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The Prime Minister listed the things he looked forward to most as he announced significant changes to lockdown restrictions, including getting a haircut and dining at a restaurant.

From July 4, pubs, restaurants and hair salons in England will be allowed to reopen - and indoor gatherings involving two separate households will be permitted.

At the Downing Street press briefing on Tuesday, Boris Johnson said he had a "very long list" of things he was looking forward to.

"I think it's great to see people out shopping again and frankly I can't wait to go to a pub or a restaurant, even if it may not be compatible with the new diet that I'm on," he said.

"I'd love to go to the theatre again, I'd like to go and see The Globe.

"I'd like to go to a restaurant, frankly. I would love to get my hair cut."

He added that he would "love to play village cricket again", although he described a cricket ball as a "natural vector of disease" at the Commons on Tuesday as he confirmed the sport remains banned outside the elite level.

But he assured that work was continuing with the likes of the performing arts and sports sector to ensure more activities could be given the green light in the future.

Mr Johnson added: "Don't think that this package represents the summit of our ambitions.

"It is as far as we can go for now but I want to stress again that we won't be able to make further progress unless we continue to work together to keep this virus under control."

Other venues that are set to open their doors include hotels, B&Bs and campsites along with most leisure facilities and attractions such as theme parks.

Outdoor gyms and playgrounds will be returned to use, and cinemas, museums and galleries will also be allowed to open their doors again.

However, live performances at concert halls and theatres are still banned, partly due to the risk posed by singing in spreading the virus.

"Close proximity" businesses including nightclubs, soft play centres, indoor gyms, nail bars and beauty salons will also remain shut, as will bowling alleys and water parks.

Link:
Boris: I can't wait to get my hair cut and have a meal out (despite his diet) - Echo

The mix maybe hasnt risen enough, or the tin is too big, says Tom Kerridge. Is it a wholemeal flour?

Its not every day that an affable Michelin-starred celebrity chef drops by, even if it is via the power of Zoom, and it just happens to coincide with my lockdown loaf emerging from the oven. Of course, I share the magic moment. Its not my proudest attempt at sourdough todays is under-risen, possibly overdone, not entirely un-brick-like.

It looks quite dense, Id be looking for something a bit more Kerridge, so chatty on the telly, suddenly seems lost for words. It looks quite rustic, he says, finally, before adding: And bread is supposed to be rustic.

Correctly rustic Ill take that. But this isnt about me and my fabulous sourdough; its about him, his restaurants, other restaurants and what future they have, if any.

As well as the television and the books, Kerridge, 46, has restaurants in London and Manchester, plus a brace of seriously foody pubs in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The affluent Thameside town is also where he lives with his wife, sculptor Beth Cullen-Kerridge, and their four-and-a-half-year-old son, where his offices are and where he Zooms from today. He is wearing a grey sweatshirt and looks healthy and quite trim, with no extra lockdown weight.

Kerridge hasnt always been trim. A bacchanalian lifestyle (including sinking 15 pints a night) took its toll until, approaching 40 and weighing 30 stone, he realised he would be pushing daisies before he reached 50 unless he got a grip on his life. So thats what he did. Over a couple of years he offloaded about 12 stone via his own recipe for weight loss that involves a low-carb diet, loads of exercise and abstinence. Tom Kerridges dopamine diet he called it in his 2017 book.

I havent been able to get to the gym, obviously, and I havent got any free weights at home, so Ive lost a load of strength but Ive taken up running, he tells me. I hate every minute of it. Im not built for running but I try to do 20, maybe 25k a week. I make myself do it and I feel better when its done.

What about the diet? The deep-fat fryer did come out last night, he admits, to make fish and chips with his son. I didnt eat the chips. I did have bits of the fish but it was a very thin batter.

And the dopamine levels? Up and down. He has enjoyed time with the family, cooking, tea at home, family bike rides. But there is a really dark cloud floating above it. Theres something not quite right, he says. Its like being on a really shit holiday.

Working in a restaurant is more than a job. It defines you as a person, like being an artist or an actor or a sportsman, he says. Take that away and a big part of you has gone. He filled some of the void by setting up a charitable fund, making meals to serve NHS staff in local hospitals. It has been helpful, not just for the frontline health workers who have been able to sit down for five minutes and eat something that didnt come from a vending machine, but also for the members of his own staff who volunteered. It allowed them to feel they are still doing something proactive, cooking every day. I know we were out on Thursday nights clapping, but this felt like a physical opportunity to give somebody something back.

