike for shopping, the school run, commuting, and for pleasure are all ways in which to normalise cycling for the whole family, and for society as a whole. Women’s cycling groups can help shift perceptions to this effect. After all, cycling isn’t just a sport: it is a sensible and sustainable means of transport for a future salvaged from climate disaster.

So it is that, inspired by the Dutch, UK urban environments are slowly undergoing a paradigm shift and developing “Mini Hollands”, coupled with a “20-Minute Neighbourhood” plan (where everything essential can be accessed either by foot or by wheel – whether manual or e-scooter or cycle – within 20 or so minutes). Laudable, indeed.

The Cardiovascular Checklist

Sedentary lifestyles have been shown to contribute to hypertension and back pain, depression and cardiovascular disease, and even cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic Health System. Sitting too often is very much a culprit and it is a modern one at that: two centuries ago, we sat for a maximum of five hours a day; now, we sit on average three times that maximum.

To offset this contemporary concern (and the packing on of the pounds such inactivity leads to), it pays dividends for our heart health that we ensure we are undertaking moderate physical activity, such as walking, between three and five times a week for a minimum of half an hour each time. The faster your heart is made to pump (in healthy, exercise fashion of exertion, rather than a warning sign of something being wrong), the stronger your heart muscle will become.

Additionally, a person should:

Eat healthy, unprocessed foods; enjoy what you love in moderation.

Mind your weight, but don’t obsess over it.

Stay away from cigarettes; for your heart, for your skin, for your entire body.

Don’t sit on that derrière for too long, even if deskbound: keep active; be a fidgeter.

Drink red wine in moderation – trust the Blue Zones people! (We thought you’d like that one.)

Clean Eating:

Mediterranean-Inspired Pantry Staples

Is it any surprise that the Mediterranean Diet has been popular ever since its 1960s development and eventual 1990s public recognition, given the diet is patterned predominantly on the cuisines of Blue Zone, we-frequentlylive-to-100 parts of the world?

All about “good fats” such as extra virgin olive oil (which presents a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than butter, for instance), as well as wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, and fish (with limited amounts of cheese and yogurt, and very minimal portions of meat) – the Mediterranean diet is certainly no mere fad, and could even be (whisper it) considered relatively ecofriendly…

In addition to protecting a healthy heart, the diet appropriated from the coastal communities of Greece and Italy, from along the shorelines of France and Spain, is also anti- inflammatory, brain-protective, anticarcinogenic, and has even been shown to lower the risk of stroke. But as with all good intentions, it takes effort to stay the path: it’s no good eating like your Mediterranean kin and then popping out for a fast-food gorge fest when you’re just too tired to cook that one, that second, that most-part-of-a-week-oflate-nights-after-work meal. A person’s kitchen, their fridge and cupboards, must be stocked appropriately.

Beans, Lentils, and Peas

A key and versatile protein source, legumes (beans, lentils, and peas) are also fibre-dense, which studies have shown helps to lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. Further, they contain prebiotic-acting resistant starch (RS), which improves the balance of bacteria in the gut microbiome, thereby supporting weight management and stabilising blood sugar levels. Black and kidney beans also have high levels of antioxidants. The cheapest option is to buy dried legumes, but if you want speedy cooking support then opt for organic canned pulses in water with no added salt.

Just Natural Organic Black Turtle Beans 500g £2.69

Tomatoes

A rich source of the carotenoid, lycopene, tomatoes are heartprotective, immunity boosting, and thought to be anticarcinogenic, as well. When it comes to pantry staples, studies have actually shown that the lycopene in canned tomatoes is better absorbed by the human body than from fresh tomatoes; what’s more, if that can is mixed with a good quality olive oil, the benefits are even greater. A jar of dried tomatoes – whether sundried or blushed – are another good option, too.

Sardines

Not plant-based, but a true, Blue Zone favourite: sardines are loaded with protein and Omega-3 fatty acids that lower inflammation in the body and in turn reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems, stroke, and comorbidities. Canned, sustainably caught versions (edible bones included for extra calcium) provide practicality of inclusion in quick culinary concoctions, while herring and mackerel are other good options to have tinned and to hand in the larder. Look for sardines in spring water, olive oil, or tomato sauce; also available jarred.

Pasta

So simple, so satisfying. Pasta is easy to cook, adaptable to pretty much whatever ingredients are available in your kitchen, and budget-friendly to boot. When tossed with olive oil and veggies, the absorption of its fibre content is slowed, thereby lessening blood sugar spikes (look, also, for wholegrain rather than white versions for this slower-release carbohydrate purpose). The shapes and sizes are nearlimitless, while nowadays glutenfree diets are well-catered for, as well: be a well-fed gastronomic adventurer.

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Olive Oil

You knew it was coming… Replete with antioxidants and monounsaturated fats, extra virgin olive oil (and it is important than one buy EVOO, rather than any old olive oil) have been shown to protect against heart disease and stroke. Serve with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar for an added antioxidant and cholesterollowering dip for a side of guthealthy sourdough bread (the starter feed for which will see you through many loaves’ worth ahead without the need to pop to the bakery).

Organic Kitchen

Extra Virgin

Nuts and Seeds

Full of healthy fats and nearoverbrimming with magnesium and potassium, with fibre and vitamin E, and many other nutrients – make sure you buy your nuts and seeds as raw as possible (rather than roasted and salted and generally not so fab for health). The options are myriad: choose from almonds and walnuts, cashews and pecans, hazelnuts and selenium-rich Brazil nuts, and more. Sunflower seeds and their oil might be scarcer these days, but pumpkin seeds are still a great go-to.

Just Natural Organic Pumpkin Seeds

500g £6.19

Herbs and Spices

From immune-supportive garlic to leafy basil and oregano, rosemary and thyme, and spicy paprika and chilli: the flavours of the Mediterranean are a veritable menu of health, shown in studies to lower both cholesterol and blood pressure, and stave off heart problems and some forms of cancer. Reduce the amount of salt you use in your cooking and go wild with antiinflammatory herbs and spices instead

Just Natural Organic Oregano (Box)

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Dried Fruit

Providing anticarcinogenic properties and cardiovascular support, dried fruit such as dates, figs, and prunes offer a generous dose of fibre, minerals, and antioxidants, and are also thought to help protect the brain against Alzheimer’s. Make sure dried fruit is unsweetened and – if financially possible – organic when using as a snack or to add an expected taste-kick to exploratory recipes. They last a relatively long time, too.

Just Natural Organic Pitted Dates

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Here's a little pantry guidance to keep you on track to attain (and maintain) good or even better health – the current extortionate price of living duly taken into consideration, too.

Plant-Based Meats & Precision Fermentation Technology: A Cruelty-Free Panacea or Scientific Hype?

When it comes to a matter of choice, deciding to live as eco-friendly a life as possible has become a whole lot simpler in recent times. Long gone are the days when one had to trek a considerable distance to find a healthfood store that stocked enough diverse vegetarian and – yes – vegan options to ensure one could keep going, nutritionally and sort of morally (all too easy to become demoralised when everyone looks at you like you’re an alien come to change humanity’s ways). Now, though, you only have to pop to a mainstream supermarket to revel in cruelty-free delights (we know, not so great for independent store owners, but…).

Unless you’re going full junk food vegan and chowing down on cakes and

burgers and the fattier fast-food side of the vegan culinary coin, a vegan diet – when done right – can truly set you up for life, health-wise. Based on fruits and vegetables, wholegrains and pulses (including a wide variety of beans and legumes and peas), as well as nuts and seeds and seaweeds, all supplemented only with vitamin B12 if you’re eating properly – the vegan diet is wholesome, simple, and (unless buying processed alt-meat products all the time) cost effective. Plus, the Office for National Statistics recently added meat-free sausages to its “basket of goods”, the metric that measures the average cost of living: so, like, it’s become kind of mainstream…

Indeed, so much so that in July the vegan community became disconsolate when France decided to ban plant-based meat terms for French-origin products. Since October, therefore, words like “sausage” and “steak” have been banned from use in relation to plant-based products developed by French companies. The first country in the EU to implement such measures, the only word it seems which has been left to still be employed by plant-based alternatives is “burger”.

Deemed “delusional” by Nicolas Schweitzer, CEO of plant-based bacon La Vie, the move seems a backwards step when the scientific data overwhelming suggests a reduction in meat and dairy consumption is best for the planet at large.

Morten Toft Bech, Meatless Farm

“It’s time we took a butcher’s knife to the meat industry and the huge industrial animal processors.”

Meanwhile, off the back of concerns over the healthiness or otherwise of plant-based alternatives (most of which are heavily, if not hyper, processed), the Thai plant-based company V Foods has developed a more wholefoods veggie option: the 100% Whole Veggie Bites range combines nutrition with convenience, offering a more natural choice, made from vegetables, grains, and seeds. A similar ethos is at work in the Hilary’s kitchen, the US allergen-free B-Corp certified brand of plant-based burgers and sausages. Using ingredients such as cauliflower, black and adzuki beans, and black rice and hemp and greens, Hilary’s wants it products to be kitchen crafted, rather than something laboratory concocted.

The more natural the better was certainly the pervasive ambience at The Vegan Life Live Show at London’s Alexandra Palace back in June, an event which held ever stronger promise for a plant-based future, myriad speakers across the food and health and wellness sector singing the praises of the vegan way of things. This included a specifically Ukrainian slant in the form of family-owned Yaro. Looking to expand globally from their now-war torn base, Anna Domnich and Alena Markova explained in depth Yaro’s typically Ukrainian healthy living concept, one which includes no refined sugar and no gluten, in addition to no animal products (as well as adherence to the very French ethos of “Have a croissant, but not too many or too often”).

With fasting and vegetarianism not so rare in the country either, Ukraine actually rates 11th in the world for vegan interest, with an apparent 65.3% of the population open to the idea. Yaro’s own clean eating mindset extends to items’ ingredients list including Jerusalem artichoke syrup (for its low-GI properties), date syrup, or coconut sugar for that sought-after sweetness, as well as carob in lieu of chocolate. Tasty, indeed. It is intriguing innovation from a company that looks set to be successful in its expansion, despite the atrocities afflicting its homeland.

But change is on the horizon, and it will not be stalled. This was what Klaus Mitchell of Plant Based News wanted his listeners to realise at the Vegan Live Now! Show. Connecting the dots between multiple sectors, Mitchell was fervently against the practicalities of regenerative agriculture, claiming that four times the land currently available would be needed (i.e. grass-fed is almost worse than no change). Though we might not necessarily agree with the founder of Plant Based News, which he began in 2015 in his greenhouse, he does have over 2.4 million followers. And Mitchell believes that the livestock and the dairy industries will “undo” themselves, making the changes consumers want to see (precision fermented rennet extending into full cell ag dairy; plant-based sausages sold by traditional pork and other animal farmers, phasing out the flesh). Citing the antibiotic resistance threat of animal agriculture (with 80% of all antibiotics produced going direct to the livestock industry), Mitchell predicted that 60% of the “meat” market will in fact consist of alternative products by 2040, having become a cultural norm (even if that change requires hybrid plant-meat products on the journey to that point).

Mitchell refuses that the plant-based shift is a mere trend, but rather a transformation of the food system entire – whether we like it or not. As Just Natural Health & Beauty has written in the past, though, not everyone can go fully 100% vegan, due to very real physical health reasons. However, what everyone can do is make better choices about what animal products they are eating when they do. As Waitrose & Partners wrote recently, why not decide to swap your seared salmon fillet for rope-grown mussels, or perhaps switch out pulled pork for a plant-based jackfruit meal at least one night of the week?

Conversely, those who really want to stay away from seafood completely (perhaps simply as a Seaspiracy hangover reaction; perhaps as extension of the well-founded outcry over Spanish company, Nueva Pescanovaseems’, intended opening of the world’s first octopus farm in the Canary Islands next year) will be heartened to learn that Israeli company, Mermade Seafoods is cultivating scallops in their labs using aquaponic technology. Deep within the heart of cellular agriculture, aquaponics combines seafood farming or aquaculture with hydroponics (crop growth in liquid nutrient solutions instead of soil). Furthermore, spent growth medium (those by-products of mainstream cultivated meat and other seafood production) are placed in a bioreactor with microalgae and the resultant algae biomass used to feed future cells, thereby hopefully considerably lowering the costs of cell cultivation process in the longterm. Pretty clever, huh? Definitely preferable to churning out 3,000 tonnes of farmed octopus flesh per year to feed the public appetite fuelling a trade now worth $2.6 billion [c. £2.17 billion].

