1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt generously. Add the linguine and cook until just al dente. Drain, reserving a small cupful of the cooking liquid.

2. Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan until it is as hot as you can get it – it should be too hot to hold your hand over comfortably. Wash the asparagus, shake off the excess liquid and put on the griddle. Drizzle with a little olive oil and grill for 3–4 minutes on each side. Remove and slice each spear in half on the diagonal.

3. Melt the butter in the pasta pan then add the lemon zest. Turn the heat down as low as you can, then whisk the lemon juice and egg yolks into the butter, until you have an emulsion. Add some of the reserved pasta liquid, a tablespoon at a time, until you have a sauce the texture of single (light) cream – it should be silky-smooth and just coat the pasta when you add it without being cloying. Add the pasta and asparagus to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce.

4. Serve with plenty of black pepper and the cheese shaved over the top.

Here’s one I made earlier! https://youtu.be/BF7eYnubh-g
​Enjoy!

​What if back pain disturbs your sleep? Does your sleeping position help, or does it contribute to your pain and poor sleep? Our Clinic Director, Kristine Hagen offers some advice.

1. Sleeping on the back with knee support
Lying on the back is usually considered to be the best sleeping position for a healthy back.
This position evenly distributes weight the full length of the body’s largest surface. It also minimizes pressure points and ensures good alignment of the head, neck, and spine. It makes breathing an easier task – don’t forget – we breathe the volume of an Olympic swimming pool every 24 hours, so a lot of this breathing work is done whilst you are asleep.
Placing a bolster cushion under the knees can provide additional support and help maintain the natural curve of the spine.
To adopt this sleeping position:
Lie flat on your back facing the ceiling and avoid twisting your head sideways.
Position a pillow to support your head and neck.
Place the bolster cushion under your knees.
For extra support, fill in any other gaps between your body and mattress (such as beneath the lower back), with additional pillows. 

3. Sleeping in the foetal position
Lying on the side with the knees tucked into the chest reduces bending of the spine and helps open up the joints. This is particularly helpful for those who have wear and tear (osteoarthritis) in the bottom of their spines.
To adopt this sleeping position:
Get into bed and carefully roll on to one side.
Position a pillow to support your head and neck.
Draw the knees up towards your chest until your back is relatively straight.

4. Sleeping on the front with pillow under the stomach
Lying on the front of the body is usually considered the worst sleeping posture. However, those who habitually turn to sleep on their front may also want to try hugging a large pillow against their chest and stomach to aid sleep and keep their back aligned.
Sleeping on the front may also benefit some people with a herniated disc (those who struggle to bend forward). This position can also help people with acute facet joint irritation.
To adopt this sleeping position:
Get into bed and roll on to your front.
Place a slim pillow underneath your abdomen and hips to raise the mid-section.
Use a flat pillow for your head or consider sleeping without one.

5. Sleeping on the front with the head face down
Often or not, when you sleep on the front, your head is usually turned to one side. This places further stress on the neck, shoulders, and back.
To avoid this, place a firm pillow or tightly rolled-up towel to prop up your forehead, allowing room for you to breathe. This should be done in addition to placing a pillow under your stomach.
To adopt this sleeping position:
Get into bed and roll onto your front.
Place a slim pillow underneath your stomach and hips to raise the middle of your body.
Place a pillow or rolled-up towel under your forehead to create adequate breathing space between your mouth and the mattress.

And then you realise, you're inactive, overweight eating the wrong things and feeling a little sorry for yourself. You don’t know which way to turn and you lack the motivation, even though you know you have to halt this downward spiral! But it doesn't have to be that way. You don't want it to be that way.
Let's take stock, gain some perspective and make a plan!

There is no getting away from the fact that inactivity is a major health burden. The longer you stay sat on your sofa, the greater the risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers. Daily living becomes much harder if you continue your inactivity into your 60s and 70s. Balance, confidence and reduced strength will make everyday tasks more difficult.  “Sitting for long periods is thought to slow the metabolism, which affects the body's ability to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and break down body fat.
Many adults in the UK spend more than seven hours a day sitting or lying, and this typically increases with age to 10 hours or more.  This includes watching TV, using a computer, reading, doing homework, travelling by car, bus or train but does not include sleeping.” Source NHS Choices.