Restaurants and pubs, the whole hospitality industry, probably couldnt have been hit any harder. Its been a huge wake-up call, he says. Everyone knows the story that two out of three restaurants dont make it through the first year after opening. But everyone sees a busy restaurant and assumes its making loads of money. Most busy restaurants are just about surviving. If youre making 10% net profit on turnover youre seen to be doing good; 10% net profit is such a small margin.

Kerridge is reasonably happy with the government so far, from a business point of view, if not a public health one. His staff are nearly all on furlough, the grants have helped, but the future is massively uncertain. Theres going to be some horrific casualties, close friends, maybe us, who knows? We dont know, until we can open, what the appetite is going to be like for going out.

He says its hard to guess which businesses are most at risk. Theres the restaurant that has to borrow from the government just to reopen, and will then have to make a profit to repay the loan. Or those that had just opened when this happened; or even if you were an incredibly successful restaurateur but had just borrowed to open another restaurant and now cant fund the borrowing. Size is no guarantee of survival; Kerridge points to the report that Pret a Manger was looking to negotiate rents. If theyre having to do it, that means the little guys will have to. Each individual business will have its own sense of vulnerability, why and how it can come through this or why it cant.

If this all sounds incredibly gloomy, Kerridge himself doesnt. Yes, there are black clouds, worries, uncertainties, difficult decisions, but he admits that there is a part of him that finds it quite exciting. Its a little bit like when youre a young chef and youre in service on a Saturday night, theres a sense of fear. Fear about whether youre going to be able to make it through? It is kind of like that, just a bit more serious with a lot more money involved.

But restaurants arent all about money. It runs deeper, its about love and passion and connection to human beings. Youre in the hospitality industry because you like being with other people. There is something very special about working in restaurants, youre operating to give people a great time.

How exactly they are going to operate in order to give people a great time still isnt clear. Kerridge is hoping to be opening in some form as soon as he can, but the guidelines and protocol arent in place no one knows if its going to have to be 1 metre or 2 metres between tables, so he doesnt know what his capacity is going to be, or even whether diners will be ready to come out. How many staff hes going to be employing will ultimately depend on these things.

His pubs will have wooden screens between tables, which he says will be in line with them, as he doesnt want them to feel too different. Eating out is about enjoying yourself, he says. If you make it just about the process, in a sterile and uninviting environment, you may as well just go to a motorway service station.

But behind the scenes it will be more clinical: temperature checks for staff when they come in, questionnaires about symptoms. They need to feel safe, they need to feel cared for, they need to feel loved.

Care, love, social connectivity, these are words that come up a lot when Kerridge talks about his work and the people he works with. He gets very cross when they get referred to in parliament as low-skilled workers. If they think its low-skilled, I wouldnt mind seeing Boris Johnson or Priti Patel come in working the sauce section of the Hand and Flowers. Come and cook 70 perfect pieces of meat on a Saturday night and then tell me its low-skilled.

Surely the question should be: Why is food so cheap? Why can you buy a packet of chicken breasts for 1.99?

If coronavirus has shone a light on the vulnerability of the hospitality sector, it has also highlighted its importance, not least because of the millions of jobs involved in the industry and those connected to it. Hospitality is built on farming and producers, without us open these guys are losing so much. The knock-on effect is massive.

He thinks there will be more recognition of the process and people involved from the farmers to waiters and that good food costs money. When people ask why food is so expensive, surely the question should be: Why is food so cheap? Why can you buy a packet of chicken breasts for 1.99?

No chlorinated chicken at the Hand and Flowers then? Absolutely not, were going to be going the other way. I want to be even closer to the producer, the guy looking after the chickens. I want to be even more connected to the people we get things from, to a human being rather than a process.

There they are again, those human connections. We want and need to be out, saying hello to each other, having that connection. So the hospitality industry will survive, its not going to just shut. There will be some harsh realities and casualties, whether its restaurant groups or individual staff, there will be some very big bumps along the way. But we are a fantastic, forward-thinking, eclectic, diverse, rich, exciting industry that will adapt and come through the other side.

Taking a positive stance then, but he they, the industry need to, he says. Dont forget, this is a man who found positives in the burnt brick that came from my oven.

Read more:
Tom Kerridge on love, weight loss and the restaurant crisis: 'There will be some horrific casualties' - The Guardian

One in five 17-year-olds consume high levels of alcohol, are daily or occasional smokers and have poor diets, new research on clusters of health behaviour in adolescents shows.

A new report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), the States independent think tank, published on Tuesday, found three distinct health clusters among young adults.

A group comprising 21 per cent of 17-year-olds - described as unhealthy smokers and drinkers - were found to have the highest level of alcohol consumption, were daily or occasional smokers, had moderate to low levels of physical activity and poor to moderate dietary quality.