After all, octopudi are a creature apart. Not only do they eat three times their own body weight in seafood each day, but they are awesome biological oddities: three hearts, blue blood, chameleon-like abilities in matching the colour of their surroundings, eight suckercovered tentacles, and nine “brains” (each tentacle able to work independently from the others and those limbs combined containing some 500 million neurons) –octopudi are boneless as well and, according to Mark Carwardine, even the giant 16ft Pacific octopus can squeeze through a gap of only a few inches. Then, there’s their intelligence.

Yes, they can do puzzles, show a preference for some toys over others, exhibit forward-planning and the ability to love and hate, apparently have their own language similar to morse code, and can rival Houdini with their escapist ways, but octopudi can also manipulate their genetic code to adapt to their climatic environment, “shuffling” their RNA (ribonucleic acid) and sending new proteins into their genes that are more suitable. By comparison, that long-haul game called “evolution” enables humans to do this at a much slower rate…

So, why on Earth would we attempt to farm for consumption such a species?

Yes, the statement is speciesist, but let’s take pause and really consider this horrific future for animals which are even conjectured to experience vivid dreams. Just as vegans rally against the pork industry, citing a pig’s ability to bond with a human just as closely as a dog, so it seems octopudi should be protected from an industrial farming future on the basis of multiple points of incredible sentience.

After all, science now offers another option: prime cuts of meat and fish grown in a laboratory. One company in particular, BioBetter, has been seeking to lower production costs of cellular agriculture, making public consumption of lab-grown meat and fish a practical reality. With between 55% and 95% of costs due to growth factors and cell culture media used in producing cultivated meat, Vegconomist reported that BioBetter

has been looking at using tobacco plants (yes, the very same; aka Nictiana tabacum) as bioreactors. Utilising the plant thus would also circumvent ruin for tobacco farmers. Fat is also being looked into, as well, with the Swedish company Mycorena developing a worldfirst “Fungi Fat” that mimics animal fat, instead of the vegetable oils used in a lot of alt meat products. Founded in 2017, the idea is to move beyond mycoprotein with fungi usage in vegan alternatives.

All this incredible innovation has been gathering pace, what with mycelium bacon and foie gras, and even lab-grown fur and wool in development as of last year, too. As Russ Tucker of Ivy Farm noted, “producing cultivated meat creates up to 92% fewer carbon emissions and […] up to 95% less land”: that’s a pretty good prognosis, especially when it’s projected that there will be a 14% rise in global meat production by 2029.

With the increase in supply chain issues ever since the pandemic hit, however, there has been a rise in something known as “food fraud”, as the Sustainable Food Trust reported. In the dairy industry this can come in the form of dilution or heat treatment to prolong shelf life and dilution is often used in the juice industry, as well as pulp wash adding. And we won’t even get started on olive oils blended with lesser oils or honey being adulterated with syrup… So, how can we trust that what we think we’re buying is actually what our hard-earned pounds are purchasing, and where should the blame lie?

Well, the homogenisation of diet is one place, as response to the latter rhetorical question. Biodiversity done away with, human appetite for red meat and the general “Western” menu has rocked the balance of food available. We like certain foods and we want to eat those limited number of certain foods over and over again. After all, 66% of our total global crops consists of only nine different plant species. In short, we need to reembrace diversity and if that diversity lay in a reduction of meat consumption and an increase in the number of people consuming alt-meat products, then that could only be a good thing.

As an IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report released in the spring estimated, global emissions could be halved by just 2030 if there was

“widespread adoption of plant-based diets”. According to researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany, that’s about 75% of us saying “No, thanks” to meat henceforth. Given that the average European individual consumes approximately 80kg of meat annually (roughly the actual weight of a full-grown jaguar), it’s clear that the suggested minimum 20kg reduction in meat is a wise move – for many reasons, healthbased as well as environmental. The logic of propositions of a meat tax, then, don’t seem too outré

Yet, what about the ethics of cellular agriculture? Questions of its place in the vegan ethical system aside, where are the boundaries of where developments can go? For instance, according to Vegconomist, the precision fermentation food technology firm Paleo has recently unveiled that it has developed a GMOfree haem using mammoth protein, bioidentical to the origin species. Question is, should we really be employing the cells of extinct mammals in our future food plans? Given that the other haems developed were of species very much alive now (chickens, cows, pigs, lambs, fish), what prompted Paleo to go all archaeologist and dig out, so to speak, the mammoth cells? If we learn anything from history, it is that often what is dead and buried should perhaps remain so.

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The Brilliance of Birds

It is all too easy to vilify our feathered friends when it comes to zoonotically transmitted diseases, when in fact it is we who have encroached on them, impacted their naturegiven state and upset the balance; exploited them and overbred certain limited species as livestock. Of all birds alive in this world, 70% of their number are poultry bred for Mankind to eat. In the wild, though, with – for example – normally monogamous albatross couples now parting ways not as a result of infertility, but due to warmer sea temperatures (according to a 15-year study in the Falkland Islands, reported in The New York Times), it is clear that we should be protecting these winged wonders rather than condemning them.

Indeed, what would a world be without wild birds? Imagine the silence at sunrise and as it sets; try to comprehend the dire diminishment of the pollination of plants (it’s not just bees which are essential to this biodiverse ecosystem called Earth). For, birds disperse seeds (92% of the seeds of woody trees species, apparently, according to researchers at Indiana-University Purdue) and they also scavenge carcasses, ridding our world of the waste of mortality.

Furthermore, they keep insect numbers under control: can you conceive of a planet overridden by crop-destructive and treefatal bugs? Do you think you can bite into the sweetest of apples before a worm? The alternative is a planet soaked in chemical insecticides and pesticides – more so than it already is, such practices also contributing to wild bird deaths through poisoning if insects have managed to survive the spraying. Birds are nutrient cyclers, too, their migration patterns enabling organic and inorganic matter exchange – which, in part, is wherein troubles lie and negativity starts to raise its ugly head against these vital creatures.

Eating Better reported at the start of the year that a new study published in the Cambridge Philosophical Society’s Biological Reviews had concluded that “humans are the only species able to manipulate the Earth on a grand scale” and that we “have allowed the current crisis to happen”. It also suggested, however, that “extinction rates of insects and invertebrates” might have been underestimated in themselves. It is not only bird numbers which are dwindling. When companies are targeting insects as an alternative protein for humans and their pets alike – instead of, for instance, chicken – the situation looks rather unsettling.

The dodo is an infamous symbol of the impact of humans on birds, but the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) has compiled a “Red List” of extinction likelihood of other birds, too, and notes 158 other species already extinct in addition to dodos. This is no sad fairytale to be forgotten when the lights go out: we cannot simply wake up from this nightmare. However, we can awaken to a better way forward.

We must stop destroying natural habitats without regard for the faunal and floral life therein. We must stop seeing animals as “fair game”, as well: hunting for sport is barbaric, and hunting for survival hasn’t been a necessity for the majority of

people for centuries. Sadly, our modernist cityscapes are also a huge hazard for birds, the glass reflecting trees so that birds fly into windows believing them shelter, or the light simply blinds them (between 100 million and 1 billion birds are believed to die this way annually in the US alone). And as for one’s beloved Felix the Cat… One study published in Nature Communications estimated the death toll of wild birds at the jaws and/or claws of a domestic cat to be around the 4 billion mark. If the moggy must be let outside, make sure they’ve a bell collar to forewarn any potential prey they’re about to pounce.

Furthermore, go organic. Grass fertilizer and pesticides even on the domestic scale can harm birds, as they feed off the insects that pollinate your beloved lawns and flower beds. Humdrum thinking for protecting truly magical species. Just take the hummingbird, for instance, which is the only known bird species able to fly backwards and upside down and hover, bee-like, wings rotating in the shape of the infinity symbol. The largest hummingbird only grows up to eight inches in length, while the smallest weighs a single gram and measures a mere two inches.

Beneath the rainbowfeathered surface lies a musculature that accounts for 35% of the hummingbird’s body (most birds’ muscles make up only 15-25%), while its heart alone is 2.5% of its body weight – the largest per body weight of any vertebrate. The running of this biological marvel requires up to 700 insects and a minimum of 1,500 flowers visited for nectar (around 15 gallons in human terms): that’s the equivalent energy intake of a human consuming an incredible 155,000 calories each day, though our bodies couldn’t nearly stand the 370°C their body temperature rises to or the 250 breaths it takes each minute, heart pounding at five hundred beats every 60 seconds.

Often, Mankind has wondered whether birds have a language, listening as we do to their cheeping and trilling, and tweeting and twittering.

Indeed, according to Knowable Magazine, it’s recently been proposed that birds even have a linguistic culture, so to speak. Species that especially seem to vocalise with humancomparable phonology, semantics, and syntax, include (low and behold!) hummingbirds, songbirds, and – of course – parrots. New research is even finding

discernible differences in sounds between the same species in separate geographical locations, similar to our accents or dialects.

However, best reign in any excitement which brings up imaginings of a deep conversation with that chaffinch outside your window (despite an apparent connection between our brain circuitry): humans and birds last shared a common ancestor some 300 million years ago. That said, miracles do happen…

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Double, Double, Toil and… Terrible Ticks and Lizard Blood

While we might relish the gory and gruesome at Halloween – dressing as daemons and ghouls, faking bleeding fangs and terrible wounds – when it comes to real life, we like things a little more mundane. That said, according to JSTOR, it was recently discovered that the blood of Western Fence lizards has the potential to neutralize Lyme disease in ticks, those vile arachnids that gorge on our vital fluid.

Carried in their gut, the spiral-shaped bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, more widely known as the pathogen that causes Lyme’s disease, has been found to be less prevalent in lizards on the West Coast of the States than in the US’s Northeast. For example, in California only 2% of ticks carry Borrelia burgdorferi. Scientists think this could be due to the Western Fence lizards that nymphal (or small stage) ticks ride and feed on, the lizard blood containing “antibiotic superpower”. Up to 40 ticks can

use the same lizard as host, but instead of being bled to death, essentially the ticks are being “sanitized” by the lizard’s blood. Unpleasant, gross to look at, but Nature’s magic at work – though such magic has its limits.

Rather than populating the world with Western Fence lizards (which would perish in colder climates than California’s), a reduction of tick numbers could be put into effect by minimising populations of mice, shrews, and chipmunks, apparently. This naturally occurs when fox and other predator numbers are optimal. Again, Mankind’s role as “stewards” in the grand planetary upkeep scheme of things comes back to remind us of our place.

And if it all goes belly-up, we’ll continue removing those pesky ticks – though, perhaps best not while still attached, as does the possum, popping them “like M&Ms”. Happy Halloween, folks.

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Pets:

A Question of Ethics & Emotions

Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson has written often on animals in his long authorial career, specifically on the as yet misunderstood emotional lives of animals and (when it comes to sentience) it is this ability to feel not only pain, but sadness and fear and joy, and so forth, by which we humans value an animal’s worth or otherwise – how we decide whether an animal should be considered a friend or our food.

Physically, of course, there are differences, but there are also remnant similarities (before evolution took us off into the fast lane). Country Living Magazine wrote in September last year on the significant difference in hearing between a human (up to 20,000 Hz, the frequency of vibrating sound waves per second, or pitch) and a canine companion (up to 50,000 Hz). Setting aside dogs’ larger ear muscles and mobility of ears (they use 18 muscles in comparison to our three) and potential to hear a sound some 1,000 metres away –our human eyes can actually aid our lesser hearing, also. A Duke University graduate neuroscience student in North Carolina discovered that our eardrums pick up the sound, in fact move first, and then our eyes follow. Training one’s hearing is a matter of sorting through the background noise; attentive and active listening, if you will. Something a few of us would be best served to practice before that next catch up with friends… Yet, our own psychology – our emotional framework – can be impacted by animals also. CNN Health recently reported on a study published in the journal of Paediatric Research that found social and emotional development was significantly encouraged by having a family dog, with participating toddlers from dogowning families up to 30% less likely to exhibit “conduct and peer problems”. Part of this, aside from the pure love of an animal, comes from the physical activity dog-ownership entails. Hayley Christian, the study’s author and an associate professor and senior

research fellow at the University of Western Australia’s Centre for Child Heath Research, stated that “less than a third of children ages 2 to 5 get three hours of physical activity per day”. Fido and fitness for little Freddie? A soulnourishing childhood indeed.

