Readers_Digest_UK

READER’S DIGEST

Addressing hoarding, especially What is important, especially
when such behaviour is an extension in present circumstances, is to be
of otherwise rational beliefs, is aware of and compassionate towards
difficult. Every case is unique. the way that external stresses may
However, putting systems and steps be pushing vulnerable individuals
in place around item management to develop or deepen hoarding
can make everyday life easier behaviours. No socioeconomic era
for those experiencing hoarding lasts forever, and help is available.
disorder, and can lessen such Some things one does not have
tendencies over time. to keep. n

The Gift of Greeting Cards

The custom of sending greeting cards was started by the Ancient Chinese and
Ancient Egyptians, who swapped messages on their respective New Years

Source: mookychick.co.uk

JANUARY 2023 • 49

H E A LT H KETO

Hope What is it? The ketogenic diet is a high-
To fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet
designed to encourage your body into a
Diet stage of ketosis, where it uses fat for fuel
rather than glucose.
There’s a dizzying Pros Research has indicated it can help
array of weight loss you lose weight. It might lower blood
and healthy eating sugar in people with Type 2 diabetes.
régimes, but what are There are suggestions that it might help
the pros and cons treat cancer and help boost cognition.
of some of the Cons Constipation, because of lack of
most popular? fibre. Possible bad breath because of all
those ketones your body gives off as you
burn fat. Possible low energy. It’s also
quite strict, meaning it can get in the
way of socialising.

50 • JANUARY 2022

MEDITERRANEAN calorie intake. Popular variations are
What is it? A heart-healthy diet rich the 5:2 (you eat normally for five
in fruit, veg, fish, grains, beans and days and cut your calories to 500 for
pulses, olive oil and nuts. women and 600 for men over two
Pros Easy to stick to and there’s days) and the 16:8 (you consume all
evidence you can reduce weight your daily calories within eight hours
and also cut your risk of and fast for 16).
cardiovascular disease. Pros You can eat what you like
Cons There are no calorie guidelines, without calorie counting within the
so you can still overeat. period you’re allowed to eat. You can
successfully lose weight, and cut
DASH cholesterol and blood pressure. It
What is it? Standing for Dietary may also help to stabilise blood
Approaches to Stop Hypertension, sugar levels—important if you have
this eating plan is similar to the or are at risk of diabetes.
Mediterranean diet in that it Cons Requires discipline. Could
prioritises wholegrains, fruit and veg, result in low energy levels,
along with low-fat dairy, lean poultry headaches and dizziness on fasting
and low salt intake. You’re also days. More data on effectiveness
supposed to exercise. needed. There’s little guidance on
Pros An easy diet that can help how much and what you should eat.
reduce weight and the risk of blood
pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, PALEO DIET
Type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
Good for gut health. What is it? The Paleolithic or
Cons Very few, though careful meal caveman’s diet includes foods you can
planning is required. hunt, fish or gather, but excludes
anything agriculturally produced, such
INTERMITTENT FASTING as cereals, dairy and processed foods.
What is it? A dietary regimen that Pros Fruits, veg, nuts, seeds, eggs,
switches between eating normally lean meat and fish are all healthy
and periods of fasting or very low- ingredients, so you’re likely to lose a
few kilos and help protect against
Susannah Hickling heart disease.
is twice winner of Cons There’s limited research so far
the Guild of and the Paleo diet is very restrictive,
Health Writers Best so you risk not getting all the
Consumer Magazine nutrients you need. It’s best to avoid
Health Feature diets based on strict limitation of
whole food groups. n