Another group described as the unhealthy diet and physical activity group made up 36 per cent of this age group and did not smoke or drank alcohol rarely, once a month or less, but had the worst levels of physical activity and had the poorest diets.

A healthy group representing 43 per cent of 17-year-olds were non-smokers, drank rarely, engaged in exercise in six or more occasions in the previous fortnight and had the best diet.

The research, drawing on data from the Growing Up in Ireland 98 Cohort and funded by HSE Health and Wellbeing, found that young women are more likely to fall into the unhealthy smoker and drinker group and especially the unhealthy diet and activity groups.

Young people from working-class backgrounds were more likely to be a smoker and drink and those whose mothers had lower levels of education - Leaving Certificate or lower - were more likely to have poor diet and physical activity levels.

There were higher rates of drinking and smoking among young people whose parents are occasional or regular smokes, reflecting the impact of parental health behaviour on children.

The socioeconomic background of students and the school climate had a more significant effect than school policy on the membership of the various groups.

Negative interaction with teachers and disaffection from school was found to lead to greater levels of smoking and drinking.

The research findings show that measures to promote both school engagement and a more positive school climate, while important for educational outcomes, are likely to have positive spillovers for other aspects of young peoples lives, including health behaviours, said Anne Nolan, one of the authors of the report.

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One in five 17-year-olds are unhealthy smokers and drinkers - ESRI report - The Irish Times

Fatty foods, dairy, and sweetened treats can raise the risk of acne in adults.

A study by French researchers found that foods such as milk chocolate or sugary drinks could trigger acne in adults.

The results of our study appear to support the hypothesis that the Western diet (rich in animal products and fatty and sugary foods) is associated with the presence of acne in adulthood, the authors wrote.

More than 24,000 adults in France took part in the study. They were asked to keep a 24-hour dietary record over a 2-week period.

The participants were asked to note everything they ate and drank as well as the amounts consumed.

The researchers concluded that fatty, dairy-based, and sugary foods can trigger an acne outbreak.

Drinking five glasses a day of either milk or a sugary drink increased risk of acne by more than 50 percent.

One portion of fatty foods such as french fries or a sugary food like a doughnut increased the risk of acne by 54 percent, the researchers reported.

Dr. Joseph Zahn, an assistant professor of dermatology at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., says the study results arent surprising.

The fact that fatty foods, sugary foods (those foods that are high glycemic), as well as dairy foods (particularly low fat dairy) cause acne doesnt surprise me in the least, Zahn told Healthline.

There have been a number of studies in the recent past which have suggested this particular link, and many of my patients have personally noted acne flares when eating such foods, he said.

Though the exact reasons arent clear at this time, the current school of thought regarding why these particular foods may cause acne to flare is that they may play a role in regulating certain hormones, such as insulin or androgens, which we already know cause acne to flare, Zahn explained.

The researchers suggest a diet high in sugar as well as the consumption of milk causes a rise in levels of circulating insulin.

This, in turn, stimulates cell production while also inhibiting cell death, promoting inflammation and the development of acne.

In addition, an increase in insulin levels also encourages the production of hormones that produce sebum, which can cause acne.

Insulin is a hormone secreted by our pancreas to address glucose levels in our blood. It would make sense that having a high sugar diet or one that is processed would affect insulin levels and other hormones within our bodies as well, some of which also apparently regulate acne, said Dana Hunnes, PhD, a senior dietitian at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center.

Dairy has its own innate hormones, estrogens, progesterones, likely even some testosterone (as even human females produce some testosterone) that is likely exacerbating our own endogenous hormones and increasing the likelihood of a breakout, Hunnes told Healthline.

Study participants who reported having current acne consumed significantly more milk, sugary beverages, milk chocolate, and fast foods than the participants who reported never having acne.

The group with current acne also ate significantly less meat, vegetables, and dark chocolate.

Lauri Wright, PhD, an assistant professor in public health at the University of South Florida, says if dairy foods trigger an individuals acne, they can find their calcium elsewhere.

Dairy is an important source of calcium and protein, and generally can be a part of a healthy diet. If individuals with acne find dairy to be a trigger food, they can substitute nut milks instead, Wright told Healthline.

She argues that more research needs to be done to determine a diet that could help prevent acne, but she says cutting back on sugar is a good place to start.

​A diet low in sugar and saturated/trans fats is protective against many diseases. For health, limiting sugar and saturated/trans fats while incorporating healthy fats, lean meats, whole grains with a foundation of fruits and vegetables is optimal, she said.

Milk chocolate increased the risk of an acne outbreak by 28 percent, while dark chocolate was linked to a 10 percent reduction in the risk.