But these are strange times, times in which the oddity of situations makes people, in turn, act strangely. For example, earlier this year the journal Nature noted that there had been the first reported case of a person being infected with Covid from a cat, a veterinarian in Thailand. It confirms long-held scientific suspicions that the coronavirus was transmissible from feline to human (it already being known that humans could infect cats, notably tigers and other big cats in zoos and sanctuaries, as well as feline-to-feline transmission). Nonetheless, it also evokes fear: Covid cuddles with kitty? There are some who won’t listen to the full breadth of data and will choose to instinctively protect themselves by adding to the already overburdened shelter system, rescue homes full to overflowing as it is with pets no longer wanted from the lockdown days, life having gone back to pre-pandemic routines.

Now that the UK has had a confirmed case of a pet dog contracting Covid, now that it has been proven that cats can infect humans with the coronavirus, it seems nowhere is free from fear of infection. But that is our new normal and, anyway, person-to-person transmission is far more likely. It doesn’t mean Fifi the Miniature Poodle should be dumped on a street corner (not that we think you, our readers, would do so, but you see our point). Pet owners know the joy that their companion animals bring them on a daily basis (even when there are toileting slip-ups or that tasty remnant of sandwich is stolen from off our plates right before our very eyes). Imagine what an animal goes through when just given away or, even worse, left on that street corner? All the innovation into vegan pet foods and sustainable pet beds and coat care and toys and treats – all of it means nothing when companion animals remain so disposable in far too many minds.

There are the steadfast few, though, who put pets first, who think of the experience of the animals as opposed to the shallow and selfish vanity of select pet owners (and “owners” are indeed what those folk deem themselves). Notably, the “animals first” mindset, as the Mail Online reported earlier this year, was seen in Norway’s ban of needless British Bulldog and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeding, deeming that practice cruel due to the health problems that occur from those breeds’ flat face (or brachycephalic) structures, worsened by careless breeding that has led to issues such as BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome) and made heart defects ever more severe. Nonetheless, a caveat permits “serious” breeding and crossbreeding, so that these health problems can be lessened and, it is hoped, eventually disappear in those two breeds, at least.

In the stories of our childhoods, the witch always had her “familiar”, an animal, wild or domestic, that was her friend and companion, her sidekick and guide: isn’t that what modern day, mature pet ownership is? A family member not of our species, but of our heart.

What kind of creatures are we?

Rebalancing Vitamins and Minerals

According to Nielsen Data, there was a 4% downturn in VMS sales by the end of 2021. Whereas Covid caused an exponential increase in demand for immunity supplements, appetite decreased by approximately 19% when the early post-new normal phase of pandemic recovery was underway, but with variants increasing infection rates again, no doubt the VMS sector will see a significant upturn. Sleep and stress have remained central foci, though. Of course, the cost-of-living crisis means we all have to make decisions about what we can and cannot afford at this time. Health is priceless, yes, but

optimum health certainly doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

However, in contrast to developments in the UK, 93% of Germans believe supplements are “essential for human life”, according to a German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) survey. And that, whether or not they subsist on a healthy diet. The survey found that a third of its population takes supplements weekly at the very least, with one in six popping some supportive tablets daily. Vitamin D was most popular (45%), then vitamin B12 (36%), vitamin C (32%), and a good multivitamin (28%).

We all sometimes need a little bit of a helping hand in life. Even though we might eat extremely healthily, might exercise as often as we should, sometimes we don’t realise that life’s trials and tribulations upon occasion require more (especially if one is overdoing the exercise and “healthy” eating, aka orthorexia). At those times, that ever-difficult balance of vitamins and minerals and the body as system entire is all thrown off centre and we become depleted in one or multiple of the nutrients that otherwise normally keep us energised and contented. At those times, it’s wise to supplement, even if you would usually shun the notion in preference of a food-as-medicine functional nutrition mindset. It’s not that you’ve failed; you just have to accept a little help.

Here are some physical signs that your body is in a state of disequilibrium. Don’t panic: it’s not forever (as long as you address the issue sooner, rather than later).

Dry, Parched Skin

If it’s particularly cold outside, dry skin is a normal occurrence. However, if you’re finding that your skin is forever flaky, then likelihood is you’re deficient in Omega3s. The essential fatty acids nourish our skin’s lipid (or fat) barrier and keep out germs and toxins, while keeping moisture in. Fatty fish such as salmon and sardines, and plant-based options like walnuts, flaxseed, and chia seeds are great as dietary sources of Omega-3s.

Unhealing Wounds

If you find that you’re marked for a considerable while after cutting or grazing yourself, a lack of sufficient protein could be to blame. If you beg to differ, however, then it’s likely vitamin C (vitamin C promotes collagen synthesis). Pulses and legumes, nuts and seeds, as well as organic free range and wild sources of meat and fish aside, to cover all bases include more strawberries, citrus, and red peppers in your diet as well.

Bleeding Gums

A Pale Complexion

If you’re looking as if Dracula’s been nibbling at you while you sleep, the culprit is low iron. Literally, our red blood cells become less red because of diminished haemoglobin, so our skin appears pale or even sallow (of a slight yellow tinge), less oxygen being transported through our body. Another symptom of iron deficiency is angular cheilitis, where the corners of the mouth develop fissures, crack, scale, or crust. Good food sources to increase your intake of if you’re reluctant to supplement (though you should get checked out by your GP) are dark leafy greens, grass-fed beef, lentils, and fortified cereals and breads.

Most small signs of blood on the toothbrush mean a more thorough flossing and brushing regime going forward. However, if your gums are bleeding suddenly and your dental hygiene is second to none, then it could be that you’re low on vitamin K. A blood clot helper, vitamin K assists in the coagulation that means we eventually stop bleeding when we cut ourselves. Available in two forms, K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinone), K1 is plentiful in dark leafy greens and cruciferous veggies, while K2 is found in fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi, as well as yogurt and aged cheeses, and meat and eggs as well. Fat soluble, try combining the two in meals.

Cracked, Sore Lips

Unhappy lips can also be a symptom of vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) deficiency. Although rare, if our B2 levels are depleted, in addition to sore smackers, we’ll also notice hair loss and lesions on the inside of the mouth and on our tongue. If left untreated, a small-scale 2016 study published in the Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease found patients went on to exhibit issues with neuropathy. Great sources of Riboflavin include almonds, salmon, broccoli, and eggs.

Hangnails are nasty things (though perhaps not as severe as some of the deficiencies previously mentioned) and broken nails put nobody in a good mood. If this is occurring, low levels of vitamin B7 (Biotin) are to blame. The consumer jury is undecided on the effectivity of Biotin supplementation, though. Vegetables sources include cauliflower and sweet potato, and it’s plentiful in animal products and nuts and seeds. Experiment and see what the results are like for you.

Brittle Nails

Balanced Liposomal Supplements: Vitamins & Minerals as Nature Intended

The VMS sector has recently superpowered what it can offer in liposomal delivery, in the form of natural liposomal supplements that contain powdered rather than liquid vitamins or minerals. Up to 20 times more effective than liposome offerings of old, the new and cleaner wave of liposomal supplements potentially offer substantially greater absorption rates and physical benefits (up to 95%).

A liposome (from the Greek, lipo or “fat” and soma or “body”) is essentially a spherical vesicle with at least one fatty layer that has been traditionally used to deliver pharmaceuticals and, since 2004, vitamins and minerals. The latest, “next generation” of liposomal supplements utilises a double fatty acid (or phosphatidylcholine) molecule layer – molecules which the human body produces naturally – thereby more effectively protecting the active agent (whichever vitamin or mineral is to be supplemented) from our stomach juices, liver enzymes, and overall digestive processes.

In this way, the active agent reaches our bloodstream fully intact and the fatty acid content of the liposomes themselves also gets absorbed and used by our brain and bodily cells. In the past and even today, the absorption rate and bioavailability of supplements was and is extensively questioned, consumers worrying their

money simply goes down the drain (quite literally). Natural powdered liposomal supplements lay those concerns to rest, however. Indeed, in one study of standard liquid liposomal vitamin B12 in comparison to natural powdered liposomal B12, it was found that levels increased six times that of those participants who had taken the liquid form. That is to say, the new natural and powdered liposomal supplements are considerably more effective than their predecessors.

Non-toxic and biocompatible, they also have a longer shelf life than liquid liposomal supplements (able to be kept up to 3 years) and don’t need to be stored in the refrigerator. Liposomal supplements are as effective as they are because our body recognises the phosphatidylcholine molecules as naturally produced, resulting in a higher absorption rate. Without any additives or flavourings, glutenfree and GMO-free, the vitamin or mineral supplemented (together with the liposome content itself) is unadulterated also by the overall production process, which uses no heat or dry pressure and no chemicals – thus extending the mimicry of natural biology. Even the equipment for processing these supplements is cleaned with chemical-free organic cleaning agents.

No fillers, no preservatives, simply pure and active ingredients are what the latest liposomal supplements consist of. So it is that Balanced has now released its own liposomal range, including antioxidant Glutathione (or y-L-glutamylL-cysteinylglycine), a Magnesium option (great for the metabolism and muscle function), a Joint Formula and Daily Multivitamin, as well as a high-strength Vitamin C 1000mg (one that doesn’t get almost entirely eliminated from the body in our urine), and a blended D3/ K2/Magnesium. This last is particularly effective at maximising calcium absorption and maintaining a healthy nervous system.

Nonetheless, liposomal delivery of glutathione holds especially high hopes for future customer satisfaction, firstly given that it’s basically ineffective by any other delivery, but also because – as a recent study published in the journal Antioxidants suggested – it might be a beneficial gain for those who have been infected by Covid. The virus has been shown to cause oxidative stress in the body and prompt a drop in glutathione levels, whether one is old or young, but natural powdered liposomal delivery of glutathione could very well reverse those effects, or at least lessen them.

The new liposomal supplements aren’t magic: they’re science at its natural best.

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• Minimizing stress where possible.

If you feel as though your diet is not allowing you to gain all of the nutrients you need - perhaps you are on a special diet or you don’t like certain food types, then taking a daily vitamin or mineral supplement may bring health benefits.

system as well as normal red blood cell formation.

Selenium contributes to the normal function of the immune system and to the maintenance of hair and nails.

Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system and to normal cognitive function.

Immunity and Future Covid Protection

The usual September infection minefield as kids go back to school and parents back to the office has always been anxiety-inducing, but never more so than since SARS-CoV-2 struck nearly three years ago. As we tumbled into summer 2022, even, concerns over Covid infection rates skyrocketed again (not the planned or typical flu-type season, but there you go: such are the joys of post-pandemic life).

he Omicron variants BA.2 (initially recorded in South Africa), together with its subvariants BA.4 and BA.5

(noted particularly in Portugal), were especially effective in infecting those who had been immune to the preliminary forms of the coronavirus. According to the journal Nature, the thing with viral variants is, although it could be that COVID-19 waves continue to become milder, their increased speed of infection means a wider infection rate, and – if the first wave of the pandemic was anything to go by – the older the population of a country, the higher the potential death toll, even from a variant.

Thus, finding a vaccine that truly works is paramount. According to the California News Times, a Cambridgebased start-up has been searching for

a new Covid jab in animal faeces. DIOSynVax was founded by vetturned-vaccinator Jonathan Heeney, who initially became interested in coronaviruses when he diagnosed them in cats and cheetahs. DIOSynVax looks for the ‘Achilles Heel’ of genomic sequences in coronaviruses, using “computational biology tools to pinpoint regions of the virus that cannot mutate without killing itself”. Funded by a $42 million [c. £35.2 million] from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness, DIOSynVax aims to use mRNA technology in same way as BioNTech, Pfizer, and Moderna. The vaccine will be developed in conjunction with German biotech company Ethris. However, some people have still never caught Covid. “Why?” was a question posed in print by The Guardian back in the spring, but whether it's

down to a quirk of biology or not is yet to be confirmed. Nonetheless, with Covid variants found in sewage systems weeks before showing up in tests, it’s clear we have a long way to go before we’re out of the woods with pandemic concern and personal safeguarding in hygiene terms (conversely, testing sewage provides a useful early warning system). Yet, with seasonal booster shots against the coronavirus now a British reality for the elderly and those with a compromised immune system, given that we can become reinfected (destroying any hope of herd immunity), it’s also of interest to read in the journal Nature that studies are looking into the potential for the regular seasonal flu jab to protect against severe symptoms from Covid infection. Adaptation is key.

