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Knowing her limits is a “revelation”, says Dawn O’Porter, something she discovered in her mid-40s. For the former TV presenter and author – her latest book, Cat Lady, which was released in October last year – it’s something she’s had to learn. “I love drinking booze and eating really indulgent food, but I’m also really into health stuff as well,” she says. “I’m one of those people that’s really good – if I go to a party and it gets to 10:30pm [and] I’m not really feeling the booze, I just stop drinking – but I can stay out until two in the morning. I’m able to turn it off, and I don’t overindulge when I’m done – which I think is a real mid-40s revelation. “I know my limits – I go to everything, I do everything, I just stop when I know I’m done.” For O’Porter, 44, who shares two sons, Art, eight, and Valentine, six, with actor husband Chris O’Dowd, becoming a mother helped shift her perspective. “Since I’ve had kids, I know that I’m going to get woken up at six o’clock in the morning – you’ve got to make better decisions,” she says. “Like everybody, if I don’t do the work, I don’t get paid – and I don’t have the luxury where I can’t get paid. I have to be at my desk at 10 o’clock in the morning, and before I’ve got to my desk I’ve had to feed two humans, get them dressed, get them to school, walk two dogs, pull the house together and do all this stuff. “I know now that when I go on a big night out – which I do all the time, I love it – the next day is a write-off, so I can only do that once a week. It used to be three or four times a week, and it didn’t affect me in the same way. “I definitely feel like it’s a great thing to get to an age when you know what you can and can’t handle.” This “willpower” is something she admits she “didn’t used to have”. But dedicating time to her wellbeing is important, as being in your 40s is a “weird time”, she admits. “You know what’s coming – menopause is coming. What are we in for? So I feel like I’m going to do my very best for myself until that happens. It might be fine, it might not – I don’t know.” O’Porter adds: “It feels nice to go into it in the best health you can be. I’m not an exercise person – I get really into Pilates for two months and never do it again – so I’m consistent about healthy food and skincare and all that kind of stuff.” She’s reminded of a speech Kristin Scott Thomas makes about menopause in the BBC black comedy Fleabag, where she says: “It is horrendous, but then it’s magnificent – something to look forward to.” O’Porter adds: “As someone who has had cramps and really suffered for so much of my life, I fantasise about the other side of menopause – it’s like this giant mountain you have to get over. “I might smooth through it and not even know it’s happening, or I might be one of those people who has a very difficult time – I’ve got no idea. I just want to feel good when I go into it. “I do feel like there’s this freedom on the other side – I’ll be rid of all the things that have weighed me down physically for so many years, and be pain-free and happy.” A healthy diet is particularly important for O’Porter, who can’t eat gluten because it causes her “quite severe pain”. She says: “I have to think about food a lot more than people who can eat gluten – I really read packages and all that stuff. And I’m obsessed with my skin – I really try and eat food that’s really, really good for my skin.” Other aspects of her self-care routine include taking supplements (“If somebody says it stimulates collagen, I’ll literally buy 10 of it!”), taking Epsom salt baths and carving out the time to read before bed. “I think that’s really looking after myself, [so] when I have nights where I’m completely hedonistic and start drinking at 10 o’clock in the morning and don’t get home until four, that’s fine. Because I take care of myself the rest of the time, I think my face survives the hangovers and the dehydration.” After 15 years living in America, in June this year, O’Porter and her family moved from Los Angeles to London – and she couldn’t be happier to be back. “There’s quite a transient vibe to LA, because very few people are born and bred there – there are some, obviously, but most people have come out for some sort of work experience they’re having. They either stay or go, and there’s this constant movement of people. “It was hard to imagine getting older there and settling, there was always this feeling of no matter who we’ve got in our lives, they will come and go – and that unsettled me in the last few years.” Back in London, “Everything I do is an investment in the future of living here, which feels really lovely,” O’Porter enthuses. “Every relationship I make – all my girlfriends or my mum friends – everybody is here for keeps.” She’s particularly looking forward to spending Christmas on this side of the world. “I started planning Christmas months ago – where we’re going to be, what we’re going to do, because ultimately, I love hosting it. I love doing the whole thing myself.” She’s hoping to host this year, and foresees absolutely no festive pressures, saying: “It doesn’t stress me out at all, I’d say it’s me at my absolute best. “I cook like Christmas Day on every Sunday for lots of people, I love it so much. I get really into it and I start drinking about 10 in the morning – it makes it more fun – we play Christmas songs and get the wine going early and cook all day.” Plus O’Porter – who is offering shopping consultations in collaboration with Etsy ahead of Christmas – is extremely easy to buy for. “I’m really easy. I genuinely say this from the bottom of my heart – go on Etsy and put in ‘cat’ and you can get me anything, any handmade anything – if it’s got my name on it, even better, with a cat on it. I am so simple.” To find thoughtful gifts for loved ones this Christmas and beyond, head to etsy.com/uk. 