Beware of hidden fees that can add to your car hire quote.
Steer clear of 'full to empty' policies, where the company charges you for a full tank (often at a more expensive rate than at local pumps). Look for a 'return as you found it' policy. (travelsupermarket.com and moneymaxim.co.uk allow you to filter searches according to fuel payment preferences. Moneymaxim's 'Fairer Fuel' search facility only shows deals where you pay for fuel at local petrol pump prices.)
Don't buy excess waiver insurance (so you won't have to pay if you have a bump) direct from the car hire company. Standalone policies are much cheaper - from as little as £2 per day. Go to travelsupermarket.com, insuranceforcarhire.com or moneymaxim.co.uk to compare.
Don't buy collison damage waiver (CDW) directly either. It's often already included in insurance policies. If not, it can be bought more cheaply from specialists such as icarhireinsurance.com. Sort out insurance before you travel and take copies of paperwork with you.
Bring child seats and sat navs - renting them from the car hire company could cost around £50 to £70 each a week.
Check there is no extra charge for extra drivers, drivers under a certain age, peak season use or returning the car early or late.
Review your bank statement to make sure you've not paid extra charges or fees after returning the car and that unused fuel or deposits have been reimbursed. If you spot anything, complain immediately. (Hirers are often required to leave a holding deposit (c. £300 to £500) on their credit card - you need to have sufficient credit limit to cover this.
Virtual driving licences. Now that paper licences have been consigned to history, licence details are held electronically. Renters will need a passcode from the DVLA website to present at the car hire desk so details can be checked. The passcode is only valid for 72 hours and there have been concerns about some overseas car hire companies being unaware of the UK change. Contact your hire company before you leave home.
Feature in Good Housekeeping, August 2015
Monday, 4 April 2016
Friday, 1 April 2016
Unconventional Families
Having same-sex parents doesn't affect a child's sexual orientation. Children may be more likely to experiment with same-sex relationships, but are no more likely to identify as lesbian or gay as adults.
Statistics show that conception via a donor's sperm or egg has absolutely no impact on the relationship between parent and child, as long as children are told before they go to school. If they find out later, they can feel deceived and lose trust in their parents.
Children don't suffer from lacking a male or female parent, and there is no evidence that it affects masculinity or femininity.
It's prejudice that causes problems for these children, not the families themselves. While people have the right to their own beliefs, they can't argue that these families are worse for children - 40 years of research has proven this is not the case.
Feature by Prof. Susan Golombok in Good Housekeeping, August 2015
Statistics show that conception via a donor's sperm or egg has absolutely no impact on the relationship between parent and child, as long as children are told before they go to school. If they find out later, they can feel deceived and lose trust in their parents.
Children don't suffer from lacking a male or female parent, and there is no evidence that it affects masculinity or femininity.
It's prejudice that causes problems for these children, not the families themselves. While people have the right to their own beliefs, they can't argue that these families are worse for children - 40 years of research has proven this is not the case.
Feature by Prof. Susan Golombok in Good Housekeeping, August 2015
Monday, 28 March 2016
Food Bloggers
There are loads of food bloggers out there if you just want recipes, but these each have a useful focus to their posts.
Deliciously Ella (deliciouslyella.com). In 2011 Ella Woodward was struck down with a debilitating illness that was eventually diagnosed as Postural Tachycardia Syndrome, a relatively rare illness triggered by an abnormal heart rate. With conventional treatments not working (there is no single medication) she looked into alternative methods, included diet based methods. She decided to adopt a vegan plant-based diet, free from dairy, gluten and sugar, and gradually her symptoms subsided. For motivation she started a blog on which to post new and tasty recipes that she could eat. By January 2015 she had been off medication for 18 months and was healthy.
A Girl Called Jack (agirlcalledjack.com). Jack Monroe started this blog (in 2012?) to detail how she and her young son lived on a budget of £10 a week. Her recipes are now handed out by foodbanks.
I Quit Sugar (https://iquitsugar.com/blog/). Sarah Wilson eliminated sugar from her diet in January 2011. "It started as an experiment, but my energy, skin and wellness improved so much, I just kept going. And going. And feeling better and better. I stopped eating sugar because I’d been told by specialists and nutritionists for years that I should. I have an autoimmune disease (Hashimotos, a disease that attacks the thyroid and mostly affects women over 40) and sugar flares my condition terribly. Some even argue sugar causes the disease in the first place. Anyone with a compromised system simply cannot afford to have their stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol), their neurotransmitter levels (dopamine) or their insulin levels tipped off balance by sugar. It’s a hard, cold but oddly motivating fact." Read her story here.