What is also important is a balanced immune system, rather than a boosted one. For instance, taking too much echinacea can actually overstimulate our immune system and make us even more unwell when we do become infected with a virus, even to the point of those cytokine storms seen in the worst, most deadly cases of infection from SARS-2-CoV. So, how does one achieve balance? Allowing oneself rest and repair, for one thing: those triedand-tested techniques of yoga and meditation, as well as being outdoors in Nature. Coupled with those, it’s beneficial to try supportive herbal remedies and botanicals like medicinal mushrooms, too (do note the different ‘M’ begun adjective there!).

Essential for the growth and repair of our cells, zinc can be found in a wide range of foods, from meat and fish, seafood and eggs, to nuts and seeds, and even beans and lentils. We need around a minimum of 7.5mg a day for both the sake of our immune system and the benefit of our mind, also (remember: our body entire is a microbiome). Optimal amounts, according to nutritionist Patrick Holford, are over twice that, at between 15mg and 25mg per day, but our diet when at its wholefoods nutrientrich best will probably only supply about 10mg. Therefore, if you are considering – particularly at this time of year – your immunity more, then additional supplementation of zinc would be advisable.

Discouragingly, The Conversation reported in early summer that a severe case of Covid ages the body the equivalent of 20 years. Now, before you run away with fantastical thoughts of Dorian Gray and his portrait, rather than ageing in the visual sense, it is rather the internal structures which are affected in the human body – notably, the brain. In fact, scientists have observed cognitive impairment from Covid infection equivalent to that of 50- to 70-year-olds, where 10 IQ points are lost. The effects last more than six months after infection and recovery is gradual. Additional symptoms include lingering fatigue, the notorious “brain fog”, trouble recalling words, anxiety, insomnia, and also PTSD. Even a mild case of Covid can cause the brain to shrink, apparently. Who needs fictional horror when our lived experience is such a nightmare? Conjectured reasons for this have included inadequate oxygen or blood supply to the brain while infected, microscopic bleeds, and blockages of large or small blood vessels with clotting.

Our immune system and our nervous system are perhaps more closely connected than has in the past been thought, but our brain has now been found to have its own immune cells too, including internal microglia and macrophages in the meninges border membrane, recently termed an “immunological wonderland”. According to Nature journal, research into these immune cells has exploded in the past few years, as the old 1920s based claim by Japanese scientist Y. Shirai, that the brain was entirely separate from our immune system responses, has been proven wrong, even though research still supported that belief in the 1940s and beyond. New studies in the 1990s, however, started to change things and now scientists are hoping that microglia and T cells around the brain border might hold some sort of hope in treating Alzheimer’s disease.

Certainly, studies on mice have found that boosting an immune response leads to a clearance of the amyloid plaques notable in Alzheimer’s patients and improved cognitive performance. Furthermore, when we are injured or fighting an infection, our central nervous system has been found to signal along the cerebrospinal fluid to bone marrow in the skull, which then releases immune response cells.

It has been the lines of communication between the brain and immune cells external to it that have puzzled scientists most, but now it is thought that those “molecular messengers” we all came to know so well during the pandemic and discussion of the deadliest Covid cases – remember cytokinetic storms? – are responsible for joining the dots, if you will. Yup, cytokines. Research is ongoing into the specifics, but as with brain immunoresponse, this field of inquiry is quickly broadening, including “a subset of microglia” which are not protective, but rather associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

With BioSpace reporting back in the summer that a new Danish study proposed Covid-19 might not only accelerate but actually cause neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, a fair few of us might be a little warier of forgetting a mask or hand sanitiser when out and about this winter. Published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology, the findings were also presented at the EAN (European Academy of Neurology) Congress in Vienna. It is thought this could be because of neuroinflammation from infection with Covid. However, before you start bulk buying protective measures again, it should also be noted that the study admitted the increased risk was no greater than that seen with “other respiratory diseases like the flu”. A previous Dutch study last year specifically looked at any link between the coronavirus and Parkinson’s disease, stating that the virus’s N-protein “interacts with alpha-synuclein, a protein in the brain” and speeds up the rate of amyloid fibril formation – as seen in Parkinson’s which, like Covid, has as one of its symptoms a loss of sense of smell.

Another interesting study was that of neuroimmunologist Asya Rolls, who found in 2021 that neurons in the insular cortex (the section that processes emotions and bodily sensations) were active when there was inflammation in the colon due to colitis. When her team artificially activated the neurons, intestinal immune response was “reawakened”. In terms of the usefulness of this discovery, by developing a way of blocking that neuron activity, it is hoped that inflammatory responses in colitis sufferers can be prevented, as well as potentially those with Crohn’s disease or psoriasis.

Take away advice? Play it safe and stay safe this winter, dear readers.

The Winter Woman:

Menopause, Mindfully

Right now, approximately 13 million women are going through the menopause. Occurring between 40 and 64 years of age (51 is the average), it is one of the toughest physical challenges a woman will face in her lifetime.

There are around forty different symptoms, varying in intensity. In perimenopausal women, ferritin levels drop (our iron reserves), leading to increased hair loss, while a dip in oestrogen and increase in testosterone mean hair can become greasy. When in the main throws of menopause, however, the skin is also affected, with a diminishment of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid levels leading to dryness. Symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, pendulum-like mood swings, and disrupted sleep ensue, as do anxiety and depression.

Yet, menopause is fully in effect when the menstrual cycle has entirely ceased for a period of 12 consecutive months. This means a woman is no longer fertile and her child-bearing years are over. Often, weight will increase by around five pounds and tastebuds and appetite change as well. Nonetheless, rather than going the HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) route, it could be beneficial to consider a more holistic path and make mindful dietary and lifestyle changes as a first recourse instead.

There are certain foods that are thought to ease menopausal symptoms, for example, foods such as wholemeal bread and pasta, as well as brown rice. High in fibre, they go well with fresh vegetables and herbs (both fabulous for antioxidants and the whole range of B vitamins). The fibre is what is vital during the menopause, though, maintaining as it does blood sugar levels (this is why you shouldn’t skip meals during these years, either). Meanwhile, the phytoestrogens deal with hormonal balance, binding old oestrogens in the gut and preventing reabsorption. So, a meal of brown rice with edamame beans (which contain isoflavones) can assist a reduction in hot flushes and vaginal dryness, for example. Wash it down with a cold glass of soya milk and you’ll exceed the RDA of 45g of phytoestrogens, too.

Bone density decreases during the menopause. Therefore, upping one’s calcium intake is also important in offsetting an increased risk of osteoporosis. While milk itself is potentially thought to increase breast cancer risk slightly, other dairy products such as yogurt and hard cheeses are great sources of calcium. Nuts and seeds, meanwhile, offer very good levels of magnesium, useful in lessening insomniac episodes, as well as mood swings and anxiety and depression.

Technically, remember, menopause is but a single day: the day when it has been 12 months since you last had a period. Nonetheless, we refer to it as the process from perimenopause through all the myriad nasty symptoms caused by declining oestrogen and progesterone levels. While including enough Omega-3-rich foods (like oily fish and flaxseeds, the latter also thought to help reduce night sweats) will promote the production of anti-inflammatory prostaglandins in the body, it is also wise to reduce proinflammatory foods such as red meat and refined sugar. However, be careful to get enough protein, as women lose around 40% of their muscle mass during the menopause.

Otherwise, it’s a case of doing as your mother told you when you were younger and eating one’s vegetables. Dark green leafy veg has about twice the vitamin C content of an orange, the vitamin which promotes collagen production and helps keep our skin plump, elastic, and youthful seeming. Cruciferous veggies, such as broccoli and cabbage, help the liver to metabolise oestrogen so old oestrogens don’t build up in the bloodstream, as well as supporting thyroid hormone production and balancing energy levels. Pretty simple, when one thinks about it: thanks, mum.

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Keto for Menopause?

Now, we love a hearty bowl of wholewheat pasta with pesto as much as the next person, but if you find yourself suddenly going through menopause and are struggling with the symptoms (which are many and myriad and mightily unpleasant for a lot of women), then it might be worth considering a ketogenic approach instead.

There are, of course, two camps: those who nod a vigorous “Yay” for going keto for the menopausal years and those who darkly shake their head in denial that a high fat diet is right for this tiring time in a woman’s hormonal lifecycle, inclusive of the other increased health concerns dependent on age and lifestyle, such as cardiovascular issues.

Essentially a low-carb, moderate protein, and highfat diet, eating ketogenically is thought by some to ease menopausal symptoms and balance hormone levels by enabling the body to shift into using fat instead of sugar (glucose) for energy, producing ketones from the brokendown fat and shifting into a state known as ketosis. Often, appetite is suppressed in the process, leading to weight loss. This is because protein and fat have better effects on satiety. Also, cutting out carbohydrates avoids the need for insulin to transport glucose. This is thought beneficial to menopausal women because it is a life stage when many women become insulin resistant.

It's thought that the keto way of things, with a focus on fats, could actually lower the risk of stroke, a 27-year study of over 117,000 healthcare professionals found, its data presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2021 Notably, the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in nuts and seeds and fish are best (the saturated fats in large quantities of “total” red meat and processed red meat are still

believed to raise risk of cardiovascular disease and increase the risk of stroke). As Just Natural Health & Beauty has reported on in the past, it is the type of fat that matters. Obviously, staying active is important as well, combined with a well-balanced overall diet, limited alcohol intake, and – need it be said anymore – not smoking.

Nonetheless, going on the keto diet has its own side effects, such as the notorious “keto flu”. Basically, the body adapting to removal of carbohydrates, keto flu includes such symptoms as headache, faintness, brain fog, stomach pain and discomfort, fatigue, dizziness, sore throat, nausea, body aches and pains, heartbeat changes, and typically flu-like symptoms (obviously).

At the end of the day, no one size has ever fitted all, but if you think the keto diet sounds like just what you need, then you’re probably wondering where to start (as one does when faced with the exciting yet daunting prospect of a new menu entirely: should one clear the cupboards of all that food now deemed “banned”?). Rhetorical question aside (and there are always local food banks waiting eagerly for such donations), the go-to basics for the keto kitchen are: animal products, such as meat, fish, and eggs; nuts and seeds; healthy fats, such as olive and coconut oil; and non-starchy, high-water content vegetables, such as cucumber and green leafy options. Going against the wisdom of the Mediterranean diet, all wholegrains, legumes, starchy vegetables (goodbye, beloved spud), and quite a few fruits are either in minimal portions or eliminated entirely. Given that one study found an improvement in sexual function in its participants placed on a very low-calorie ketogenic diet, we doubt you’ll miss potatoes for very long…

Phosphorous Fabulous

One mineral that is essential as the years advance is phosphorus, crucial for maintaining strong bones as we age. Although deficiency is uncommon, it’s important to be aware of this mineral in our diet because it affects not only our bones and teeth, but our muscle function and even energy conversion from the food we eat, as well.

Signs of deficiency when it does occur include loss of appetite and anaemia, muscle weakness and problems with coordination, increase risk of infection and prickling in the skin. The RDA is about 700mg in those aged over 19 years old (men and women both); younger people aged between 14- and 18-years old need far more (approximately 1250mg per day).

If you’re at a loss of where to start when it comes to phosphorus, this brief list might help. It’s not a very vegan-friendly list, but rather aligns with keto guidelines:

Sardines

Just 85g of sardines provide 417mg phosphorus, as well as calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12.

Pumpkin Seeds

Phosphorous-rich as well as chock full of protein, pumpkin seeds also contain beneficial fats, fibre, and magnesium.

Chicken Breast

A single cup of diced chicken breast has about 304mg phosphorous. Additionally, chicken is a great protein option and is low in saturated fat, so a good leaner meat choice. Obviously, if you can, opt for organic.

