
Does stress, sadness or anger drive you to reach for the cookie jar? Do you turn to food for comfort or when you’re feeling bored? It’s common and very much a human behaviour.

Your retirement may have an impact on your health. That’s the findings of three research projects in different countries.

Many people eat from the moment they wake up until the time they go to bed. But is this the best dietary pattern for our health?

Walnuts pack a serious nutritional punch! They contain a wide range of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that provide us with many health benefits.

Sleep is a fascinating and bizarre behaviour. We race around all day with our schedule planned to the last minute, then we lie down and hibernate for several hours.

Dementia is one of the great fears of ageing. And there’s no way of knowing if you will suffer it before it gets you. Heidi Godman, the executive editor of the Harvard Health Letter, says that exercise may be a key help for us.

What I mean by the question is this: If all the good die young, how come you and I have been around long enough to be interested in retirement? We aren’t young. Does that make us not good—as in bad or evil?

There are many benefits to a plant-based diet. Research shows vegetarian diets are linked with several health advantages: lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure; and a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and overall cancer.

What could cause you to retire early? Four major ‘shocks’ have been found to cause early retirement for about a third (37%) of retirees according to Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research. The four are: health; employment; family; and financial. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other reasons, but these four were, statistically, way out in front.

I learned the value of knowing my family medical history about eight years ago. I’d had a two-day headache that impacted on my peripheral vision. I assumed it was a migraine and, perhaps because I’m male, I forgot about it once it was gone. My wife didn’t forget. A couple of weeks later during a doctor’s visit, she said: ‘Tell her about your headache.’ Our doctor immediately booked me in for an MRI scan the next day. The scan showed that I’d had a stroke.