Experts say theres some truth to the claim that chocolate can cause breakouts.

Milk chocolate contains whey, a milk-derived protein. Intake of whey protein has been associated with increased levels of acne. Some individuals will be more sensitive to whey, dairy, and sugar (no matter the amount) than others. When we look at the composition of chocolate, it also contains sugar, Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian and manager of wellness nutrition services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute in Ohio, told Healthline.

Zahn agrees that people can respond differently to foods like chocolate, and not everyone will experience acne if they eat it.

Acne can be flared by many different foods, and each person has their own unique triggers. Im not surprised that some people flare in response to milk chocolate or any kind of chocolate, he said.

We just arent sure yet what part of the food causes the outbreak, if its the food itself or a secondary effect of the food, such as increasing levels of certain hormones, Zahn added.

Zahn says acne in adults appears to be on the rise, although the reasons why are yet to be determined.

Its possibly related to rising amounts of stress, fluctuating hormone levels, or new medications, or even other reasons we dont fully understand yet, he said. Its a common problem, and many adults aged 30 to 50 still have acne.

See the original post here:
Adult Acne Is Real: Here Are the Foods That Can Cause It - Healthline

We know that life began in the water, but now a remarkable group of fish have given scientists new clues about how vertebrates made the leap onto land.

There are more than 900 species of blennies; they are an incredibly diverse group of fish, occupying a wide range of habitats. Some species are fully aquatic, while others live in the intertidal zone the region of the seashore thats underwater at high tide and out of water at low tide where they deal with fluctuations in temperature and salinity.

Some blennies can even remain out of water for hours at a time, as long as they stay moist. This diversity makes them really useful animals to study when investigating how animals moved from water to land.

Read more about evolution:

Researchers from the University of New South Wales and the University of Minnesota have hypothesised that a flexible diet and behaviour is key to making the transition.

Fossils can give us important insights into how that transition might have unfolded, and the types of evolutionary adaptations it required or produced, said lead author Dr Terry Ord.

But having a contemporary example of fish making similar ecological transitions can also help us understand the general challenges that are faced by fish out of the water.

The scientists think that once fish make the leap to living on land, restrictions in the types of food available means that their diet and behaviour become specialised. For example, land-dwelling blennies have become adapted to scraping algae off rocks with their teeth.

Terrestrial blennies are really agile out of water, and I suspect theyve adapted their body shape to allow them to hop about the rocks so freely. Which in turn implies they might not be able to go back to the water, said Dr Ord.

It would also be exciting to know how their sensory systems might have adapted out of the water as well, given vision and smell would probably work quite differently in these environments.

Asked by: Luca Blackwell

Evolution doesnt just hand out useful traits such as opposable thumbs or colour vision like lottery prizes. Natural selection is constantly tinkering, and no part of our body is more recent than another. But some are changing faster.

One of the fastest movers is the human jaw, which has been steadily shrinking over the last 10,000 years, as the invention of agriculture and cooking gave us softer foods that need less chewing.

Read more;

Read this article:
A flexible diet is the key for fish adapting to life out of the water - BBC Focus Magazine

How many times have we been offered alcohol as a digestive after a meal? Or how many times have we heard of taking a dip to warm up? Too bad that alcohol does not have either of these two properties . In fact, in fact, on the one hand it slows down digestion and produces gastric hypersecretion with altered emptying of the stomach, on the other it causes vasodilation which gives us a short sense of heat, but which entails further cooling of the body. Ah, and for the record: it is not even an aphrodisiac drink, as it exerts depressive effects on the central nervous system, if anything worsening the performance in the bedroom.

It is just an example of the numerous false myths that circulate on the subject of nutrition and diet , areas where there is a constant swarm of new fashions without any scientific basis (or on the basis of studies not yet verified by third parties, as well as the correct scientific method instead). To summarize all these erroneous beliefs, even very recent, by providing the right guidelines for healthy eating, is the Ministry of Health in a specific document resulting from an accurate and long work (thousands of publications examined) with numerous experts in the relevant fields.

As can be seen from the report of over 200 pages, in our country there has been passed from a third of under-nourished population in the thirties to an overweight today that almost affects 60% of Italians , with the 21% of obese . In general, this is a growing problem in the whole of Europe and in all developed or developing territories, which affects above all the poorest and least educated groups, promoting, among other things, cardiovascular problems and diseases (the before cause of death in Italy).