Turkey

Not quite as good as chicken, a cup of turkey will provide roughly 298mg phosphorous. Also a lean meat option, whether eating the dark or the white meat, but the lighter the meat the more phosphorous you’ll get.

Salmon

One 85g serving offers some 214mg phosphorous, but also includes vitamin D, Omega-3 fats, and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s vital that salmon be shopped for mindfully, looking for responsibly-fished wild or organic.

Eggs

A mere 2 eggs contain 191mg phosphorous (approximately 30% of the RDA). Also providing protein, vitamin A, D, E, and even vitamin K, as well as biotin, iron, and selenium – eggs are quite something in the nutritional stakes.

Lentils

One cup of lentils equates to about 356mg of phosphorous, in addition to its protein and iron content. Also antioxidant-rich, lentils could offer protection against heart disease and certain cancers, as well. Interestingly, chickpeas offer far less per equivalent serving (c.275mg).

Quinoa

The only grain that is a complete protein (containing all nine of the essential amino acids), one cup of quinoa provides 281mg of phosphorous.

Firm Tofu

A single cup of tofu offers about 478mg of phosphorous, as well as a good portion of protein, calcium, iron, and fibre, too. Tempeh comes in at slightly less.

Blood Sugar Management

Although that blueberry muffin might be tempting (especially those with the crumbled biscuit topping) and that oatmeal raisin cookie look the softest, sweetest (in a good way) baked creation you’ve ever seen of a workday afternoon (just perfect, waiting to be coupled with a strong, bringthe-brain-back-to-life black coffee) – truth is, you know, we know, the barista knows that if you have that treat, you’ll soon be feeling sleepier than you were before and over the months the pounds will start to compound (favourite jeans no longer fitting?) to remind you that the old adage “a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips” might not have been so far off the mark after all.

There are a handful of quick-fix things you can do to help matters, though; you know, if you really, truly can’t make it through the day without a pastry and cappuccino in the afternoon.

Sugar, Cancer, and the Oxygen Question

Drink Vinegar

Before each meal, knock back a shot of vinegar. A metaanalysis of studies on the impact of vinegar on glucose control found that 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar before a meal reduces the post-meal glucose response by some 11% and insulin response by 16%, meaning greater GI (Glycaemic Index) control. The acetic acid content (that which makes vinegar so tart and, um, acidic) has been shown to slow digestion and prevent our digestive enzymes breaking down starch and sugar, reducing the intensity of blood sugar level dips. It might seem unappetising, but…

Veggies First

The order of what we eat is also important. For instance, studies have found that opting to have fibrous veggies at the start of a meal reduces blood glucose between 20% and 70% and insulin levels between 25% and 50%. The same premise is at work in opting to consume protein before carbohydrates: have the tofu before the couscous.

Opt for Cinnamon

Also beneficial for glycaemic control, in a meta-analysis of participants with Type-II diabetes, it was found that having between ¼ tsp and a whole teaspoon of cinnamon each day noticeably reduced fasting blood glucose. Even in healthy adults, the same amount of cinnamon partaken of over a period of 40 days resulted in improved post-meal blood glucose levels.

The reason a “healthy diet” is expounded so frequently and loudly is for not just longevity’s sake, but for one’s quality of life, and that quality includes disease prevention, rather than cure. Keeping the Big C at bay is the central concern of most, if not all, of us.

New research from Columbia University and MIT, published in the journal Nature Metabolism (which reiterates that cancer cells thrive on fat and oxygen for their growth and

division), has proposed that oxygen is more important than previously thought. While sugar has been (for the most part) rightly vilified in the health stakes (with diabetic women at 27% higher risk of developing cancer than diabetic men), in basic terms it is now thought that oxygen starvation could be a curative measure, even when cells have sufficient energy for growth, as it prohibits fat synthesis. Be that as it may, we’ll continue to breathe deeply for now…

Obesity, however, is linked to thirteen types of cancer, including breast cancer, mainly due to the hormonal implications, notably insulin and oestrogen. And sugar is a big factor there. So it is that, back in 2009, an Australian study looked into the effect of mushrooms and green tea on breast cancer rates in women. Published in the International Journal of Cancer, the researchers found that just 10g of dried or fresh mushrooms (under one small button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus) consumed each day could help lower the risk of breast cancer, especially when taken with green tea up to three times a day. Over 2,000 Chinese women participated in the study, prompted by the up to five times lower prevalence of breast cancer in Chinese women than women in Western countries – differences in diet as a whole were not taken into consideration, though.

Breast Cancer, Today and Tomorrow

According to Breast Cancer Now, 1 in 7 women in the UK will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, but almost 9 in 10 (or 85%) will survive a breast cancer diagnosis for five years or more. It is estimated that around 600,000 people are currently living with a breast cancer diagnosis in the UK; 99% of those are women and 80% are over the age of 50. And yet over a third of women (39%) in this country do not regularly check their breasts: given it takes only a few minutes, as multiple campaigns striving to bring wider awareness will tell you, this needs to change.

Symptoms of breast cancer include the following. If in doubt, see your GP as soon as possible:

Breast cancer is one of the few cancers which have an effective screening test in place (i.e. mammograms), with non-routine screenings such as MRIs and ultrasounds also available for breast cancer detection. For those who undergo a biopsy, 80% will be relieved to discover they don’t have breast cancer; for the remaining 20%, the primary tumour is often found in the upper quadrant of the breast (nearest the armpit), due to the high proportion of glandular tissue. In men, tumours are usually around or under the nipple.

appointments and even rescheduled chemotherapy cycles, according to Siemens Healthineers UK. The delayed fallout from this is worrying, indeed, when you learn that mammograms have been shown to have the potential to reduce breast cancer mortality rates between 25% and 40%.

A lump or firm feeling in the breast or armpit (normally, it isn’t sore)

Nipple changes or discharge

Skin that is itchy, red, scaly, dimply, or puckered

Changes in the size or shape of the breast

Now, there is additionally the option of having a 3-D mammogram, otherwise known as breast tomosynthesis. Currently, comparative detection effectiveness with 2-D mammography is being researched on an ongoing basis, but it is hoped that scientists will find that 3-D screenings assist in discovering more fastgrowing legions called interval carcinomas, as well as breast cancer tumours which are not in an advanced developmental stage – and thereby avoid overdiagnosis. Certainly, tomosynthesis requires less compression of the breast than traditional mammograms, making the examination a more comfortable experience.

Severe and lasting fatigue

Unintentional weight loss

However, during the pandemic many women cancelled their mammography

A woman’s risk of developing breast cancer is genetically determined and a DNA analysis SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) test can be undertaken if especially worried about a family history of the disease. Other factors, however, include ageing, hormonal imbalance, and lifestyle (e.g. drinking less alcohol and maintaining a healthy weight). For those men who develop breast cancer (around 370 are diagnosed annually, with 80 succumbing to the disease each year; most, over 60 years old), it is now thought there could be a connection with infertility – up to a twofold increase in risk. A 12-year study conducted by researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research in London studied participants in England and Wales and found that breast cancer diagnosis in men decreased relative to the number of children a man had. Interestingly, infertility is a marker in diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and renal disorders in men, also.

According to the National Cancer Institute, scientists can now identify three clinical subtypes of breast cancer:

Hormone receptor (HR) positive 1

Those that contain the oestrogen receptor (OR) and/ or progesterone receptor (PR), thereby growing in response to those hormones and how they can therefore be treated hormonally.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor

2 (HER2) positive

Knowing which clinical subtype a patient’s breast cancer is helps determine the most effective course of treatment. For instance, a RxPONDER TAILORx clinical trial found that “some postmenopausal women with HR positive, HER2 negative breast cancer that has spread to several lymph nodes and has a low risk of recurrence do not benefit from chemotherapy” –thereby avoiding unnecessary use of that gruelling treatment. It is hoped that further subtypes of breast cancer will be able to be classified via future genomic analysis, too.

In The Times in July, there was discussion of the impact of exercise on tumour growth rate: a study presented at the Physiological Society’s annual conference over the summer found that “a single exercise session releases substances into the bloodstream that can have an immediate impact on slowing down the growth of cancer cells.” Those substances include hormones like adrenaline and glucagon, as well as small proteins such as interleukin-6 (or IL6), which is released by the muscles during exercise, but can conversely act in a pro-inflammatory capacity when released from other tissue in the body. Furthermore, a paper by researchers at the American College of Sports Medicine 'Exercise is Medicine in Oncology' has estimated that there is potentially a 69% reduction rate in developing certain cancers when regular exercise is undertaken.

This is related to the higher prevalence of cancer in those with obesity. Sci-Tech Daily reported in late spring that new research from the University of Southampton –funded by Against Breast Cancer, Cancer Research UK, Breast Cancer

Now, and the World Cancer Research Fund UK – had found that HER2 breast cancer patients with a high BMI had increased body fat surrounding their breasts, which can cause macrophages (or inflammatory immune cells) to gather in the fatty tissue of the breast itself and form “crown-like structures” that prompts tumour growth and a molecular biomarker known as CD32B. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports and sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy drug Trastuzumab (aka Herceptin), finding that those in whom CD32B was present on the surface of the macrophages responded more poorly to Trastuzumab.

Indeed, one large-scale epidemiological study published in the journal JAMA concluded that those who are active are far less likely to develop 13 certain cancers than those who are predominantly sedentary, whether overweight or not, however. Nonetheless, lab-based studies are undertaken under controlled conditions, whereas in real life there are myriad environmental factors that impact cancer development, not to mention other bodily processes involving our blood vessels and immune cells.

The key seems to be a regularity of activity on a daily basis, rather than being active for a prolonged period of time only one or two days a week. And that exercise doesn’t have to be intense; rather, moderately active pursuits such as walking, jogging, and cycling, as well as yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi are sufficient. So, what are you waiting for? Put down that tipple and go for a stroll right now, ladies.

Triple-negative (TNBC) breast cancer

Those that have high amounts of HER2 protein, but they can be either HR positive or HR negative. Those that do not contain any ER, PR, or HER2 receptors.

Between 10% and 15% of diagnoses are TNBC. It is the hardest to treat and currently relies on chemotherapy, though a vaccine is hoped to be developed.

Every ten minutes, one woman in the UK is diagnosed with breast cancer. Every 45 minutes, one will die from the disease.

Exercise: A Whole-Body Approach for Longevity

Exercise is a science and as much a mental as a physical one at that. About two millennia ago, the Greek philosopher Flavius Philostratus wrote On Gymnastics, in which he argued that athletic training was “a form of wisdom”. Be that as it may, Christian doctrine meant one could only really exercise the mind for another millennia after that – which in itself is no bad thing –and so it wasn’t until the 1500s that the work of Italian physician Girolamo Mercuriale promoted physical education in schools alongside the academic curriculum: for the potential wisdom to be developed therein.

Indeed, though exercise hones the physique, it also hones the mind, permitting time for thought – and for creativity. That’s no doubt why so many writers and artists have been and are keen walkers (Wordsworthian gander through the countryside, anyone?). While reading at least once a week (who reads less than this, we ask?) has been shown to result in a reduced cognitive decline over a period of over a decade later, according to a 2021 study published in International Psychogeriatricswalking is perhaps the simplest form of physical exercise, and it might be the most effective, also. Every stride engages two dozen major muscles in the lower body. Really. And running is merely a step up from there, strength of legs and lungs dependent, but nevertheless another natural exercise permitted the human body.

So, whether you’re a morning jogger or stroller of a couple of blocks to wake up the brain and body before the day, and the newspaper, ahead (regardless of whether your reward afterwards is a tasty bowl of porridge or a venti Americano), either which way it is exercise that keeps us healthy and what permits us the potential for well-deserved longevity. And we would encourage that coffee consumption, too (without added creamers or sugars): a 2018 review published in the journal Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases showed that moderate intake of the antioxidant-rich beverage (maximum four cups a day) is linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, a lower likelihood of Type-II diabetes, and even a reduction in the potential development of neurodegenerative diseases.

However, balance and flexibility are important factors as time ticks on and the years pass by. As our musculoskeletal health worsens, the National Institute on Ageing has advised tips as simple as standing on one leg while brushing one’s teeth to improve both equilibrium and coordination.

