List of All Articles with Tag 'lifestyle'

More than a quarter of UK adults have never boiled an egg and do not know how to, fewer than a fifth have made a salad dressing and just 45 per cent have baked a Victoria sponge cake, according to a report by Waitrose. While more than a third of people (35 per cent) rate themselves as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent cooks’, some 27 per cent have never boiled an egg, a survey for the supermarket’s annual Cooking Report found. Nearly two-fifths (39 per cent) wish they could spend more time in the kitchen than they actually do, while one-fifth (20 per cent) say they are entertaining more at home due to the cost-of-living crisis – although 34 per cent now think the term ‘dinner party’ is old fashioned. Four in 10 (40 per cent) are happy to choose cheaper cuts of meat and more affordable ingredients to economise when entertaining and seven per cent will ask friends to bring a dish or course. Meanwhile, despite the soaring popularity of air fryers, microwaves have topped a list of 24 kitchen gadgets that most adults said they could not live without. Almost three times as many people said they could not live without their microwave as those who said the same about air fryers, at 32 per cent and 12 per cent respectively. Waitrose said searches for ‘microwave meals’ were up 71 per cent on waitrose.com compared with the same time last year, while sales of microwaves were up 13 per cent at John Lewis. Martyn Lee, executive chef for Waitrose, said: “Food is a daily joy and the cost-of-living crisis has hastened a change in how we cook. “For too long we’ve been looking down on microwaves. You can do so much more in them than heat a cup of coffee. I make a great sponge in mine. I think it’s time to remember the enjoyment we get from the anticipation of their pinging. “When you reheat a stew, or a slice of lasagne in your microwave after the flavours have had time to develop, you enjoy what’s known as the sixth taste sensation ‘kokumi’ – which is lesser known than the other five tastes – sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami.” The survey also found 46 per cent of people ignore the sell-by dates on packaging, 38 per cent use the ‘five-second rule’ for picking up food that has dropped on the floor, and 16 per cent are happy to scrape mould off food to eat or cook with it. One-third get their ideas on what to cook from TV programmes and five per cent have turned to Chat GPT for recipe inspiration. OnePoll surveyed 4,000 UK adults between 10-16 May and 24-30 May. Read More The dish that defines me: Eddie Huang’s Taiwanese beef noodle soup Woman exits plane after tirade about passenger who is ‘not real’: ‘Final Destination vibes’ Fans mistake Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s daughter Violet, 17, for her mother in new photos Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

China’s government requested that both Japan and the mainland allow visa free entry to the other nation’s citizens