Don’t worry about which exercise, just think about moving more.  One great tip I heard this week from a client, was, tell your closet friends, you are going to start taking care of yourself. Encourage them to encourage you, when they go for a walk, try to get them to invite you and vice versa. Ask them not to try and tempt you away from your plan with meals out, coffee and cakes or nights on the town. Remember, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Jim Rohn

​To help you focus on becoming a healthier you, use the chart below to record where you are right now in terms of health. Over the coming weeks, we will provide more information on each segment so that you can improve your score in each aspect of health and reach Spring healthier, fitter, and happier! 

The very fact that you are taking time out to read this article probably means that you are investing in your health and fitness by taking part in regular exercise and maintaining a healthy diet. But have you considered that there are other everyday factors that just as much, if not greater impact on your health and longevity? 
​
One thing that connects us all is that we are not getting any younger! However, the way in which we age can differ significantly depending on where you live, how you move, what you eat and how you think. But were you aware that the quality of the friendships and relationships in our lives has a far-reaching influence on our health substantially more than that of healthy diet or exercise?

In her international bestseller Age Proof: The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life, Professor Rose Anne Kenny*, goes on to unveil that just 20 percent of ageing is down to genetics and can’t be changed whilst 80 percent is epigenetic, meaning we have the ability to influence how quickly or how gradually we age. 

The COVID pandemic highlighted the need for us all to take care of one’s health, but the numerous lockdowns forced many into isolation which had a greater impact on their health. ​

​According to the TILDA study**, loneliness increased threefold during the pandemic and almost 4 years on from the first lockdown many are still feeling afraid to reconnect. Human beings are inherently social creatures, our collective interactions and connection to others enables us to survive and thrive. Yet, as we age, many of us are alone more often than when we were younger, leaving us vulnerable to social isolation and loneliness—and related health problems such as cognitive decline, depression, and heart disease.

"Life is nothing without friendship." Cicero
The health benefits of community were first uncovered in America in the late 1950’s. At this time, drugs to lower cholesterol levels were neither popular nor readily available, as a result of dietary changes and increased stress levels, heart diseases were spreading in the US like an epidemic. Yet in the town of Roseto, Pennsylvania there were nearly no heart attacks for the high-risk group of men – 55 to 64. Whilst men over 65 had a death rate of 1%, while the national average was 2% (1954-1961). 

Researchers initially thought that a unique diet was the underlying differences. But further investigation discovered that they cooked with lard, loved pasta, drank wine, feasted on sausages, and smoked the occasional cigar. 
Although the Roseto men worked in quarries and mines, the population did not follow any regular exercise routine, and many were overweight. Interestingly, records of Rosetans living in other parts of the US showed that their mortality rate from heart disease was similar to those of other Americans.
​
After a prolonged stay in Roseto observing the day to day lives of its inhabitants, Sociologist John Bruhn, and Stewart Wolf, (Head of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma) were able to ‘crack the code’ to their longevity and happiness. Founded by Italian settlers in the 1880’s Roseto was a close-knit community where several generations of a single family often lived together under the same roof. They loved and supported each other and engaged as a community, with high attendances at clubs, societies, and church.

Study Director Dr Robert Waldinger believes that "Personal connection creates emotional stimulation, which is an automatic mood booster, while isolation is a mood buster,” And goes on to state, “Taking care of your body is important, but tending to your relationships is a form of self-care too. That, I think, is the revelation.”

More recently, journalist Dan Buettner, National Geographic, and a team of scientists and demographers travelled the world in in 2004 in search of communities where people not only lived longer but also enjoyed a high quality of life in their old age. They identified 5 areas in the world where people lived exceptionally long lives, (many living into their 90’s and 100’s). **** Once more, they discovered that genetics in all probability only accounts for 20–30% of this longevity, meaning environmental influences, including diet and lifestyle play a huge role in determining their lifespan. In all the identified 9 key lifestyle habits which set these groups apart, none of which included joining gyms or pumping iron. Instead, they move naturally, have vegetable gardens which they tend to daily and don’t have mechanical conveniences for housework.

Each group had a sense of purpose, or ‘Why I wake up in the morning’!’ According to Buettner and his team, knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy. Although each of the groups in the Blue Zones experience stress, they have routines or rituals to alleviate or shed that stress. Some take time out each day to remember their ancestors, others pray, or take a nap whilst the Sardinians do happy hour!
​
During the research, the team interviewed 263 centenarians and discovered that all but five belonged to a faith-based community.  It did not appear to matter which denomination, but their research showed that attending faith-based services four times per month can add 4-14 years of life expectancy.