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Wine drinkers typically spend £9 on a bottle for themselves but £12.50 when hosting – to impress their guests with a pricier plonk. A poll of 2,000 wine drinkers found 44 per cent splash out when hosting at Christmas, with this rising to 56 per cent when gifting to someone else, as 27 per cent still think premium labels are better quality. While three-quarters will do so because they want an expensive bottle to celebrate a special occasion and 35 per cent want to impress their guests. However, 23 per cent admit they find buying wine a stressful experience – with 51 per cent of these claiming there are too many options to choose from. And 46 per cent don’t know how to identify a good bottle from a bad, whereas 32 per cent are simply bewildered by wine jargon. The research was commissioned by Lidl GB, to mark the return of its Chateaux Noir events, which are designed to democratise wine and challenge preconceptions about wine etiquette through a tasting experience in total darkness. The sensory events will see the supermarket take on major drinks brands as it aims to dispel the belief drinkers need to blow the bank to enjoy quality booze. It also emerged 51 per cent of wine drinkers tend to stick to what they know, and 49 per cent choose a bottle based on where it comes from. Whereas 45 per cent will default to whatever is on offer, 23 per cent have a ‘go-to’ bottle, and 18 per cent will opt for whatever label they like to look of. However, 24 per cent wish they knew more about wine – with nearly a third saying they would experiment with different wines if they knew more about them. But while many are keen to experiment with wine, there are some rules they certainly won’t abide by. For 43 per cent, they are happy to serve white with a dish that isn’t fish, and 39 per cent will drink rose all year round. Many don’t mind if their bottle is corked or a screw top (37 per cent), and 35 per cent will drink champagne from any glass, not just a flute. More than three in 10 (31 per cent) will even chill a bottle of red and 30 per cent will pop a few ice cubes into their vino on a warm day. In fact, 31 per cent find ‘wine etiquette’ snobbish, with just eight per cent believing that following traditional ‘rules’ of wine etiquette enhances their enjoyment of the drink. The events will be hosted by Lidl GB’s master of wine, Richard Bampfield, and will see guests enter a ‘palate cleansing tunnel’ before a blackout wine tasting room. He said: “At Chateaux Noir, not only do we want to challenge preconceptions about affordable wine and prove to customers that great taste isn’t determined by premium branded price tags, but to open people’s minds and challenge what they think they know already about wine. “So, if you think you’re a strictly red drinker – think again. “We’ll reveal how similar flavour profiles can carry across different categories that you might never have otherwise considered. “This Christmas, Chateaux Noir is encouraging shoppers to rip up the rule book and start experimenting - ultimately, there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to drink wine – if you love it, then that’s all that matters.” Over 18s can secure tickets for the Chateaux Noir events, which will take place in London, Glasgow and Liverpool in November, at, with all proceeds going to the NSPCC. Read More Brits are so fed up with emails that retail giants now send reminder letters Brits reveal advice they would give their younger selves - including investing in property Brits will eat over 5,000 slices of pizza in their adult life, study finds Beauty advent calendars 2021: Our guide to this year’s top treats 13 best tech gifts to spoil a gadget geek this Christmas 10 best luxury Christmas crackers for dressing up your dining table

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The number of girls who say they enjoy school PE lessons has dropped over the last six years, new figures suggest. Less than two in three (64%) female pupils said they liked taking part in PE, compared with 86% of boys, according to the survey by the Youth Sport Trust charity – a drop from 74% of girls in 2016/17. The PE ‘enjoyment gap’ was even bigger for secondary school students – just 59% of girls in this age range said they enjoy PE. Nearly 25,000 pupils in England aged seven to 18 were polled by the charity. And 64% of the female respondents said they want to be more active at school but there are barriers getting in their way – including not feeling confident, having their period, being watched by others and worrying about how they look. Ali Oliver, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “We must be absolutely committed to understanding the experiences of young women and girls, how these are constantly changing in a complicated world, and be better at working with them to address the barriers they face. “At a time of unprecedented low levels of social and