There are still three weeks to go before anyone gets to actually see Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, but it’s already completely monopolised pop culture, from music to fashion to furniture. Google “Barbiecore” and you’ll find the film’s pink-plastic aesthetic infiltrating everything you can imagine, with TikTok clips offering detailed outfit suggestions to viral Twitter threads praising individual looks from the film’s characters. But nothing is getting quite as much attention as Barbie herself. Or, more specifically, the red carpet wardrobe of the actor playing her. Across social media, Margot Robbie has been the subject of endless posts, threads and reels as a result of her chosen ensembles. “Margot Robbie had the chance to do the greatest fashion press tour ever and lord did she take it,” reads one tweet. “Margot Robbie just absolutely slaying all her Barbie press tour looks,” adds another. Meanwhile, British Vogue recently described her as an “unstoppable fashion force”. In typical Hollywood, none of this would be particularly remarkable. Robbie is, after all, an A-list star with an entire entourage of people whose job it is to make sure she looks her best all of the time. The fact that she keeps knocking it out of the park on the Barbie press tour, then, should just be par for the course. But, for Robbie, this carries special significance. Rewind just a few months, and Robbie’s red carpet presence had become something of a political issue. In January, social media was alight with derision for her red carpet wardrobe, mostly due to her long-standing partnership with Chanel. According to Robbie’s fans, the actor’s sense of personal style had been neutered by the luxury Franch conglomerates, with many insisting – albeit without any real evidence – that she was being forced into wearing garments she didn’t actually like. Celebrity stylist Elliot Garnaut labelled Robbie the “worst-dressed” celebrity in Hollywood, adding that someone at Chanel “obviously hates her”. Of course, nobody knew how true or false such claims were. But fans noticed a marked difference in Robbie’s demeanour whenever she stepped out in a designer ensemble that wasn’t Chanel. There was an entire Bottega Veneta phase, for example, where photos of the actor went viral alongside speculation that she was entering her “new fashion era”, finally unshackled from Chanel’s chains. What all of this taught us was that people quite clearly care quite a lot about what Robbie wears. Now it seems they care more than ever. The actor truly hasn’t missed a beat with her press tour wardrobe, tapping into cult vintage looks and recreating actual Barbie doll outfits. As is expected, there is a lot of pink. But it’s not just happening on the red carpet. Remember the iconic tweed blazer originally worn by Claudia Schiffer on the spring/summer Chanel 1996 runway? Robbie was spotted wearing it with jeans and a white crop top when she landed at Sydney airport last month. Her luggage was also pink, naturally. Another Chanel moment came via a sunshine-yellow tweed suit that looked like it had been plucked straight out of Cher Horowitz’s wardrobe. Speaking of co-ords, we’ve seen plenty. There was the pink gingham Prada set Robbie wore to CinemaCon 2023, and the bespoke Bottega Veneta pleated skirt and crop top that the label made especially for the press tour (the exact shade of pink matches that of Barbie’s car). Elsewhere, we’ve seen Robbie wearing the iconic pink polo neck and metallic skirt by Versace from its autumn/winter 1994 collection – fashion fans will remember photos of Kate Moss wearing this on the runway. She paired the look with white platform sandals and lilac socks: a perfect way to accessorise like a doll. Another standout vintage Versace look from the same collection came at a Barbie event in Sydney, where the star wore a pink sequin minidress complete with a corseted bodice. But the undisputed highlight has been the moments in which Robbie directly references Barbie herself, with looks taken from 1950s dolls. At a press conference in Seoul, Robbie dressed in a pink sparkling skirt suit covered in crystal studs, complete with a heart-shaped bag and a pillbox hat. Then there was the “day to night” doll look from 1985 that Robbie recreated – courtesy of Versace – in a pink pencil skirt suit with white lapels and matching high heels. The actor referenced another look worn by the same doll later that night, in a tulle Versace dress complete with a sparkling bodysuit. Over in Sydney, we saw the actor don a striped bodycon minidress by Hervé Léger that paid homage to a swimsuit worn by a Barbie doll from 1959. And at a photocall in LA, Robbie wore a pink polka dot cutout dress from Valentino that referenced a similar frock worn by another original Barbie doll. And in a double whammy of references, it was also a remake of a similar gown worn by Karen Mulder on the brand’s spring 1993 runway. All of this has been the work of celebrity styling mastermind Andrew Mukamal, who has worked with everyone from Zoe Kravitz and Billie Eilish to Kieran Culkin and Irina Shayk. “We’re always thinking about risks to take,” Mukami once told Vogue of his long-standing partnership with Kravitz. “We want to make an impact and create iconic moments that people will remember and be drawn to.” It seems he’s taken this exact modus operandi and applied it to Robbie, too. And thank goodness, because Barbie is nothing if not defined by what she wears. In 2023, that might sound reductive. But given Gerwig’s esteemed reputation and what we know about the film so far, we have every reason to believe that fashion, much like everything else, will prove to be an important and meaningful platform in the script. Robbie’s archival wardrobe also marks the latest sign that red carpet fashion is leaning increasingly backwards. The only outfits that matter are those that we’ve seen before. At least, that’s how it seems when you consider the fanfare surrounding celebrities any time they get their hands on a cult vintage look. This taps into the sartorial zeitgeist of shunning fast fashion in favour of sustainable alternatives. But it also suggests a slightly less exciting prospect that fashion is running out of new ideas. Even at the Met Gala, fashion’s greatest global stage, some of the most talked-about looks were vintage. Is this the death knell for originality? And what of Robbie’s own style progression? Once the Barbie press tour is over, will she go back to grinning weakly in Chanel pastels? Nodding to fashion history is a worthwhile cause. But it’s something the Queen of fashion herself, Vogue’s Anna Wintour, famously despises: “Fashion’s not about looking back. It’s always about looking forward,” she once said. Try as she might, Robbie can’t dress like a doll for the rest of her life. So perhaps this marks the start of a new costume-orientated era for the actor, one where fashion will be taken more seriously than ever before. Funnily enough, it’s a modus operandi that puts her more in sync with Barbie than anyone could have anticipated. ‘Barbie’ is in cinemas from 21 July Read More Hostage to fashion: Margot Robbie’s Chanel problem speaks to a wider red carpet crisis Walk this way... but not like that: How men’s walks became sexualised Plastic fantastic: Barbiecore is the fashion movement turning hyper-femininity on its head