JANUARY 2023 • 51

H E A LT H

How To Break sometimes inefficiency is more
healthy. Take microbreaks—stick
Bad Health Habits your head out of the window, have a
coffee, read an article. You’ll resume
Making small changes what you’re doing feeling refreshed.
can bring big improvements
in your health and wellbeing Bad habit 4: Watching the news
Phew, there’s a lot going on in the
Bad habit 1: Being world right now! But fixating on the
over-ambitious news—ie, doomscrolling—has been
about exercise associated with increased stress,
We put a lot of anxiety and general poor health.
pressure on Give yourself a break. Swap out those
ourselves to keep lost minutes spent despairing over
the state of the world for time spent
active. But do you need doing something more enjoyable,
to go to the gym five days a such as listening to music or
week? Sometimes it’s enough just to messaging a friend.
make time for a ten minute power
walk. Scientists at the universities of Bad habit 5: Avoiding people
Cambridge and Leicester recently Socialising helps you feel better about
showed that short, intense bursts of life. It might even sharpen your
activity are more beneficial to the memory and help you live longer,
heart than leisurely exercise lasting according to some research. So make
more than twice as long. a few dates with friends and family.

Bad habit 2: Scrolling while eating Bad habit 6: Being hard on yourself

Being on your phone when you eat If you’re struggling to meet weight
means you’re not paying attention to loss or exercise goals, or to get
your food or allowing yourself a everything done, it’s time be kind to
break from that ceaseless cyber yourself. Remember, Rome wasn’t
chatter. Sit down to have your meal, built in a day. Make an active effort
put your mobile out of reach and eat to stay positive and congratulate
mindfully, focusing on enjoying what yourself every day on one good thing
you’re eating. you’ve achieved, however small. n

Bad habit 3: Being too efficient For more weekly health tips and
We’ve got so much to do and want to stories, sign up to our newsletter
be as productive as possible. But at readersdigest.co.uk

52 • JANUARY 2023

READER’S DIGEST

Ask The Expert: most common reason is that the
Carpal Tunnel ligament on top of the tunnel
Syndrome becomes thick and pushes down on
the contents. Certain groups get it
Mr Ali Noorani is an orthopaedic often—those with illnesses such as
surgeon specialising in upper limb arthritis and diabetes, people who are
surgery, and medical director of the overweight, and those with hobbies
Orthopaedic Specialists Group or jobs where they repeatedly make
the same movements, perhaps
because of vibrating tools or
computer work.

How did you become an expert in How can people minimise it?
carpal tunnel syndrome? Occupational therapists can help
It’s a very common problem and was change desk position and posture.
one of the first things I was trained in Carpal tunnel syndrome is often bad
as a junior doctor. Most people don’t at night because we bend our wrists
need surgery but it’s a very simple as we sleep. What works well are
and satisfying procedure. About 90 simple splints that keep the hands
per cent of people who have the and wrists straight.
operation say their pain, numbness,
pins and needles, aches and waking What treatments are available?
up at night disappear overnight. If lifestyle or occupational changes or
splints don’t work, steroid injections
What is carpal tunnel syndrome? may be enough for mild to moderate
It’s where one nerve in the hand, the carpal tunnel syndrome. For
median nerve, gets squished in your moderate to severe cases, we might
wrist. This happens in the carpal offer surgery that entails a small
tunnel, a natural tunnel made of bone incision in the wrist and dividing the
with a ligament on top that forms the ligament on top. It
roof. This carries the nerves and reheals looser
tendons. Sometimes the tunnel gets and takes the
narrow and the first thing that suffers pressure off
is the median nerve. the nerve. n

What causes it? For more
There are many causes. It can happen information,
in pregnancy because of fluid, but visit www.
normally settles down afterwards. The os.clinic

JANUARY 2023 • 53

H E A LT H

Dr Max ponders the importance and
healing power of physical intimacy

The Power Of Touch

O ver the years I have to suggest that offering hugs to
been fascinated to read soothe victims of violence is a primal
about studies into the instinct that we inherited from
power of touch. One primate ancestors.
famous study examined
video footage of how people But to me, it also speaks about
responded to those near them who the importance of closeness and
had been the victim of a crime. intimacy. Another study found that
Researchers looked at their body holding hands to comfort a loved
language and interaction with the one can actually reduce their pain.
victim, and compared this with It found that when people who are
behaviours in non-human primates. close to one another hold hands,
It found that there are striking their bodies synchronise their heart
similarities between the ways that rate and breathing rate. Through a
humans and primates such as process that’s not fully understood,
chimpanzees console one another if one of them is in pain, the pain
and demonstrate compassion and appears to reduce. I’ve seen this
care. It involves different types of so many times when the husband
touching and closeness. This seems or wife of a patient in distress or
discomfort reaches out and holds
Max is a hospital doctor, their hand and, as if by magic, in a
author and columnist. He few minutes they become settled and
currently works full time in less distressed. Perhaps we shouldn’t
mental health for the NHS. be surprised, as we have known for
His new book, The many years about the importance of
Marvellous Adventure of touch. It symbolises safety and love
Being Human, is out now and, we have come to understand,