emotional wellbeing, we know getting things right for girls in PE can be life-changing.” Listening to girls’ concerns It’s a topic that strikes a chord with many experts from this field. “It is so important to listen to girls’ concerns when it comes to the barriers they are experiencing, because we know these barriers are something that can stay with them throughout adolescence and into adulthood,” Vicky Fitzgerald, health improvement lead at health and wellbeing charity Nuffield Health, told the PA news agency. “Research has suggested that women in particular face more barriers to fitness than men, citing impacts such as a lack of time, motivation and knowledge, as well as caregiving responsibilities. By addressing these concerns from a young age, we are then able to support where needed, identify solutions, or provide alternatives to reignite engagement.” Wider benefits As the Youth Sport Trust highlights, the benefits of sports and PE are far-reaching. Charlotte Fray, rugby player with Leicester Tigers Women and a sports coach at Leicester Grammar School, agreed: “Sport is massive for confidence and forming lasting friendships. For young girls especially, if they enjoy what they’re doing they are going to have more confidence. “It’s a great way to remove any stressors from their life and have time to switch off, whilst discovering a love for sports.” Alex Caird, school games organiser at charitable trust, SASP (the Somerset Activity & Sport Partnership), added: “School sport is an incredibly valuable tool to teach life skills that are transferable from classroom to sporting environments and back again, and it is fundamental that these opportunities are tailored to the young people we aim to impact.” Shifting mindsets Caird believes making accessibility part of the culture of PE and sports lessons plays an important part. “At SASP, we not only empower more students to get involved and feel confident, but also school staff to see the difference physical activity makes to their own teaching confidence, to try new things and seek out further opportunities for their students to flourish and grow,” Caird explained. “We’re determined to use sport as a vehicle to drive this healthier lifestyle change, as well as build physical activity into a healthy school culture that sees the benefits of holistic experiences for all young people in any activity, not just the ‘traditional’ sporting calendar setup.” Education around women’s health also needs to be a priority... Fitzgerald meanwhile added: “Education around women’s health also needs to be a priority. An understanding of menstrual cycles and how they impact young girls, confidence/self-esteem concerns, questions around skills or ability – having an understanding of how all of these impacts can affect an individual removes the pressure or fear of them having to explain it.” The power of role models Dr Jackie Day-Garner, associate dean of the School of Health, Social Work and Sport at University of Central Lancashire, believes setting positive examples is key. “An active mother, parent, or teacher in the early years can help to influence positive behaviours around physical activity. And role models such as social media influencers or female athletes could help teenage girls to engage more in sport,” she said. “We’ve already seen the increase in the visibility of female sport on television, with England netballers contesting a World Cup final and the Lionesses winning the Euros and becoming finalists in the World Cup. We’ve also seen prolific sports women wanting to empower girls to play sport. For example, Leah Williamson speaking at the UN assembly about the topic.” While Fray believes having “different kinds of role models” helps inspire girls to find activities they’ll enjoy. “Rugby is great for this, as there is so many different shapes and sizes within the game, that everyone can find a role model. Girls can realise they don’t have to fit a certain category to play sport. There are so many different sports out there,” she added. Widening the options Fitzgerald believes we also need to show girls from a young age that there are lots of different ways to be active. “If PE isn’t enjoyable, try to find an alternative which introduces exercise in a less-pressured environment. Programmes such as Nuffield Health’s Move Together is an example,” she said. “These free classes are specifically designed as a solution for the barriers that young girls have cited. “They are available in local communities and offer a multitude of classes, from Zumba to HIIT, strength training, cardio classes and more, to inspire young girls to find a type of movement they enjoy.” The choice of activities available in high schools is also important, added Day-Garner. “There has been too much emphasis on organised sport. It might be more appropriate to look at what activities girls are likely to engage with when they leave school, as women often a re-engage with exercise in their early 30s.They might join a gym or leisure centre, or participate in classes such as Zumba.” Read More The psychology of Big Brother: How to survive in the house How to support someone coming out in their 30s and beyond Israel-Hamas conflict: How to talk to teenagers about distressing news stories Autumn décor ideas for a seasonal refresh Why you shouldn’t tidy your garden too much in autumn World Mental Health Day: 5 ways to beat anxiety and change your life