Middle-aged people not getting enough sleep are less likely to see the benefits of exercise when comes to protecting against decline in skills such as memory and thinking, scientists have said. Researchers from University College London (UCL) found that those in their 50s and 60s who performed regular physical activities but slept less than six hours a night had a faster decline in these skills overall. The team found that after a decade, their cognitive functions – such as attention, memory and learning – were the same as those who did less physical activity. The researchers said their study, published in journal The Lancet Healthy Longevity, highlights the need for sleep to protect against cognitive decline as people get older. Lead author Dr Mikaela Bloomberg, of UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, said: “Our study suggests that getting sufficient sleep may be required for us to get the full cognitive benefits of physical activity. “It shows how important it is to consider sleep and physical activity together when thinking about cognitive health. “Previous studies examining how sleep and physical activity might combine to affect cognitive function have primarily been cross-sectional – only focusing on a snapshot in time – and we were surprised that regular physical activity may not always be sufficient to counter the long-term effects of lack of sleep on cognitive health.” The World Health Organisation already identifies physical activity as a way to maintain cognitive function, but interventions should also consider sleep habits to maximise long-term benefits for cognitive health Prof Andrew Steptoe For the study, the team looked at data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (Elsa) from nearly 9,000 people aged 50 and over. Their cognitive function was assessed over a period of 10 years with various memory and verbal fluency tests. Questionnaires were also used to assess how long they slept and whether this was less or more than six hours. People were also asked about their levels of physical activity. At the start of the study, those who were more physically active also had better cognitive function regardless of how long they slept. However, this changed over the 10-year period, with more physically active short sleepers in their 50s and 60s experiencing more rapid cognitive decline, the researchers said. But for people aged 70 and over, the benefits of exercise on cognitive function were maintained, despite short sleep, the team added. Co-author professor Andrew Steptoe, of UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, said: “It is important to identify the factors that can protect cognitive function in middle and later life as they can serve to prolong our cognitively healthy years and, for some people, delay a dementia diagnosis. “The World Health Organisation already identifies physical activity as a way to maintain cognitive function, but interventions should also consider sleep habits to maximise long-term benefits for cognitive health.” Read More 8 best kids’ bunk beds that are fun and functional Nurture your health and wellbeing this season The best holidays to book for August, from beach breaks in Portugal to stays on an Italian lake More travelers get cozy with glamping, even amid high costs People who sleep very late may die earlier due to unhealthy habits, study says

Being overweight as a young adult can increase the risk of developing 18 cancers – more than have been previously linked with the disease, researchers found. Previous studies have shown that people who are overweight or obese have a heightened risk of a number of different cancers including breast, bowel, kidney and pancreatic. Now excess weight has also been linked to leukaemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and among never-smokers, bladder and head and neck cancers in a large new study. The authors said these cancers have not previously been “considered as obesity-related cancers”. Our findings support public health strategies for cancer prevention focusing on preventing and reducing early overweight and obesity Study authors And that the impact of obesity on cancer is “likely underestimated”. The new study, published in Nature Communications, saw researchers examine data on more than 2.6 million Spanish adults aged 40 and under who were cancer-free in 2009. Researchers examined the body mass index (BMI) scores throughout the lifetime of people involved with the study, saying that previous research investigating the link between weight and cancer has used single BMI scores. The people in the study were tracked for nine years to see whether they developed cancer. Some 225,396 were diagnosed with cancer during the period studied. The Spanish researchers found that those who were overweight or obese in early adulthood – aged 40 and under – appeared to have an increased risk of cancer. Those who were overweight or obese for a longer period also appeared to have a higher risk. Our own evidence shows that maintaining a healthy weight throughout life is one of the most important things people can do to reduce their cancer risk, and early prevention in adulthood is key Dr Heinz Freisling, one of the study’s co-leaders Overall, some 18 cancers were linked to excess weight. The authors wrote: “This study shows that longer duration, greater degree, and younger age of onset of overweight and obesity during early adulthood are positively associated with risk of 18 cancers, including leukaemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and among never-smokers, head and neck, and bladder cancers which are not yet considered as obesity-related cancers in the literature. “Our findings seem to indicate that longer exposures to overweight and obesity (with or without accounting for the degree of overweight and obesity), as well as developing overweight and obesity at younger ages in early adulthood might increase cancer risk. “Our findings support public health strategies for cancer prevention focusing on preventing and reducing early overweight and obesity.” Dr Heinz Freisling, from the International Agency for Research on Cancer and one of the study’s co-leaders, said: “The results of our study support a re-evaluation of the cancer burden associated with overweight and obesity, which currently is likely underestimated.” Commenting on the study, Dr Panagiota Mitrou, director of research, policy and innovation at World Cancer Research Fund, said: “This large study has future public health implications since additional cancers, such as leukaemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, have been shown to be linked with overweight and obesity. “Our own evidence shows that maintaining a healthy weight throughout life is one of the most important things people can do to reduce their cancer risk, and early prevention in adulthood is key.” Read More Study says drinking water from nearly half of US faucets contains potentially harmful chemicals Up to 10,000 Britons could take part in cancer vaccine trials People with signs of bowel cancer should be offered a £5 ‘poo test’ before invasive bowel investigations Nurture your health and wellbeing this season What diet drinks don’t have aspartame in them?