Yoga is useful for taking balance exercises further, of course, with Tree Pose and its variations a great place to start. Suppleness of body can be maintained or ameliorated with forward bends, attempting to touch the floor or toes, but not forcing the hamstrings and not locking the knees, as well as standing on tip toe and reaching to the ceiling. Try incorporating these moves each morning and see how much better your body feels after only a week or so: the magic of movement.

Bill Hayes, “Sweat: The History of Exercise”

“As one can see most obviously in gifted athletes and performers, the body itself can be a source of knowledge – coordination, grace, agility, stamina, skill –both intuitive and learned.”

Wild Swimming

Feel the Chill for Metabolism

The anthology’s authors weren’t alone: during the period between 2019 and 2020, the media was awash with reports on outdoor swimming and that supreme “wow factor” of winter swimming, in particular. Lakes and rivers and the sea have long been held dear as places of recovery from illness and trauma. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have also found that “repeated cold-water immersion may slow the onset of dementia”. Another Devon-based study discovered a decrease in symptoms of anxiety, as well as symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.

President John F. Kennedy

We are, in fact, tied to most bodies of natural water, a remnant effect of being held safe and secure in fluid nine months’ long before being birthed unto the light of the world and whisked into our mothers’ loving arms. Perhaps this is why wild swimming resets us, shocks us back to ourselves and has the power to heal minds wearied by the woes of these days lived, heavy on our feet, on dry land. Ocean protection isn’t just a blueprint for a blue planet future. Essentially, it is a healing of and safeguarding of our very selves. As we inhabit the Earth, so we are of the Earth, and without her waters wild and marine, all would perish.

The paean to wild swimming that is The Hampstead Ladies’ Pond held as its theme the mental health benefits that a cold dip can provide, almost resetting the turning of the cogs, recentring sensation psychological and physical, too. Just mind for hypothermia (setting in when your core temperature drops below 35°C), goosebumps insufficient notice that you’re turning literally blue, lips unable to form words, and coordination worse than one too many glasses of wine. The key is to start slowly: no longer than one minute in the water during the winter. You can also don neoprene gloves and booties, as well as a swim hat. And if you no longer feel the cold, it’s time to get out and get swaddled in your dry clothes and sip a hot drink: you’re about to experience the “after-drop”, a near hypothermic state that will take you by surprise – sometimes dangerously so.

Interestingly, a 2018 study, published in the British Medical Journal, explored how cold-water immersion shocks our body into the “fight-or-flight” mode, increasing the heart rate and blood pressure and causing us to gasp for air for up to 90 seconds. When we are briefly exposed to cold or cold water, our body releases not only endorphins but noradrenaline: this operates on the HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis). The study proposed that the repeated act of putting our body through this trains it to cope better with the stress, thus arming us for the stresses of daily life.

It could be said to have all started with Wim Hof. The Dutch extreme athlete, aka The Iceman, has broken multiple cold exposure records, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts and running a half-marathon above the Arctic Circle barefoot. Hof himself recommends beginning with a 30-second cold shower when commencing the journey to cold exposure superpowers (or something like that). Then, build up in 15-second increments to two minutes. When you can manage two minutes under a cold running shower, you are then prepared for cold water swimming. As pertains to the gasping for air we experience when dipping in a cold pond, you can prepare for that also with 30 to 40 quick, deep breaths.

Studies have shown that sleeping at a room temperature of about 16°C aids a deeper sleep. You might not want to leave the window open overnight when there’s frost on the ground, but when spring finally creeps back around next March, those chill mornings will freshen the stale indoor air of winter living immeasurably. Similarly, cold showers are thought to ameliorate low moods, as well as increase white blood cell count and boost our immune systems in the fight against colds and viruses.

To boost metabolism now, by contrast and without immersing oneself in ice water domestic or wild, head outside into the low temperatures and condensationforming air: feeling so cold you tremble for a little while each day increases the body’s metabolic rate and thereby burns more calories and brown fat.

Other ways to support your metabolism include generally exercising, drinking a cup of coffee just before you do so, a little green tea sipping throughout the day (really; it’s all in the catechins), eating spicy foods and eating as organic and wholefoods-based as possible (iodine-rich seaweed inclusive), getting enough sleep (too, too often overlooked) and utilising the reset function of the 30-minute nap, and – of course –staying well-hydrated. An optimum functioning body is a well-oiled machine (quite literally, if you consider the extra virgin olive oil that you should be using). Lastly, never, ever yo-yo diet: the machine will malfunction. Here endeth the lesson.

"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came."

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Appetite An Energy

According to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), low energy and fatigue are as a result of a deficiency in Qi or our vital energy. As opposed to overdoing the coffee (which will further challenge overwrought adrenals), thinking about what we eat in a functional nutrition way could just be what the doctor ordered (without waiting for a GP to return your call). Somewhat similar in mindset to Ayurvedic Vata, Pitta, and Kapha doshas, TCM works on a premise of heat and cold and the dampness or dryness of both –that is to say, what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another. In general, however, a foundation diet balanced with wholegrains, fresh herbs, and spleen-supportive (or yang, as opposed to yin) foods is advised.

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Soup

Ah, soup… As healing for the soul as for the body. A nourishing hot meal that is easy to digest and absorb nutrients from. For boosting Qi, yang tonic ingredients are recommended. These include barley, green beans, and miso as a base for the soup overall.

Fresh Herbs

Adaptogenic, herbs can liven up any meal without recourse to an overload of salt, and are health-supportive in the process, too. If you’re seeking energy with a kick of internal warmth, then consider ginger and nutmeg (aptly seasonal!) for great digestion and a comforting replete flavour in a dish.

Root Vegetables

Although most vegetables are great for Qi, root vegetables such as sweet potatoes and alliums like onions and garlic are brilliant yang tonics. Lightly cooked, they’ll retain most of the nutrients (overcooked veggies aren’t appealing, let alone nourishing).

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Trauma Drive and Stress-Free Shuteye

When we undergo trauma, we often find ourselves without motivation, uninterested even in those things that used to bring us joy. What happens is that even though we seemingly physically move on from trauma, our body and our mind don’t – at least, not for a fair while. To avoid conflict, we might over-explain (known as “fawning”), or we might find we form relationships based on trauma bonding. Known as “trauma drive”, it’s considered one method of healing in terms of being a coping mechanism, but it is not healthy as a practice ongoing. Trauma drive is not the self acting authentically: it is a fear response, desperate not to have to suffer what we suffered before.

It takes time to overcome trauma, but better methods of healing include self-soothing practices, including exercise and rest, nourishing food (for body and soul), and pursuits that bring us joy without too much mental involvement, such as passive entertainment like reading or watching films (though mind the subject matter). Nonetheless, if you’re struggling to sleep, don’t fret: try out these methods and you should soon be snoozing soundly.

Get up at the same time every day1

You don’t have to be militaristic, but try to keep within half an hour of the same time each morning. Obviously, occasionally this can stretch to an hour if really necessary.

Ban the snooze button2

If you’re regularly hitting the snooze button, you’re just making yourself groggier and after repeatedly getting between seven and nine minutes “extra”, you’ll miss out on actually waking up refreshed.

Get some sunlight (15 minutes at least)3

Stand in the sun either in the window or outside, cup of tea or coffee to hand, as natural light regulates our circadian rhythms, meaning we become more alert when the sun rises and sleepy once the sun sets.

Make your bed and tidy your space4

How much calmer do you feel when you leave the house tidy and return from the office and it’s still pristine, rather than an explosion of mess? According to John Hopkins Medicine, those who make their bed in the morning are the best sleepers come nightfall, while a 2010 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that messy spaces increase production of the stress hormone, cortisol. No brainer, really!

Breakfast with your bedtime in mind5

Similarly to waking at the same time every day, if we “breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and sup like a pauper”, we prepare our bodies best for the schedule of a normal day’s events.

Move, move, move6

There’s something blissful about that post-exercise state, and science supports it, mostly everyone (unless they’ve been living in a cave) knowing that exercise releases those lovely endorphins which make us feel all giddy and joyful. It also tires us out, making us sleep better. We all differ on whether we prefer to exercise in the morning or evening, but essentially as long as you are exercising, all is well.

Making BowelHealth Cool:

From Fibre as a Trend to Microbiomic Bacterial Boosts

Few of us will be unaware of the brave fight of the late Dame Deborah James, aka Bowel Babe, the journalist turned bowel cancer campaigner who filled her final days with determined awarenessbuilding action to ensure others don’t suffer what she and her family did. She sadly died earlier this year at the far too young age of 40, leaving behind a husband and two children, after being diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016.

Each year, over 42,000 new cases of bowel cancer are recorded. Of those, 23,000 are men. Risk factors are believed to include too much red meat, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle, but symptoms can include a persistent change in bowel movement, continued lower stomach pain, unintended weight loss, and blood in the stools. Those with Crohn’s disease and extensive ulcerative colitis are at increased risk. If in doubt, always seek the advice of your GP. Indeed, bowel cancer is the third most common cause of death globally, regardless of gender.

However, if you’re experiencing general digestive discomfort, it could be that you’re suffering from low stomach acid. Our stomach needs to maintain a pH balance of between 1.5 and 3 in order to activate the pepsin and other enzymes necessary to break down amino acids. If pH is too low, then symptoms can include:

heartburn or acid reflux (where the pyloric valve stops opening and closing properly, permitting fermentation; gas then presses on the oesophagus sphincter, damaging the oesophageal lining);

bad breath or halitosis (leading to acid erosion and an enflamed red throat and tonsils);

undigested food in stools (whereas good pH levels of stomach acid would promote bile production and the pancreatic enzymes necessary to break down food);

constant post-meal tiredness (low stomach acid means blood sugar isn’t properly regulated and an improper nutrient balance results, leading to iron and vitamin B12 deficiency).

There is a school of thought behind treating low stomach acid with a potent digestive enzyme supplement and HCL (hydrochloric acid) – but these won’t help if you’re suffering from SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth). Relatively unknown until a few years ago, SIBO is being diagnosed more and more frequently.

Given that our bodies are thought to contain around ten times more bacterial cells than our own human cells, the importance of the balance within our gut is clear, then. Affecting not just the immune system and digestive system alone, but our mental health and brain health, too.

It was Joshua Lederberg who introduced the term “microbiome” in 2001. In a 2012 issue of the journal Perspectives, however, mention was made of the Russian-born biologist Élie Metchnikoff, “founding father of probiotics”, who based his research on the longevity of Bulgarians and their daily consumption of “fermented milk products like yogurt and kefir”. Now, Grand View Research has estimated that by 2028 the global probiotics market will be worth $92.25 billion [c. £77.3 billion]. If you need a crash course in the gut microbiome and the bacterial world therein, then it might be worth heading over to The Probiotics Institute website set up by Danish company Chr. Hansen, who have been “improving food and health since 1874”.

Impressive figures from Grand View Research, certainly, but there’s more to digestive health than probiotics alone. Most of us know what prebiotics are (non-digestible, they stimulate the growth and activity of specific gut bacteria), just as we now understand that probiotics are live microorganisms from which we derive health benefits. Now, according to Harvard Health Publishing, we need to get our heads around postbiotics (also known as metabiotics, biogenes, or metabolites). These are non-living bacterial products, “the waste left behind after your body digests both prebiotics and probiotics”. ‘Waste’, however, is a loose term, given that what is left behind includes nutrients like vitamins B or K, amino acids, or antimicrobial peptides and converse short-chain fatty acids that promote healthy bacterial growth. These biotics, together with prolactics (parabiotics, or immobilised probiotics, combined with probiotics), have all been analysed in obesity studies.

A Mordor Intelligence survey found that probiotics are no longer simply about gut health itself, but “immunity, skincare, oral health, slimming, and sports endurance”, among others, including mental health. Indeed, one recent University of Oxford study found a probiotic taken over a four-week period resulted in improved mood and emotional processing. Is it any wonder, when we know that our bodies entire are each home to 38 trillion microorganisms?

A Spanish study published in 2021 in the journal Nutrients attempted to apply the Stages of Change Model in the DIETMENT programme (Nutrition Education Programme for the Promotion of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among People with Severe Mental Disorder). The Catalonian study, conducted by Mireia Vilamara-Ora, et al, found that only 14% of people over the age of 15 consume five or more servings of F&V (fruits &

vegetables) each day. That percentage is even lower in those suffering from Severe Mental Disorders (SMDs), their clinical complexity inclusive of associated medical comorbidities which often increase the risk of premature death. The Stages of Change Model is also known as the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) and includes Pre-Contemplation, Contemplation, Determination, Action, Maintenance, and Termination or Relapse.