54 • JANUARY 2023

this is actually one of the most WHEN PEOPLE WHO ARE
important aspects for development CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER
as a child. Is it any wonder that,
when we are upset, distressed and HOLD HANDS, THEIR
vulnerable as adults, we seek out the BODIES SYNCHRONISE
same thing?
THEIR HEART RATE
The value of touch was
demonstrated by a series of appeared to show that it was not food,
disturbing experiments on rhesus but being comforted and intimate,
monkeys back in the 1950s by Harry that was the most important thing.
Harlow, an American psychologist. Those monkeys who were not given
His work showed the incredible drive a soft surrogate mother to cling to
for warmth and intimacy that we all froze in fear and cried, crouched
have. In his experiments, he took down or sucked their thumbs. He
young monkeys and placed them in described these experiments as a
different enclosures. When given a study of love and they showed for
choice between a surrogate “mother” the first time how vital the feeling of
to cling to made of wire mesh that being loved is to us. His conclusion
had a ready supply of milk or a warm, that love and support are essential
soft mother that did not provide factors to normal development has
any food, they chose, to everyone’s been supported by countless further
astonishment, the comfort over food. scientific studies.
This flew in the face of what was
expected, as until then it had always Personally I find this all incredibly
been assumed that food was the main comforting. For me, this really speaks
motivator for living creatures. Yet this of the power of love. n

JANUARY 2023 • 55

H E A LT H

The Doctor Is In

Dr Max Pemberton

Q: Dear Dr Max, in recent months I continence, from neurological
have noticed small urine stains on problems through to things like Type I
my bedsheets. It seems I am and II diabetes. With women it’s often
leaking urine at night. I already do related to the pelvic floor. This is less
pelvic floor exercises—is there common in men. You don’t mention
anything else I can do to stop this your age but assuming you’re over the
from happening? age of 50, this may be something to do
with your prostate. This is a small
- Tom gland that encircles the urethra—the
tube that urine passes through. As
A: Dear Tom, I’m really pleased you’ve men get older, their prostate has a
written to me. Incontinence—which is tendency to enlarge and this can
what you’re experiencing—is very cause a number of problems. Men can
common, particularly as people get sometimes find it difficult to pass
older, yet it’s one of those things that urine, or the stream is not as strong as
all too often people don’t want to before. This can mean the bladder
worry their doctor about. Even a small doesn’t empty properly. Urine then
amount or occasional episodes can leaks out a bit, especially when
have a big impact on people’s lives, someone’s asleep.
affecting the things they do, where
they go and their self-confidence. If it is an enlarged prostate then
there’s medication to improve the
There are lots of treatments
available, depending on the flow of urine, ensuring the
cause, and specialist bladder fully empties. But
“continence clinics” set up incontinence like this can also
specifically to help. So, I want be down to more serious
to say to anyone else reading conditions such as prostate or
this who is experiencing bladder cancer, so do prioritise
similar problems to go to see going to see the doctor. n
their doctor. Don’t put it off.
Got a health question
Now, back to you. There
are a number of things for our resident doctor?
that can cause people to
have difficulties with Email it confidentially to

[email protected]

56 • JANUARY 2023 illustration by Javier Muñoz

Just Cycle

And fold away

There’s no excuse not to get on
your bike this Winter. Get your
indoor cycling fix and feel the
benefits.

Great for general cardio fitness,
exercise bikes can be a brilliant way of
training at home. However, choosing
the right bike is incredibly important,
which is something that Roger
Black and his team recognised when
creating the Roger Black Folding
Exercise Bike.