Just like the inhabitants of Roseto, blue zone communities place their families first, with aging parents and grandparents living in close proximity or in the home. They have committed to a life partner (which can add up to 3 years of life expectancy) and invest time, love, and affection in their children.

Another common feature of Blue Zone communities is that its occupants chose–or were born into–social circles that supported healthy behaviours. In Okinawan they create” moais”–groups of five friends that commit to each other for life.
Changes in working practices post COVID mean that many of us work from home on a more regular basis. Weekly food drops to the door mean that we no longer face the hassle of the supermarket and ‘immediate’ streaming means we can watch the latest blockbuster from the comfort of our own home. Whilst many of these changes make life a little easier, we are also missing out on many social interactions, that form the building blocks of our health and wellbeing. Those water-cooler chats, after work drinks or the chance meeting of friends or acquaintances in the supermarket aisle have gone, leaving us socially stunted if not poorer!

Whilst exercise and healthy eating should form the cornerstone of our wellness lifestyle, it is important that we do not overlook the simple things that have proven to make greater impacts both in Roseto and the Blue Zones. After all, staying connected with others means you may help boost your mood and improve your overall well-being. So, find your tribe, cultivate your friendships, and create your healthy environment.

"Friendship improves happiness, and abates misery, by doubling our joys, and dividing our grief." Cicero
  
*Professor Rose Anne Kenny - Medical gerontologist and Regius Professor of Physic and Chair of Medical Gerontology at Trinity College Dublin and founding Principal Investigator of Ireland’s largest population study of ageing (TILDA)
 
**The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) is a large-scale, nationally representative, longitudinal study on ageing in Ireland, the overarching aim of which is to make Ireland the best place in the world to grow old.
**** Blue Zones Power of 9
Barbagia region of Sardinia – Mountainous highlands of inner Sardinia with the world’s highest concentration of male centenarians.
Ikaria, Greece – Aegean Island with one of the world’s lowest rates of middle age mortality and the lowest rates of dementia.
Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica – World’s lowest rates of middle age mortality, second highest concentration of male centenarians.
Seventh Day Adventists – Highest concentration is around Loma Linda, California. They live 10 years longer than their North American counterparts.
Okinawa, Japan – Females over 70 are the longest-lived population in the world.

With the party season upon us and the prospects of consuming more, food, alcohol, and endless sweet treats on offer, it is all too tempting to overindulge at Christmas. 
​
Writing off the month of December and planning to catch up or restart in the January is the easy way out, but what if you could have fun over Christmas without putting on half a stone?
Here are a few simple ideas for you to try that will help you keep the ‘Christmas’ weight off this December.

Maintain a routine
Try as much as possible to keep some part of your normal routine going. 
If you always get up and go to the gym, why can’t you continue that most days over Christmas? If you normally juice every morning, why can’t you keep doing that? 
Try and start your day with a good breakfast which is full of protein, this will give your body a good start to the day, keep you fuller for longer and may help with cravings.
 
Start the day in credit!
Make the most of the fact that you will not be racing off to the office or on the school run. Get into credit early in the day by going for a brisk walk; make time in the middle of the day for family winter walk, it will boost your Vitamin D level and help take some of the ‘festive ‘stress.

Finish the day in credit!
It is easy to end up drinking every night throughout Christmas due to all the socialising and the bottles of Warnincks Advocaat, Baileys Cream and Dubonnet that reappear on the sideboard at this time of year! Take one or two nights off a week and get an early night. This will stop your adrenal glands going into overdrive and producing lots of cortisol which, in turn makes you crave sugary and salty foods more.
 
Eat more vegetables
Have a lighter Christmas dinner by filling at least half your plate with vegetables before adding anything else. (Caution – does not include roast potatoes! 
Green vegetables are excellent as they are low in calories and high in fibre, vitamins and minerals. 
Prepare several vegetable side dishes and look for recipes to make them more interesting – (we have included one for you in this newsletter!) 
 
Drink plenty of water
As well as your normal 1 - 2 litres of water every day, (yes you need to drink that much and no you won’t keep going to the toilet and if you do, think of all those extra steps!) try to have a glass of water between each alcoholic drink. It will slow down your drinking and help keep you hydrated.
 
More Top tips to follow next week, in the meantime here are two fantastic vegetable dishes for you to try, plus Tom demonstrates some simple exercise for you to try at home!