Aileen Green, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Compliance at ADM Protein, noted that “the economic burden of depression in England alone amounts to £7.5 billion a year”, but that nutritional psychiatry holds great hope for many sufferers. Given the microbiota-gut-brain axis, it’s no surprise that “the scientific world is coming to view the human being as a superorganism”, either.

Aileen Green

In just 48 hours, the food we eat can affect the very composition and diversity of our gut microbiome and this more innovative research path into the gut-brain connection has resulted in innovation, also, of new fermented products to join the long line of kimchis and kombuchas, of sauerkrauts and kefirs. One such novelty (though it won’t be for long) is fermented vegetable juice: as accessible as a probiotic shot, they can also be used as a salad dressing, assisting those on the fast-set travelator of life with the necessary nutritional support to carry on with their frenetic pace of living.

“Hippocrates famously said, ‘Let food be thy medicine’. Researchers today propose a modified version: Let food for your microbes be thy brain medicine.”

“Fermentation” has been a buzzword for a little while, now. Indeed, it’s mainstream. Lately, though, that’s because precision fermentation is the hot new thing in ethical dairy (that’s the animal-free, non-exploitative kind). However, traditional fermentation is where your probiotic goodness comes in, foundational fermented foods being the likes of sauerkraut and kimchi, miso and beer, as well as yogurt.

Nevertheless, it’s also important to maintain the balance between the two main types of long-chain fatty acids (Omega-3s and Omega6s) for optimum gut health, also so as to lower inflammation in the body. Certainly, too many Omega-6s increase risk of inflammation, whereas a higher proportion of Omega-3s lowers inflammatory responses in the body, specifically inflammation in the intestine (such as in Inflammatory Bowel Disease), according to a 2019 study published in the International Journal of Molecular Science

The healthiest fats are found in oily fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel, as well as flaxseeds and chia seeds, algae or algal oil, and walnuts and good quality olive oil. Oily fish also contains collagen peptides, thought to fortify and protect the gut lining, according to a 2019 study published in the journal Marine Drugs

There are three main types of Omega3s: DHA (or docosahexaenoic acid), EPA (or eicosapentaenoic acid), and ALA (or alphalinolenic acid). On a daily basis, we should be eating between 250mg and 500mg of DHA and EPA, as well as at minimum just over one gram of ALA (men need closer to two). A deficiency in Omega-3s isn’t always visible –such as cardiovascular issues or internal chronic inflammation – but symptoms such as unusually dry skin not come from dehydration, dry eyes and fatigue, brittle or thinning hair, sudden joint pain and stiffness, and brain fog and reduced cognitive function can be good indicators to watch out for, as well as the onset of depression.

Be prepared to be patient when addressing a deficiency, though: it can take over four months to rebalance your Omega-3 levels if you were seriously depleted before. As with the finer things in life, healing takes time.

Nonetheless, a third type – biomass fermentation – involves using fast-growing microorganisms to create large-scale amounts of protein. One example of this is the Quorn brand. This biomass fermentation is what has recently been cranked up a notch to form mycelium-based bacon and whole-cut steak. “Air protein” being in the midst of development (conducted by two companies: Berkeleybased, um, Air Protein and Helsinki-based Solar Foods), it might seem odd that something that can be formed into food that can be eaten comes literally from CO2, but it’s another form of biomass fermentation – one that was laid out by none other than NASA in 1967 for space missions…

Now, it’s also thought that an Omega-3 rich diet could be just as beneficial for digestive health as probiotics and fibre. According to researchers at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, both PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) and MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) affect the gut microbiome in positive ways, diversifying the bacteria therein. According to a study published in the journal Foods this year, the fats serve as prebiotics, feeding good bacteria and multiplying those instead of pathogens.

Natural Support for the Menopause

The Menopause is defined as a time in a woman’s life when menstruation cycles stop. It happens because female hormones naturally reduce, meaning ovaries eventually stop releasing eggs, periods cease, and pregnancy is no longer possible. The average age in the UK for menopause is 51, with the majority of the female population likely to experience the menopause between the ages of 45 and 55. Research shows that over 80% of women will experience menopausal symptoms of varying degrees. Symptoms can range from disrupted sleep and mood changes to hot flashes and vaginal dryness.

The good news is there are a number of natural options available in the form of supplements to help reduce some of the most common menopausal symptoms:

Thought to assist in regulating body temperature during the peri-menopausal stage. A study of 100 women supplementing daily with 300mg ashwagandha found significant improvements in hot flushes, as well as general quality of life scores, during this time.

An adaptogen which helps to increase the body’s ability to deal with physical and mental stressors, including menopausal symptoms, maca has also been shown to act as a natural aphrodisiac to counter reduced libido and may help improve energy levels and reduce the likelihood of fatigue. Therefore, maca may benefit those who experience reduced libido during this transition.

Lifestyle Tips

Aimee Benbow Head Nutritionist Viridian Nutrition

There are also a number of dietary and practical lifestyle tips which can assist this transitional phase:

A clean, balanced diet is especially important for women going through the menopause. Avoiding heavily processed foods high in sugar and salt is vital for reducing the risk of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.

Post-menopausal women are susceptible to developing osteoporosis. To maintain bone strength, top up your calcium and vitamin D levels. Calcium can be obtained in the diet through milk, dairy products, and leafy green vegetables. Supplementation may help to achieve the required 700mg or more of calcium to support bone health and to increase vitamin D intake. Incorporate some weight bearing exercises such as walking, jogging and low impact aerobics as these can help to slow down bone loss.

Sage and Red Clover

Work as phytoestrogenic herbs, reducing symptoms such as hot flushes and sweating. Phytoestrogens are plant derived compounds that mimic oestrogen by binding to oestrogen receptors in the body. In this way, they are able to alleviate symptoms of the menopause by allowing the body to believe there is oestrogen present.

Hops extract, standardized to a certain phytoestrogen, has also been well studied for its benefits in relieving common menopausal symptoms. In one 12-week study, supplementation with hops extract significantly reduced hot flushes and night sweats.

Clinical studies have shown that 30mg of saffron extract taken daily can reduce the symptoms of low mood and depression during the menopause.

Set yourself a positive sleep environment and routine by avoiding blue lights from mobile and laptop devices an hour or two before bed, wearing loose clothing, particularly of natural fibres, and keeping the temperature within the bedroom cool and well ventilated. Avoid caffeine, smoking, and alcohol throughout the day.

Relaxation and ‘You’ time should not be overlooked and can be crucial to helping you feel more comfortable and in control. Trying meditation and support groups with like-minded people can be a big help.

This aromatic herb contains an active acid called ‘rosmarinic acid’ which has been shown in clinical trials to benefit memory and cognitive performance during the menopause. Lemon balm can also assist with any sleep issues associated with the menopause.

Lemon Balm

An omega-6 found in borage and evening primrose oil, gamma linolenic acid has been shown to be beneficial in regulating hormone balance, which in turn can lessen the severity of menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats. Additionally, omega-6 plays an important role in skin health and can assist with skin and tissue structure and flexibility.

Evening Primrose and Borage oils

Extracted from The Menopause Journal

Copies and additional support available from independent health stores. findahealthstore.com

Ashwagandha Maca

Hops

Saffron

The Sanity of a Sober October

& Quenching That Seasonal Thirst

Begun in 2014, Sober October is a campaign that aims to challenge social drinkers to opt out of the booze for one month and better their health (and their bank accounts) in the process. Perfect as a pre-Christmas season detox, in addition to the potential beginning of a longer lifestyle change, from a clearer head to better quality sleep, weight loss, increased energy, and even a sense of achievement – going without alcohol for 31 little days gives the liver a rest and reduces the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes Type-II, and even skin melanoma. Pretty good reasons, eh?

The Corona brand has laudably gotten in on the act, as well, launching its 0.0% Corona Sunbrew beer, which comes with the added extra of vitamin D, 30% RDA in each 330ml serving. Initially launched in Canada (where, one assumes, fortification with vitamin D and the label’s slogan “Sunshine Anytime” might be really quite necessary…), Corona Sunbrew combines Corona Extra that has had the alcohol extracted with non-alcoholic beer. Certainly, the concept marks new trails ahead for the low- and noalcohol market.

If, however, after all that Sober October still isn’t for you, then it might be worth considering natural wine, at least. Different from either organic or biodynamic wine (though, always organically biodynamic itself), the jury is out on whether or not natural wine really is all that beneficial for, erm, nature and the environment or not. Indeed, some believe it more of a philosophy than an actual purchase choice, the basic ethos being as pure as possible. The obvious fundamental is no additives, but natural wine also links with organic wines in its usage of grapes grown without pesticides or chemical fertilisers. Indeed, the difference comes with its employment of wild native yeast in the fermentation process, making for an earthier palette than conventional, mass market wines. Meanwhile, there’s also a vegan bar that’s recently opened. Donald Watson’s Vegan Bar (so called) opened in Leicester, named after the founder of The Vegan Society. Shunning alcoholic drinks that use animal-derived standard ingredients of old, such as isinglass from fish swim bladders or even gelatine or dairy, the new vegan bar offers only vegancertified spirits, cocktails, beers, and wines. There are even animal-free nibbles, too.

Nevertheless, if you’re on the cusp of trying Sober October, yet hesitant as you think about all those late autumn stresses from work and family which might possibly see you reaching for a nice, chilled glass of something alcoholic, then why not contemplate a CBD (cannabinoid) drink instead for your wind down? A soother for the nervous system, instead of a stressor, tension can be eased without harming the liver and relaxation enjoyed without that drop in blood sugar levels later on, when the body metabolises the alcohol. With CBD products now having to meet FSA (Food Standards Agency) approval in order to be sold, it’s clear that CBD is here to stay. Further, you can more easily trust that what you’re buying is both safe and real.

Conversely, if that’s a little too out there for you, then how about a simple sip of tea – but cold-brewed and served over ice? Tea has been an act of self-care and show of care for others for millennia. It can also support brain function. In particular, studies have shown green tea to be effective in reducing anxiety, as well as its catechin content (a class of flavonoids) beneficial for reduced inflammation (catechins fight off free radicals) and protecting against neurological diseases. The caffeine in green and black tea, of course, also serves a purpose for anyone assigned the role of designated driver to and from all those festive parties, as well…

Although nothing can beat regular water in hydrating our bodies and minds for long and healthy lives (all things considered), tea offers a richness of phenolic compounds that are thought to be anticarcinogenic and heart beneficial. And coldbrewing it – literally, soaking the tea in cold water for a longer period of time – is the best way to reap the positive properties of the leaves, together with a better flavour, too. In just 24 hours, homemade cold-brewed tea can be yours at a fraction of the price of any store-bought option. Additionally, a 2015 study published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology found that cold-brewed teas (whether black, green, or oolong) had more polyphenols than hotbrewed teas. A mindfulness process in itself, cold-brewing is certainly not something to be snubbed, even at this chilly time of year.

So, before the festive season all too quickly arrives, why not give a Sober October a try this year? Your liver will thank you for it. To your health!

While we can all feel lonely to some extent at various points in our lives, whether besieged by a virus or not, for those with mental health issues the situation can be so much more intense. Indeed, a study by researchers at King’s College London found that one in five psychiatric disorder patients reported loneliness as one of their symptoms. If they do, this often leads to a longer stay and supervision if admitted during a crisis episode.

As joyful and familial love-replete as Christmas can be for many, for some this time of year is the loneliest of all. According to MQ Research, even before the pandemic 5% of British adults described themselves as lonely and, according to ONS Data, after Covid lockdowns 3.7 million of us reported suffering from “chronic loneliness”.

One in four of us are impacted by mental illness annually. Loneliness, of course, can lead to anxiety and anxiety can inhibit our enjoyment of socialising, the resultant withdrawal then leading to depression from, yep, loneliness – a vicious cycle. Loneliness has also been shown to hasten cognitive decline.