“Best Present EVER are the words
from my 77-year old father who
received his Roger Black fitness
bike for his birthday. He said it is
so simple and easy to use, with no
complicated gadgets. The seat is VERY
comfortable, so using it everyday is
a pleasure. It folds away neatly so it
can be stored behind a door if need be”
Anna, Farnham

Roger Black is offering a 10% discount
on the full www.rogerblackfitness.com
range of home fitness equipment for
all Reader’s Digest readers. Please use
discount code DIGEST10 at checkout.
Standard T&Cs apply.

H E A LT H

Get Lost–And Get Learning!

You’ll boost your brainpower if you performed significantly better in
brave the unknown, says our memory tests straight after. According
memory expert, Jonathan Hancock to the researchers, that was because
navigating the new environment
T here’s a lot to cope stimulated their dopamine system—
with when you go off setting up their brains for learning.
to university, and the
academic work is just the So leaving home to study for a
start. There are new friends degree makes perfect sense. What’s
to meet, new opportunities to choose more, young minds seem to gain most
between, new responsibilities to from being in strange surroundings.
accept… and, for most students, a
completely new city to explore. But we may all be able to reap
some of the benefits, even if it’s
We recently drove our daughter just by stimulating our senses and
Evie 150 miles to start life as a fresher. challenging our thinking skills. Here
It was a struggle to find the car are three things to try:
park, let alone navigate the maze of • Go somewhere new to tackle
corridors that led to her room. an upcoming learning task—like
memorising a speech in the library,
Before we left that evening, we’d or revising for an exam on a park
taken her to the local supermarket, bench—and take an unfamiliar route
and we knew that she had flatmates to get there.
and phone apps to get her orientated. • Play video games that get you
But the scale of the challenge ahead moving through new landscapes.
was clear—to find her way in an Then see whether it improves your
unfamiliar world. success with other learning tasks,
like practising a dance or mastering
The good news for Evie—and
learners everywhere—is that phrases for a foreign trip.
exploring new habitats is • Get lost in your imagination!
hugely beneficial for memory. To warm yourself up for
learning, picture a city you
In a recent study, volunteers know well, but imagine you’re
walked around a simulated stranded in a part of it that
forest environment. Then you’ve never visited. Then
some of them took the same try to visualise exactly how
walk again, while others you’ll get out.
explored a different forest.
And that second group

58 • JANUARY 2023



H E A LT H

What It’s Like

ComaTo Be In A

The twilight zone between life and death
is a mystery that doctors can solve

By Lauren Cahn W hen T Renee Garner was 32
weeks pregnant with her son, she
was rushed to the hospital with
extremely high blood pressure,
her foetus in distress. Intravenous
medication lowered her blood
pressure, and her baby was delivered safely before
being taken to the neonatal intensive care unit. But
when Garner went to visit him there the next day,
she still wasn’t well, and she began experiencing leg
cramping so severe it left her weeping in the hospital.
Then everything went black—for three days.

Doctors determined that Garner’s coma was
the result of a severe electrolyte imbalance—her
sodium had dropped precipitously—caused by the

IllustratioN by James Steinberg JANUARY 2023 • 61

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE IN A COMA

IV medication she’d received. Garner mystery to doctors. Even the medical
says that while she was in the coma, definition is vague. The Mayo
she heard a siren and then the words Clinic in the US calls it “a state of
it died, which she took to mean prolonged unconsciousness that can
that she had died (it was actually a be caused by a variety of problems.”
battery on a monitor that had died). Technically, someone in a coma is
She also recounts having horrible unresponsive to light, sound, touch
dreams. “I can’t remember them, but and verbal communication, but
that doesn’t necessarily mean the
COMA PATIENTS SAY patient isn’t aware, says Dr J Javier
Provencio, professor in neurology
THEY REMEMBER and director of the Nerancy
Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at
WHEN DOCTORS the University of Virginia.