Our country, then, is black jersey for the rate of overweight and childhood obesity , which concern one in three children, with a prevalence in the South. This also happens because, especially among young people, we are gradually moving away from our traditional Mediterranean diet, which is instead excellent for health , healthier and much more sustainable for the environment than diets rich in animal proteins for example (not surprisingly it was named Intangible Heritage of Humanity by Unesco). Meanwhile, on the other side of the coin, we are witnessing an increase (including among men) of eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia.

The truth is that even if the middle ways hardly become popular and in general they are less appealing, as the report confirms a correct diet (intended as a generic diet and not by weight loss ) must be rich in foods, complete and varied . No, therefore, to alleged shortcuts, to arbitrary restrictions and to all those intensive fashions, such as avocado of health (it has the same benefits as olive oil, but to grow and export it all over the world you are deforesting South America). Yes, however, to correct information, to more cereals and vegetable proteins (legumes in primis ), to the attention to saturated fats, salt and sugars (such as those hidden in salty products) and overall to the balance between the extremes.

In the gallery above all the false myths about food and diet , from whole products to light ones, extrapolated for you from the report of the Ministry of Health.

Eating less steak can (really) save the planet

I 10 foods that are really better than being organic

See original here:
10 false myths about food and diet from the Ministry of Health - NJ MMA News

Ashwagandha Tea Health Benefits: If you love drinking tea and dont mind experimenting, then you should try Ashwagandha tea. From boosting immunity to keeping your blood sugar in control, it provides numerous health benefits.

Morning tea is a staple in Indian households for its soothing and healing properties. A cup of tea calms you down and makes you feel a little less anxious. No matter what the season, tea hot, cold or iced - can be a tasty beverage. But more than that, tea leaves are loaded with healthy nutrients that work wonders for your health. If you are someone who loves to drink tea and dont mind experimenting, then you should try ashwagandha tea.

Ashwagandha is an ancient Ayurvedic herb used as a traditional medicine from time immemorial. The word ashwagandha in Sanskrit literally means smell of horse. Did you know people consumed this herb to get horse-like energy and strength? It has numerous health benefits for your body and brain. From stress levels to blood sugar levels, it can help keep your overallhealth in check.

1. It can help reduce stress by reducing cortisol levels and improve the quality of life. Some studies have also found that consuming ashwagandha has a positive effect on mental illnesses like schizophrenia and depression.

2. Ashwagandha has anxiolytic properties which help reduce anxiety and alleviate the symptoms of depression.

3. The flavonoids in the leaf and root extracts of the herb can help improve insulin sensitivity and treat diabetes.

4. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen a natural substance that enables the body to adapt to stress and extreme conditions, including high physical work. In other words, it increases muscle mass and strength.

5. It helps reduce inflammation by increasing the activity of immune cells. Immune cells help the body fight pathogens and keep you healthy.

6. It may reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which in turn can alleviate your chances of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Boil 1 cup of water in a bowl. Add one teaspoon of ashwagandha roots to it. Let it infuse for about 10-15 minutes. Strain it and add teaspoon lemon juice and honey (as per taste) to it.

ALSO READ |10 Amazing health benefits of Poppy Seeds aka Khus Khus

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Ashwagandha Tea: 6 reasons why you should include this tea in your daily diet - PINKVILLA

An effective drugs and diet treatment for cancer is on the horizon after experiments in mice found the combination halted tumour growth.

The treatment will now be tested in humans where it holds promise for bowel, breast, cervical, ovarian, uterine and prostate cancers.

Many cancer tumours have a genetic defect which makes them heavily reliant on fat to grow.

Experiments with a repurposed, anti-inflammatory drug, in combination with a fat-free, plant-based diet, not only stopped the tumours growing but shrunk them significantly as well.

The treatment works by modifying the genes in a way that effectively chokes off the fat supply the tumour needs to survive and grow and so it withers.

The drugs and the diet must be employed together, since either method on its own wont work, the researchers said.

We have found that tumours are often heavily reliant on specific fats and their products to fuel their growth and spread, and that denying them the ability to process these could be an effective treatment, said George Poulogiannis, of The Institute for Cancer Research.

Stopping a specific subtype of cancers from being able to release a key omega-6 fat known as arachidonic acid could be effective as a treatment, but only if sources of this fat are also cut out of the diet, he said.

The study, which also involved researchers from Imperial College London, was published in the journal Cell.

Scientists not involved in the work welcomed its findings but cautioned that much work remains to be done to demonstrate the treatment is safe and effective in humans.

Professor Paul Pharoah, of the University of Cambridge, said: The researchers have shown that this treatment/diet has an effect in mice, but that is a very long way from demonstrating that such treatment would be safe, acceptable or effective in humans.

Professor Graham Burdge, of the University of Southampton, added: This is an intriguing study although caution must be exercised in extrapolating these cell culture and animal studies to humans.