JetBlue Airways Corp. won’t appeal a federal judge’s ruling that declared its alliance with American Airlines Group Inc.

Judy Joo says she used to read mostly about financial markets as she shows me around her quick-service

Meghan Trainor and her husband Daryl Sabara have welcomed their second child, a son named Barry Bruce. Trainor, 29, and Sabara, 31, shared a joint post on Instagram on Tuesday to announce the baby news. In addition to their newborn, the pair are also parents to a two-year-old son, Riley. In the caption, Trainor revealed when the baby was born and formally introduced him. “On July 1st (our seven-year anniversary of our first date) we welcomed Barry Bruce Trainor into the world,” she wrote. She went on to share that she welcomed the infant via Caesarean section before thanking her medical team for their support. “He was a big boy at 8lbs 7oz...and sideways (transverse), but we had an amazing, successful C-section, and I finally got my skin to skin time!” the “Mother” singer wrote. “Thank you to all of the incredible doctors and nurses who took such great care of us.” The Instagram post included multiple photos of the newborn with his mother and father, along with snaps of the singer in a hospital bed. In the comments, fans and celebrities celebrated the baby news, with Paris Hilton writing: “Congratulations sis! So happy for you!” “Go Mama!! And welcome to the party, Barry!! What a lucky dude!” Mandy Moore added, while Gina Rodriguez wrote: “He is perfect!!! Congrats sweet superhero mama!!!” In January, Trainor revealed that she was pregnant with her second child when she confirmed the news in an interview with People. At the time, she said she was “ just so grateful [that she could] get pregnant”. “I’m crushing it. This is amazing,” she said in a statement to the magazine at the time. “This is my dream. I’m halfway there - I want four kids!” She went on to reflect on how her second pregnancy was different from her first. “It’s like a real pregnancy,” she said. “The first one was like make-believe. I had no symptoms with Riley to the point where I was like: ‘We need to go to the doctor. There’s nothing in me.’” Since then, Trainor has also opened up about how her first experience with childbirth impacted her mental health. In April, she revealed that she struggled with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after welcoming Riley via Caesarean section. During an interview with Today, she said that after she’d had her child and returned from the hospital, there were times she felt like she was still in the delivery room. “I was like: ‘It’s so weird,’ to my therapist and my doctors,” the “Made You Look” singer recalled. “I was like: ‘It’s like I’m back in my room.’ At nighttime, when the pain would kick in. I was like: ‘Daryl, I’m still on the table, I know she’s inside me.’” Trainor said that the feeling, which went on for “months,” ultimately led to her diagnosis. “They were like: ‘So we have to work through this. That’s a sign of PTSD,’” she recalled. “And I was like: ‘Oh, I didn’t know that.’” PTSD is “a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event through either experiencing it or witnessing,” as noted by the Mayo Clinic. According to the Postpartum Support International, approximately “nine per cent of women” experience PTSD after childbirth Read More Meghan Trainor reveals the symptom that led to her postpartum PTSD diagnosis Meghan Trainor’s ‘big boy’ sex story with her husband is not what you think Meghan Trainor apologises for ‘careless’ teacher remark: ‘I’m so so sorry’ How to go sober if your partner still drinks The shared symptoms of menopause and young onset dementia Fiona Phillips Alzheimer’s diagnosis at 62: 7 ways to reduce your risk

Doritos apparently taste different in Mexico than they do in the U.S., and many customers prefer the version sold south of the border.