AND NURSES CAME Dr Provencio has had patients tell
him they remember when doctors
INTO THE ROOM and nurses came into the room
and pinched their big toe so hard
I know they tormented me,” she says. it hurt, though they didn’t respond
“Every dream I had during my coma at the time and were completely
was a nightmare.” unconscious (the pinch is a way for
doctors to see whether people in
Zaida Khaze was 19 when she was a coma will respond to the pain or
riding in a car that was hit by a drunk even wake up from it).
driver. Her head injury was so severe
that she lost the ability to walk, speak “Some remember nothing; some
and swallow, and she lapsed into remember a great deal of feelings,
a coma that lasted ten days. When but nothing specific. Some people
she started to fully awaken in the hallucinate that people came to visit
rehab hospital to which she had them who never actually did,” he says.
been transferred, she remembered
none of it: not the accident nor the On the other hand, there are
aftermath. The only thing she did people like Jennifer Beaver. On a
remember was having her entire Saturday night in June 2017, she
family gathered around her. But, in was riding in a golf cart with her
fact, they were never all there at the husband and two friends. When she
same time. turned to talk to one of them, she
slipped and fell off the moving cart,
What an individual patient will landing on her head. She suffered
experience during a coma remains a a massive brain bleed and was
immediately rushed to the nearest

62 • JANUARY 2023

READER’S DIGEST

trauma hospital, whisked into out of their comas and recovered can
emergency surgery, and then put help doctors learn more about this
into a medically induced coma for a strange phenomenon. One of the
week to allow her brain to heal. The most important lessons: the human
doctors told Beaver’s husband that brain is a lot more resilient than they
she was unlikely to survive the injury once thought.
and that if she did, she might be
severely disabled. “For a long time we were vastly
underestimating the brain’s potential
THE HUMAN BRAIN for recovery,” says Dr Stephan A
Mayer, a specialist in neurocritical
IS A LOT MORE care and emergency neurology at
Westchester Medical Centre Health
RESILIENT THAN Network in Valhalla, New York. Many
patients whom doctors thought had
DOCTORS ONCE no hope of waking up have come
out of their comas. “After about ten
THOUGHT years of doing this, I realised I knew
less about prognosis than ever,” Dr
And yet, when doctors gradually Mayer admits.
brought her out of the coma, Beaver
was not only relatively healthy Becoming clearer about which
but could also recall pieces of are the best treatments for coma
discussions she’d overheard. “I patients—and about how to better
remember friends and family in the predict recovery prospects—
room, and one friend who flew in are thriving areas of study. Dr
from Los Angeles to see me,” she Provencio is one of the founders
says. “Later on, I texted the friend of the Curing Coma Campaign,
and asked her if she had been in the a group of neurocritical care
room because I was certain I’d heard specialists from all over the world
her voice, although I couldn’t recall who are developing improved
seeing her.” The friend had, in fact, coma treatment strategies. The
been there. Curing Coma campaign website
(curingcoma.org) provides valuable
Even with brain imaging and information for patients, families
other tests, doctors can never be and healthcare providers.
certain whether a specific patient
will emerge from a coma or how “We’re really looking for people
they will recover. But hearing the who have been affected by coma
stories of patients who have come to help us learn about their
experiences before, during and
after,” says Dr Provencio. n

JANUARY 2023 • 63

DATING & RELATIONSHIPS

Can Sex Really But is it? Well, yes and no.
Prevent
The paper responsible for much of
Dementia? this buzz was written in 2016 by
Hayley Wright and Rebecca Jenks
You don’t need to be a from Coventry University. From
scientist to know that sex survey responses of 6,833 adults
makes you feel good. But aged 50-89 years, they found that
thanks to a growing body sexually active folks scored higher on
of research, we’ve now got number sequencing (inputting the
proof that sex is good for you, too. number that’s missing in a sequence)
and memory recall tests than those
One of the most exciting findings who weren’t.
from the past few years is that sex is
linked to better cognitive function— Interestingly, among those who did
that is, how well our brain can process have sex men scored higher on both
and make sense of information. tests, whereas women only had better
scores when it came to memory. Per
This has been widely interpreted to the study authors, this could be
mean that sex can help prevent because different bodies respond to
dementia. Staving off brain disease by chemicals released during pleasure
having fun in the bedroom? It sounds in particular ways, but we can’t say
too good to be true. for sure.