Biologically, loneliness is seen as a fundamental threat to survival, according to Kristen Radtke. When we feel separate from others or perceive ourselves to be other, loneliness descends, which can quickly spiral into paranoia. This can result from a disconnect with our local community, from our original friendship group, and of course from that friendship group dwindling due to the ravages of time on the mortal scale of things. This is why those over the age of 65 have a much higher likelihood of loneliness.

So, watch out for your fellow humans this season: make sure grandparents are at that shared Yuletide feast (either in person or at the end of a Skype call –those pandemic habits are here to stay, after all!) and don’t let single friends hole up alone (unless they’re adamant that brings them joy, of course; solitude is a different matter to loneliness). This is the time of year to come together, from the small enclave of the family to the larger scale of one’s local, national, and global community. No man is an island…

Firstly, Fitness

Long gone are the days when carnophallagocentrism reigned supreme. In other words, there are few uneducated souls left who truly believe that meat consumption equates to muscle building. In fact, by saying no animal products, guys are far likelier to be saying goodbye also to saturated fats and cholesterol (thus protecting themselves from heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers).

A health and wellness magazine isn’t all about women, of course. This is no clearer than at this time of year, with Movember and Decembeard campaigns raising awareness about male-specific cancers and other men’s health issues. Because, let’s face it, guys tend to keep private matters to themselves – oftentimes detrimentally. Indeed, 20% of men die before reaching even 65 years of age. That’s utterly shocking, and it is unacceptable. It’s time to be open, and one place to start with that openness is with diet and overall lifestyle (doesn’t it always come down to what we put on our plates and fuel and exercise our bodies and minds with?).

It’s All in the Mind

Although women are more likely to suffer from depression, men are at increased risk of suicide because they are less likely to seek help for it. Some studies have shown a reduced incidence of stress and anxiety – key causes of depression – in those who removed all animal products from their diet.

Reining in the Waistline

Colonic Care

With the WHO (World Health Organisation) warning that processed meat – those favoured sausages and bacon rashers, and that coveted deli ham, too – can cause bowel cancer, it seems only

sensible to switch out these products for vegetarian or vegan alternatives, or travel the WFPB (Whole Food Plant Based) path and utilise vegetables to their full versatile capacity instead.

Milk-Free Masculine Skincare

Many guys find their skin breaking out in acne when they turn to whey-based protein powders (and steroids, granted) in order to develop a more hulk-like physique. As well as reducing the risk of

breast cancer (yes, approximately 400 men are diagnosed with it annually in the UK alone), ditching the dairy in any form can also balance male hormones and thereby return equilibrium to this largest organ of the human body (about a seventh of a person’s entire body weight).

Men are predisposed to gaining weight around their middles as the, erm, big 5-0 mark approaches and, with the UK now deemed “the fat man of Europe”, it’s

crucial that the stats be reversed (1 in 4 men now classed as obese). A wholefoods vegan diet is naturally low-fat and high in fibre, keeping you feeling fuller for longer and, indeed, fuelled by the plentiful nutrients.

Protecting Those Parts

Given that high-fat dairy and a meatheavy diet have been shown to increase the risk of prostate cancer, it makes a bit of sense to take such items off the menu. Indeed, those who have already been diagnosed have

found progression of prostate cancer to be slowed by a WFPB diet combined with exercise. Red meat and high-fat dairy have also been shown to affect blood flow to the nether regions, leading to impotence. So, what’ll be boys? Steak frites or grilled Portobello mushroom with a side of sweet potato chips?

Reflect, Rebalance, and Re-energise

It might sound a little bit kooky – though, given this is our final issue, we’re going to ride the trend wave anyway – but energy-field healing is becoming ever more popular. Not actually too far off from what viewers bore witness to with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goopian universe doc, The Energy Experience, sessions IRL are being undertaken by a broad range of individuals, including logic-governed businesspeople wanting to switch off and rebalance both mind and body.

Part of the field of Modern Energy Medicine, energy-field healing isn’t about tapping into the powers of astral projection script of the Netflix drama Behind Her Eyes. Rather, it’s about working to balance out negative emotions such as grief, anger, and anxiety with happier emotions, operating by the natural road map, so to speak, that is our seven-chakra path. The effect, when successful, is similar to a literal weight being lifted off of us.

An alternative to talking therapy, when we’re perhaps exhausted by yet more attempts to express how we feel, the potential for a shift in how we feel through energy-field healing is a welcome passive practice that shouldn’t be sniffed at. Indeed, the mixture of touch and non-touch, of vocal sound vibrations and meditation help to, well, heal what needs healing.

Originating in Japan, Reiki is said to reduce stress and promote relaxation and healing by a “laying on of hands” (this can be literally on the body or just above it, on the “energy field”). In terms of Reiki, we are alive by grace of a “life force energy”, otherwise known as our Chi (similar to Traditional Chinese Medicine, TCM). Not so out there a concept as you might at first think: scientists have proven that all objects have an electromagnetic field. As with most systems, there are different schools of Reiki, the Jikiden school (founded by Mikao Usui) meaning “directly taught” is the original way of Reiki that seeks to aid recovery and rebalance by shifting accumulated toxins (byosen).

Of course, this unblocking concept works similarly to the concept of opening our chakras in Ayurvedic medicine. The main energy centres of the body, the word chakra means “wheel” in Sanskrit, in the sense of the wheel of a water mill, for instance, an open chakra allowing energy to flow positively and in free fashion, without hindrance. When there is harmony, when there is alignment of those energy centres, then we are whole, then we can function and – if necessary – start our reborn path.

So, if we can’t quite stretch to the cost of a Reiki session (especially in these extortionate cost of living times), then how can we align our chakras and benefit from the free flow of energy? Through yoga, and by meditation. Indeed, autumn and winter are not the seasons to always be on the go, rather –although there should certainly be included in our weekly routines high-intensity, sweat-producing exercise sessions – time should be set aside for moments with oneself only, time for reflection, for meditation, and thereby recovery. Whether that needed space helps to imbue us with strength for the day, the week, the month to follow, or whether that period of quiet thinking is vitally important in the moment – in this frenetic world, attaining such is priceless.

Another useful practice is saying aloud affirmations while mirror gazing: stand in front of the mirror in your bathroom, gaze into your own eyes, and repeat the following (it might seem oh-so very unBritish, but it really can help; and do make sure your voice is loud when you do so):

However, if you prefer your fully clothed “laying on of hands” with actual massage qualities, then Tui Na might be a better option. Practised for the past 4,000 years or so, Tui Na (literally tui or “push” and na or “grasp”) is considered “the world’s oldest form of bodywork”. One of the four branches of TCM – the others being Chinese Herbal Medicine, Qi Gong, and Acupuncture – Tui Na is offered in hospitals in China even today. It was Tui Na’s introduction to Japan only about a millennium ago that led to the development of Shiatsu, in fact.

Tui Na is a complementary therapy that helps to alleviate muscular, joint, and nerve-related pain in the body, whether complaints are acute or chronic. Through kneading and palpation, rolling and squeezing actions, as well as plucking, vibration and rocking and rubbing across muscle fascia – Tui Na effects the same deep-tissue care as Swedish massage.

Incredibly relaxing, Tui Na doesn’t use oils except for the face and clothes remain on (light and loose clothing, that is). It also improves blood circulation and lymphatic drainage and energy flow throughout the body: our Qi, our Prana, our Pneuma, our Nyama – whatever you want to label that vital energy that makes us conscious, biologically functioning humans. Sounds good to us…

I am enough. I am worthy. I am capable. I am powerful.

BLUE MOOD for Bliss and Longevity

Blue, rather than being the often used synonymous term for a depressive episode, is in fact a colour that invites openness like the skies, composure, and tranquillity. Think of nature, how calm we feel looking at the sea (even at this time of year), or any body of aquamarine, be it a rushing river, a languid lake, or a simple stream. Blue can also be a swimming pool (should you be off on a winter break soon), those depths inviting us, pulling us towards a rhythm in its coloured embrace.

Blue also sets our minds these days to the Blue Zones, those near-mythological lands of centenarians. People in the Blue Zones know that one way to achieve a calmer existence is to fine-tune that delicate notion of a work-life balance: the rewards of such are evidenced in their long-lived existence. So it is that the 9-principle path inspired by the Blue Zones can help attain if not zen, then at least one hopes a few more years on the mortal clock and good health to go with it.

By implementing a few habits and routines, by slowing down the overall pace, a charm is worked in helping us to feel more at peace and able to breathe deeply once again in the day-to-day (less likely to suffer anxiety attacks or lay awake at night dreading the morning to come). Life is not all about money (it helps, of course, but you can’t take it with you at the end): rather, it’s about sharing the joys of life in the company of family and friends, it’s about the memories we make and the legacy we leave behind us.

The Power of 9 might seem simplistic on the surface, but once you really think about and put into practice these few concepts, you’ll soon realise what is off kilter and what needs amending in your life. As we move towards the close of the year, now is the time to set things right for 2023.

1. Move Naturally

You don’t need to transform overnight into a gym bunny in order to either start taking care of your body or keep

it in the (hopefully peak) condition it is at the moment. In fact, rather than pounding it out on a treadmill, Blue Zones people are naturally active in their daily lives. From gardening to growing their own vegetables and fruit, to walking or cycling into town and electing to manually clean their homes – a little like Yoga trains the body to sit in meditation, so day-today upkeep should keep us active enough to claim a natural fitness from, um, natural movement.

2. Family First

We are nothing without our family, both the one we were born into and the one we ourselves give birth to.

At the end of the day, family is everything. Some studies have even shown a connection between lower disease and mortality rates in children who have regular interaction with grandparents and great-grandparents who live close by or even in the home, while a parent’s devotion to their partner has been suggested to increase longevity by about three years.

3. Know Your Purpose

Without purpose, what reason to leave our beds when dawn returns (especially on those extremely cold and

rainy mornings, when we’d like nothing better than to hunker deeper down under the duvet)? If we know why we’re doing what we are, and if we can visualise what we will be doing for the next, say, seven years, then we have a purpose, a goal that fortifies us on bad days and keeps us carrying on when challenges arise.

4. Downshift

That’s not to say you should be pushing yourself to burnout: stress is a key cause of inflammation in the body. If you feel you’re reaching your

limits even though your purpose in life (as above) is clear, take pause and ask yourself: Is your work meaningful and manageable? Are you able to “go lowtech” after normal working hours? Are your days holistically shaped to meet your and your family’s needs, rather than scheduled? If the answer to all these questions is no, then it’s probably time to reconsider your career path.

5.

80% Rule

A wisdom known for generations, electing not to gorge ourselves until we’re so full we just want to take a nap is the key to staying not only in

shape, but in good health. The person who eats until they are only 80% full and in a state where they could have a little bit more, but really they don’t need it, is best. Leaving ourselves with 20% hunger keeps us energised. It’s also best to eat only until early in the evening and let your body fast until the morning.

6. Plant Slant

By no means vegan, rather the Blue Zones diet is predominantly plantbased, usually only including meat once or twice a week (fish is eaten

more frequently). Instead, much protein – not to mention fibre – is provided for in the high quantity of beans and legumes consumed. Digestive health, then, seems to be key to longevity. A portion roughly the size of a deck of cards is sufficient and feel free to choose from any pulse you can think of – the wider the variety, the better!

7. Wine at 5

Apart from Adventists, all Blue Zones people drink alcohol and studies have shown light to moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers. Wine is

best (red especially so), but only one or two glasses, sipped with a meal and with company. Don’t drink the weekly allowance in one sitting, though: it doesn’t work like that. Cheers!

8. Belong

We live in fairly (we use the word tentatively) accepting

times when it comes to our elected belief systems. From agnostics and atheists, to devout Christians and Jews, as well as spiritualists and the myriad faiths in existence – the central focus in “belonging” is in the concept of “community”. When we feel we belong, then we are at peace. Indeed, research has found that those who belong to some sort of faith-based group (as is common in the Blue Zones) normally live around four to fourteen years longer than those who don’t.

9. Right Tribe

We’re taught when young that picking the right friends

is important – and that lesson was entirely right. With studies showing that smoking, obesity, happiness, and even loneliness can be contagious, it pays to choose our friends wisely, indeed. The trials and tribulations of life, as well as the firmly global nature of career paths and family moves, might mean we don’t all keep the group of friends we had from our school days, but whenever our “tribe” is in flux, each time we need to listen to our intuition.

You’ve Got This!

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