In the study, scientists found that a molecule called PI3K which is vital to the growth and survival of cancer cells has a key role in triggering the release of arachidonic acid, a key omega-6 fat.

PI3K is often mutated in many cancers, including breast, gynaecological and bowel cancers. The combination of drugs and diet effectively shut down its activities.

Read this article:
Hopes raised for cancer treatment after experiments halted tumour growth in mice - iNews

When her daughter was born, Marta Zaraska was determined that nothing but the best would do. Goji berries, chia seeds, kale: I was going crazy scouring the shops for the healthiest food, she says. All these things that I thought would make sure she lived to be 100. And then it occurred to her that how we live our lives might be more important than the latest miracle food or exercise gadget. Being a science journalist with a training in law, however, she wanted proof.

She began looking through hundreds of academic papers and interviewing scores of researchers about extreme experiments with mice and monkeys, and scary biological phenomena such as zombie cells (AKA senescent cells, the bloated, not-quite dead matter that accumulates as we age, belching out toxins and turning other cells into zombies). Her research expanded beyond the scientific, taking in a Portuguese longevity bootcamp, a Polish hugging salon and a flower-pressing session for Japanese octogenarians before circling back to France, home to the worlds oldest certified centenarian.

By the time Jeanne Calment died, in a nursing home in Arles, on 4 August 1997, aged 122 years and 164 days, she had become a poster girl for longevity (although quite how long she lived has been disputed by some). She claimed to have known Van Gogh and regaled journalistswith tales of her smoking and drinking. But these were lies, writes Zaraska. Calment only picked up smoking for two years, well after her 110th birthday. Zaraska warns of falling for longevity yarns, many of which turn out to be the product of fantasy.

Having witnessed the decline of various elderly relatives, I tell her I am pretty sure I dont want to live to 100. But she tells me Calments importance isnt simply her age, but the fact that she was in good health until weeks before her death: Studies show that the longer you live, the higher the likelihood of staying in close to perfect shape and dying while gardening or roller-blading across the globe. While the average person will spend almost 18% of their lives struggling with disease, for a supercentenarian that proportion falls to 5%.

Although public records show that Calment came from a line of long-lived people, Zaraska says that how long we live is only 20% to 25% heritable. A gerontologist who knew Calment and researched her case argued that her love of interviews, and even her fibs (she admitted to telling journalists anything they wanted to hear), might have been key. She was strong, rebellious, curious about the world and fiercely independent. Crucially, she was an optimist.

So, what are your chances if you are none of those things? It is hardly news that unhappy people generally dont live as long as happy ones. Zaraska contends, though, that one of the most damaging forms of unhappiness is loneliness. Thankfully for those of us still in a state of semi-lockdown this is not the same as being socially isolated. While lockdown was still in place in Zaraskas village in northern France, the health workers were cheered every night. You couldnt see people, but you could hear them; you knew you were doing something together. Loneliness is different: You can have plenty of people around you and still feel lonely.

It all goes back to our hunter-gatherer past and the different strategies needed to protect ourselves. The feeling of loneliness signalled the sort of isolation that put early humans in danger of animal attack. In the absence of passing lions, it now generates a constant, low-burning stress. This could lead to chronic inflammation, which is associated with everything from cancer and rheumatoid arthritis to diabetes and Alzheimers.

Calment may have been an outlier, but Zaraska believes that France has a message to share. The average French person lives over four years longer than the average American but dont assume its all to do with the Mediterranean diet, she writes. The French do obsess about their eating just about a very different aspect of it. More than two-thirds of French people in their 30s and 40s eat dinner with their family, compared with 24% of Americans. Maybe, she says, the life-prolonging aspect of the Mediterranean diet is not the amount of vegetables and olive oil it contains, but the way these foods are eaten: together with others.

The statistics Zaraska has unearthed to support her thesis are startling. Sticking to the Mediterranean diet rich in fruit and vegetables; olive oil in place of butter may reduce your chance of premature death by 21%. Having a large network of friends, though, will cut it by 45%. Having a happy marriage will pretty much halve it.

Put them all together, she says, and you may even arrive at the Roseto effect. In the early 60s, the inhabitants of Roseto, Pennsylvania, were found to have very low rates of heart disease, for all that they smoked, drank and loved sausages cooked in lard (being overweight is not, statistically, a hindrance to living into old age, provided that your BMI does not stray into serious obesity).