Monica Karpinski is a These tests are measures of
writer and editor focused cognitive function. When this dips,
on women’s health, sex, there’s an increased risk of dementia
and relationships. She is developing at some point.
the founder of women’s
health media platform A year later, the same researchers
The Femedic (plus their colleague Nele Demeyere)
replicated the results by surveying 73
people aged 50-83. This time, they

64 • JANUARY 2023

looked more closely at When we experience

how often people were pleasure, chemicals are

having sex, and found released that have a

that those getting frisky positive effect on our

on a weekly basis brains—like the feel-

scored the highest on Those getting good neurotransmitter
cognitive tests. Folks dopamine, which

having sex monthly frisky on a weekly increases when we

were next, while people orgasm and promotes
basis scored the cognitive function.
who never had sex

scored the lowest. highest on Plus, when we get
OK, so this tells us cognitive tests that warm, fuzzy feeling
that comes with
that people who have

regular sex are more intimacy, we release the

likely to have better cognitive hormone oxytocin, which can

function. And because in itself this enhance memory.

can reduce the risk of dementia, But while sex can be a great way to

people (but not the researchers) have boost these chemicals, we also get

drawn the conclusion that frequent them elsewhere. Being praised at

sex can also keep the disease at bay. work and enjoying our hobbies will

Now comes the part where we must do the trick in triggering dopamine;

tread carefully. We’ve got evidence to oxytocin can rise from hugging or

support a link between sex and simply feeling cared for.

improved cognition, but not that one

causes the other. So what does this mean for

We don’t know whether it’s the act our sex lives?

of sex, rather than other effects that

come with it, that’s having this impact That we should do what makes us

on our brains. happy. After all, a lot of the brain

For example, sex is a form of benefits that come from sex are due to

moderate exercise, comparable to pleasure, so they’ll only happen if

brisk walking. Physical activity can you’re having a good time.

improve memory and brain cell If you like sex, having the sex life

function, and so lower the risk of you want can contribute to better

cognitive decline. brain health—which theoretically

So, is it sex or the exercise it could reduce your risk of dementia.

requires that we’re benefitting from? But if you don’t like sex, you aren’t

Scientists are still trying to figure this “missing out”. It’s not the only way to

out, note the 2017 study authors. be kind to your brain. n

JANUARY 2023 • 65

DATING & RELATIONSHIPS

Relationship Advice

Monica Karpinski

Q: I am 59 and physically active. should be going to places where you
I’ve been independent and single can meet people.
for over 25 years but sometimes I
miss having a mate; a friend who can It’s not enough to just be in the
help, lead and care. How do I begin, room with these folks, though. You
where do I start? also have to make the effort to
engage with them. Introduce yourself
- Agnes and try to strike up a conversation.
Sometimes it will go well, sometimes
A: Making friends as an adult can be it won’t. This is fine: just keep at it
tough, but it isn’t impossible. until you find someone that you
Unfortunately though, there’s no way click with.
around the time and effort it takes.
Interestingly, a study by Cornell
According to psychologist and University found that most people
friendship expert Dr Marisa G underestimate how much people like
Franco, there are two necessary them when they meet new people.
ingredients for sparking a friendship: So even if you feel a bit awkward, the
continuous unplanned interactions chances are that other people won’t
(being in the same place and the see you in this way.
same time, again and again) and
being vulnerable with each other. Once you’ve built up a friendly
rapport with someone, you need to
When we’re younger and at school give that relationship time to
or university, this is much easier as develop. Keep showing up and be
we’re automatically placed within a intentional about the effort you put
wide network of people who are all in with that person, while having
going through the same thing. enough confidence in the
relationship to not be too demanding
But as we get older, our lives fill up of them. Over time, your shared
with different responsibilities and we experiences will bring the two of
have less time to just hang out. you closer together. n
Unless we make the effort to put
ourselves in situations where we’ll be Got a question for our resident sex and
among others—say, sports clubs or
interest groups—we probably won’t relationships expert? Email it confidentially
meet anyone new. So, your first step
to [email protected]