For his latest role, Bradley Cooper leapt onto a hovering helicopter, rappelled down a 400-foot cliff and pulled himself across a 100-foot ravine in one of the harshest climates in North America

More than 10.5 million North American households took a glamping trip in 2022, up from 9.6 million in 2021

Jennifer Lopez has come under fire for launching and promoting her new alcohol brand, due to her husband Ben Affleck’s problems with alcoholism. The 53-year-old Let’s Get Loud singer, who had previously told InStyle that she abstains from caffeine and alcohol, took to Instagram following the announcement of her new liquor brand Delola, saying she enjoyed the “occasional cocktail” but did not drink to excess. Fans had been quick to criticise her, posting comments like, ‘Why not respect your husband’s sobriety?’ Her husband Ben Affleck, 50, has been candid about his struggles with alcoholism. In a 2020 New York Times interview, he shared: “It took me a long time to fundamentally, deeply, without a hint of doubt, admit to myself that I am an alcoholic… The next drink will not be different.” Affleck is sober, but seemingly, Lopez is not. “Going sober can be really difficult, especially if your partner drinks. There may be aspects of your drinking which they enjoy, so it’s quite common for people close to you, to say things which make it harder to go sober,” says Dr David McLaughlan, a visiting consultant psychiatrist for the Priory. So, how can you do it if your partner isn’t so keen? Consider what you will gain “Going sober might mean less drunken fallouts or arguments about incidents which occurred under the influence of alcohol. Avoiding hangovers also gives you back a lot more quality time together and more free cash to spend on things that matter to you,” says McLaughlan. If more sex and higher fertility are important to you, quitting the booze may help, perhaps helping to garner support from your partner too. “You might also notice increased libido and erectile function when you quit drinking. Even small amounts of alcohol reduce your fertility, so giving up will also increase your chances of falling pregnant together,” he explains. Find the right time to discuss it It may be a sensitive topic to dive into. “It is important when you go sober, that you find a time when your partner is calm, collected and willing to discuss a big change in your relationship,” says Phil Jackman, an addiction therapist at private rehab clinic Delamere. “Attempting to speak to them when they are stressed or busy may lead to unnecessary conflict. “Once you’ve found the right time, be honest with your partner and let them know the reasons you are giving up alcohol, and how this might impact your relationship. Hopefully, they will be supportive of your decision, but there might need to be a few things you need to work through first. “If you are with a partner that still likes a drink, try asking them if they can remove any alcohol from the house, or from a place you have access to it, so you aren’t tempted to give up on your sobriety,” he says. Don’t make unfair demands of them “Though it is fair to ask your partner to stop drinking and support you in sobriety, it is important that this is not a strict expectation of them. Assuming someone will automatically change their lifestyle just to suit yours may cause unnecessary conflict,” Jackman says. “Instead, when you make the decision to go sober, it’s important that you sit and talk through the reasons why you want to give up drinking, so they fully understand your decision. You may find they want to improve their own personal relationship with alcohol. However, it’s important to note, not everyone will be willing to do so. ” Seek out authenticity One of you quitting drinking could break a dangerous cycle. “If you and your partner regularly drink, more than just socialising with friends or during an occasion, your relationship could develop with a co-dependency to alcohol, where you are drinking to maintain the relationship,” says Dr Stefan Walters, Caba’s addiction specialist. “As humans, we can be highly influenced by peer pressure and the people around us. So, if we are socialising with those who drink heavily, we may feel a judgement for being sober, or that we are not joining in on the fun,” he explains. Pushing past that dependency will help you be authentic with your partner. “When you are sober, your personality is authentic, and you will feel emotionally present throughout conversations and experiences with your partner,” Walters adds. Find new things to do together If one of you does not drink, you may have to think outside the box about things you can do together. “If you are still feeling this way about the activities or hobbies after some time, I’d recommend speaking openly with your partner about adjusting or changing them,” says Walters. “Generally, you may feel that you’d rather take up healthier hobbies, like physical pursuits or mentally stimulating activities, instead of those centred around drinking, like quizzes or socialising at the pub. “So, it’s not necessarily about how to enjoy the same things, but working out how to spend time together through new activities that you both enjoy and receive emotional fulfilment from,” he explains. Going sober could help you find something new you love to do together. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Fiona Phillips Alzheimer’s diagnosis at 62: 7 ways to reduce your risk 7 popular destinations that will soon be in London’s ULEZ Kate’s best Wimbledon looks, as she steps out in retro outfit for the tennis