The phenomenon was ascribed to the extreme sociability of a community of Italian immigrants who had forgotten all about the Mediterranean diet, but not about the lifestyle that went with it. Were they to abandon their neighbourly habits, a local doctor warned, their health would deteriorate. And so it came to pass. By the end of the 70s, Zaraska writes, Rosetans had succumbed to the American dream of bigger, more remote houses, reached by car rather than on foot and had a mortality rate similar to other places in the US.

It is on the subject of personality that the book is most surprising. Extroverts tend to outlive introverts, says Zaraska, citing surveys from the US, Japan, Sweden and the Netherlands. One Dutch study claimed that each extra person in a network of regular interactions lowered the risk of dying within five years by 2%.But even if you are very introverted, there are things you can do to improve your prospects.Such as? Dont worry about your lack of a wide friendship group. Take good care of the few close friends you do have.

Cheeringly, personality traits are not set in stone. They are a compound of faults and behaviours that add up over time, and can be tackled through therapy, meditation and self-discipline although some are harder to shift than others.If you were to pick one personality trait to work on in order to increase your chances, go for conscientiousness, she says. As traits go, it is relatively easy to change. Keep your office neat, organise your sock drawer, set your clothes out the night before.

As someone who has always been a bit of a slouch in the sock drawer department, I find this alarming. How does extreme tidiness square with the idea of a harmonious family life or of becoming a centenarian?

Conscientious people are more likely to do things that are good for them.We invest so much money in expensive clinical trials that promise extravagant therapies to reverse ageing, she writes. But maybe we should just do things that are already known to work, such as volunteering, making friends and learning optimism. If we invest more in being kind, mindful and conscientious, we are more likely to improve the conditions in which we all live.

Offer to mow your neighbours lawnHelping other people boosts your sense of wellbeing, and by extension your health, but it is most effective if it is local and involves direct personal contact. If you can combine it with a bit of exercise, bingo.

Dont obsess about organic food and supplementsIt is healthier to make time for a cup of coffee with your partner than to spend hours sourcing and concocting a perfect meal. Plus, according to some studies, the obesity paradox means that people with a BMI of between 30 and 35 have a better chance of surviving a range of common diseases than those who are thinner.

Work on your friendshipsA happy social life will not only make you feel more optimistic, but will reduce the toxins generated by loneliness. If it has to be via social media for the time being, so be it, but beware of phubbing your nearest and dearest snubbing them in favour of all those phone friends will make them feel lonely and stressed.

Attend to your ikigaiIn Japan, which has one of the best longevity records, older people keep themselves busy either with work or with organised hobbies, in the interest of maintaining their ikigai their purpose in life.

Tidy that sock drawerPractise self-discipline in whatever way suits you, whether yoga, meditation or mindfulness. It will help you to be your best self and may even lead to you living until you are 100 providedyou dont get too stressed about it.

Growing Young: How Friendship, Optimism, and Kindness Can Help You Live to 100 by Marta Zaraska is published by Robinson. To buy a copy for 13.04 (RRP 14.99), go to bookshop.theguardian.com. P&P charges may apply.

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Optimism, friendship and tidy socks the secret to living to 100 - The Guardian

COVID-19 has interrupted almost every part of day-to-day life, from your work routine to your eating habits - theres not a facet it hasnt touched.

Many have been deprived of their usual beauty treatments during lockdown, while some have been unable to access the products they know and love due to shortages.

Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

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While a new routine has affected our social and work lives its also had an impact on the health of our hair, experts told The Sun.

If youve noticed your hair has started to fall out over the last three months then experts say it could be down to the coronavirus lockdown and a change in your normal habits.

One expert said there could be many factors that are causing your hair to thin and you might not even know it.

Natalia Ferrara, Revitalash Cosmetics international educator said ageing, stress, diet, UV exposure and pollutants could all be wreaking havoc on your once luscious locks.

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Elsa Forbes White, lead creative at Lore Originals said it's important to think of your hair the same way you would think of a plant.

Speaking to The Sun she said: "The scalp is where the hair gets all the nutrients it needs to grow healthy and strong. So a weak and undernourished scalp can be the cause of many issues."

Research from Lore Originals showed that many forms of hair loss can be helped by using products that naturally exfoliate, protect and nourish the scalp and the hair shaft.

Elsa said: "If your follicle becomes blocked with product residue or skin cells then this can weaken the hair right at the root and just be regularly exfoliating you will see a significant change over a few weeks."

Stress from the pandemic has caused many people to have sleepless nights due to the stress caused by financial burdens and worry over loved ones.

Stress can lead to hair loss and thinning.

This is while the warm weather we have been experiencing lately has put hair in direct exposure to UV rays which can make the hair weak and brittle.

Many of us working from home have also had a change of diet as food is more accessible outside of our normal working environment.