Deliciously Ella (deliciouslyella.com). In 2011 Ella Woodward was struck down with a debilitating illness that was eventually diagnosed as Postural Tachycardia Syndrome, a relatively rare illness triggered by an abnormal heart rate. With conventional treatments not working (there is no single medication) she looked into alternative methods, included diet based methods. She decided to adopt a vegan plant-based diet, free from dairy, gluten and sugar, and gradually her symptoms subsided. For motivation she started a blog on which to post new and tasty recipes that she could eat. By January 2015 she had been off medication for 18 months and was healthy.
A Girl Called Jack (agirlcalledjack.com). Jack Monroe started this blog (in 2012?) to detail how she and her young son lived on a budget of £10 a week. Her recipes are now handed out by foodbanks.
I Quit Sugar (https://iquitsugar.com/blog/). Sarah Wilson eliminated sugar from her diet in January 2011. "It started as an experiment, but my energy, skin and wellness improved so much, I just kept going. And going. And feeling better and better. I stopped eating sugar because I’d been told by specialists and nutritionists for years that I should. I have an autoimmune disease (Hashimotos, a disease that attacks the thyroid and mostly affects women over 40) and sugar flares my condition terribly. Some even argue sugar causes the disease in the first place. Anyone with a compromised system simply cannot afford to have their stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol), their neurotransmitter levels (dopamine) or their insulin levels tipped off balance by sugar. It’s a hard, cold but oddly motivating fact." Read her story here.
Friday, 25 March 2016
Dandruff
Dandruff is mainly caused by a fungus which lives naturally on most people's skin; it causes problems
in about half of us.
The fungus, Malassezia globosa, feeds off the oils on our skin and hair and then produces oleic acid, which can irritate the skin, leading to a rapid turnover of skin
cells - the dead cells we see in the hair. Air pollution can make this worse, whilst UV light from
sunshine can help dampen it down.
Do not add oil to your scalp – washing off the natural oils that Malassezia feeds on is more likely to help.
Some chemicals can help kill it off; the most effective anti-fungals are miconazole and ketokonazole. Some shampoos contain ketokonazole, but miconazole is currently only available in skin creams (and some pet shampoos!).
If you find the effects of an antifungal shampoo wear off after a while, try another product. Coal tar shampoos can slow down skin turnover (but may discolour fair hair). Shampoos containing salicylic acid can help get rid of the flakes. Shampoos containing zinc or selenium can also target the fungus.
BBC 2 Trust Me, I'm a Doctor January 2016
NHS Choices website - page on dandruff
Do not add oil to your scalp – washing off the natural oils that Malassezia feeds on is more likely to help.
Some chemicals can help kill it off; the most effective anti-fungals are miconazole and ketokonazole. Some shampoos contain ketokonazole, but miconazole is currently only available in skin creams (and some pet shampoos!).
If you find the effects of an antifungal shampoo wear off after a while, try another product. Coal tar shampoos can slow down skin turnover (but may discolour fair hair). Shampoos containing salicylic acid can help get rid of the flakes. Shampoos containing zinc or selenium can also target the fungus.
BBC 2 Trust Me, I'm a Doctor January 2016
NHS Choices website - page on dandruff
Monday, 21 March 2016
Isoflavones and Osteoporosis
Research conducted by the University of Hull examined the risk of bone loss in women consuming soy protein both alongside an isoflavone supplement and without. The six-month study showed that the overall rate of bone loss had notably slowed in those combining soy protein and isoflavone supplement. Scientists are also exploring indications that those who took a supplement also redued their risk of cardiovascular disease.
A report published by the European Food Safety Authority in Nov. 2015 states that there is no indication of harm on the health of peri- and post-menopausal women using isoflavones. "We found that soy proteins and isoflavones are a safe and effective option for improving bone health in women during early menopause ... the actions of soy appear to mimic conventional osteoporosis drugs ... supplementing with isoflavones could lead to a significant decrease in women diagnosed with osteoporosis"
Item in Lifespan Breaking News, Winter 2015.
A report published by the European Food Safety Authority in Nov. 2015 states that there is no indication of harm on the health of peri- and post-menopausal women using isoflavones. "We found that soy proteins and isoflavones are a safe and effective option for improving bone health in women during early menopause ... the actions of soy appear to mimic conventional osteoporosis drugs ... supplementing with isoflavones could lead to a significant decrease in women diagnosed with osteoporosis"
Item in Lifespan Breaking News, Winter 2015.
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