The vitamins in your diet can have a large impact on the growth and strength of your hair and any shakeup in this could leave the hair limp.

But what can you do to make sure your locks are luscious in lockdown? The Sun spoke to experts to get their top five tips on how to keep your tresses in tip top condition.

Lisa Borg, nutritionist and skin specialist at Pulselight Clinic said you should evaluate your supplement intake if your hair is suffering.

Speaking to The Sun she highlighted a range of supplements that could help get your hair back to its full potential.

The B vitamins are involved in metabolism of foods and the production of enzymes in the body, therefore driving metabolic processes.

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The B vitamins are utilised synergistically in the body and supplementing just one on its own may result in deficiencies in others. I therefore recommend a good quality B Complex supplement, produced from real food and that does not contain fillers.

She added that zinc is also an important nutrient in many enzymes and also in the health of hair follicles which are crucial for healthy hair.

Deficiency is associated with hormonal imbalances and hair loss such as alopecia.

What do I do if my hair is already falling out?

Elsa Forbes White from Lore Originals said there are a range of things you can do to help treat your hair and scalp if it's already started to fall out

A zinc supplement should also provide a smaller amount of copper because these two minerals compete for absorption in the stomach and excessive intake of either can produce a deficiency in the other.

This is while Cloe Hazell, from Tints of Nature specifically recommends a supplement rich in Vitamin B12, Biotin and horsetail to strengthen your hair and nails.

We've all had more time during the coronavirus lockdown and some have us may have been using this to experiment with new styles.

But experts have said if you want to keep your hair healthy then you should stick to simple styles.

Natalia said: "Avoid blow drying/less heat styling devices, and when you do need to use heat products try and use on a lower temperature.

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"Heat products are often the main culprits for hair damage so its best to limit your use of styling devices as much as possible and invest in stylish hair ties and accessories that are gentle on your hair.

"Silk scrunchies are a great option and are less likely to pull on the scalp and hair strands."

Meanwhile, Cloe said: "For those of us who have taken the casual look at home and have been putting your hair in tight ponytails or top knots, do be careful as this can cause traction alopecia.

"Also pay attention to the type of hair band you are using as tight elastic bands can cause damage to the hair fibres."

We all have different hair types, straight, curly or a little bit frizzy.

Experts say getting the right products for your hair type is imperative to keeping your hair looking healthy.

Cloe said you need to ensure you use the right hair care and the right moisture and protein balance to keep it healthy.

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"Try and avoid products with silicone as this might hide the true condition of your hair."

Natalia said that you need to chose the right products in order to protect against breakage.

"When applying focus on the scalp, massage in circular motion and work through hair from root to tips- allow to sit for 1-2 minutes for best results."

She also said that it's important to use a good conditioner to keep hair moisturised.

Natalia said that a healthy diet not only contributes to the health of your body but also to your hair.

"Protein is vital for a healthy head of hair. Oily fish, chicken, eggs and soy are good sources."

Lisa also added that oily fish was great for healthy hair and also recommended foods rich in vitamin C such as oranges, kiwis, lemons and sweet potato.

"Oxidative damage can result in greying, hair loss and limp hair.

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"As we age, oxidative damage increases which is why we need more antioxidants like vitamin C the older we get."

She also hailed vitamin D and said: "Vitamin D deficiency correlates with alopecia, poor immunity (inflammation, illness, etc), calcium metabolism (can be dumped in hair if not metabolised efficiently leading to dry, brittle hair), and it plays a significant role in cell growth."

Vitamin D has been hailed recently as a potential wonder supplement as patients with low levels of the vitamin are more likely to die of Covid-19.

Nutritionist and author, Madeleine Shaw said mushrooms are an easy way of making sure you have enough vitamin D in your system.

"Mushrooms are easily overlooked in the fruit and veg rainbow were advised to eat. High in antioxidants, they are commonly overlooked as a significant source of the sunshine vitamin D.

"Vitamin D is key for a normal immune system."

Next week we are expected to have temperatures of up to 31C in the UK and the weather during the pandemic has been pleasant for most.

Natalia however warns that while its great to get outside and explore the great outdoors, it's important to remember that the sunshine can also be dangerous for your hair.

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"Its no secret that prolonged sun exposure, UVA and UVB rays can wreak havoc with your hair and are harsh on our delicate hair stands.

"Ensure you use a deep conditioning mask or conditioner to protect the hair shaft and lock in moisture, particularly in the summer months.

"Throughout the year ensure you use a treatment or hair mask at least one a week to protect against environment and product damage, as well as to strengthen and deeply condition hair."

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Why women are losing their hair in lockdown and five remedies to save your locks - The Scottish Sun

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