66 • JANUARY 2023

COMPETITIONS

Win Theatre If you’re looking to tick off the final
few names on your Christmas list, you
Tokens could pay it forward as Theatre Tokens
make the perfect present. They have
Christmas and the New Year are a no expiry date, and they can be used
perfect time to see a show, so we’re at more than 270 theatres including all
giving you the chance to win a £350 of London’s West End. Run by Society
Theatre Token Gift Card or eGift to of London Theatre, a not-for-profit
treat your family to a show this Winter. organization, Theatre Tokens are a gift
that gives back.
Maybe you’ll see your favourite
panto, a West End musical or take a Enter now for your chance to win a
trip to a venue you’ve not visited £350 Theatre Tokens Gift Card or eGift
before – winter is the perfect whether you treat yourself or give to a
time to escape the cold and
make memories at the theatre. loved one .

WIN!

Theatre
Tokens

W W W . T H E AT R E T O K E N S . C O M

SIMPLY ANSWER THE QUESTION CORRECTLY TO BE IN WITH YOUR CHANCE TO WIN.
Where can Theatre Tokens be used?

A. At more than 270 theatres including all of London’s West End
B. 10 theatres
C. 20 theatres
Simply answer A, B or C on the entry form or enter online. See page 151.

67 • JANUARY 2023

If I Ruled By law, property developers would
The World incorporate energy efficiency into
new builds
Clive Mantle All new homes should be built with
air source heat pumps, solar panels
Clive Mantle is an and a domestic wind turbine. It
actor known for his doesn’t matter if it’s rich executive
starring roles in TV development homes or mass new
shows like Casualty, homes on the outskirts of towns, they
Robin of Sherwood should be as energy-friendly as
and Game of Thrones possible. All energy saving devices
should be incorporated right from
68 the word go in the design. There
should be competition for design to
harness this power, which is all
around us everyday and goes
completely unused.

Hospitals would be moved outside
inner cities
Brand new hospitals, where possible,
should be built in between major
towns and cities, which would be
designed in conjunction with the
people who work there day to day and
have experience of what they need
from the building. These great new
hospitals will be state of the art and
completely practical, rather than the
ramshackle old hospital sites we have
all over the country, which are
completely impractical. They would
take the place of our inner city
hospitals, which will then be
converted gradually into very good
A&E departments and facilities for the
elderly, where they’re still among
their friends and family who could
visit them regularly.

INSPIRE

Schools would teach life-saving after themselves. If you are fit and
first aid able-bodied, you really do not have
Every couple of months at school, too many excuses in life not to at least
the first lesson on a Monday morning try to get a job and look after yourself
ought to be about the ABC of and those around you, but the poor
resuscitation. Children at school people who have not been given a
should be taught how to keep each choice in life through no fault of their
other alive, how to keep their parents own, who have been dealt a terrible
alive. It’s very easy. It takes two hours card, should receive the greatest
to teach someone the ABC of support, love and care from society.
resuscitation. I was taught when I
was on the TV series Casualty. I was We would get tough on climate change
so embarrassed about how little I Climate change has to be addressed. It
knew that I made the cast go on a seems to me an absolute crime, people
lifesaver course, and I still remember denying the fact that climate change is
it to this day. It’s vital to keep blood affecting our planet. I think that people
and oxygen circulating through the who have gone public denying that
veins and the major organs in order climate change is happening should
for someone to have the best chance be under prosecution for misleading
of survival. great swathes of the public, because it
really is happening and it’s really going
Healthy food would be cheaper to endanger the future of our children
I think that healthy products should and our children’s children. Far greater
be emphatically promoted, and if emphasis has to be placed on peaceful
necessary, subsidised. Unhealthy negotiations with the hostile regimes
products—fast, sugary, easy food— around the world, which are now
should be taxed far more highly to threatening the very existence of a
pay for the changes. It should be an peaceful planet, as we’ve seen with the
attractive option to buy better food. At war in Ukraine. Economic sanctions
the moment it’s a luxury for those are really a wonderful start. n
who have the time and income.
AS TOLD TO BECCA INGLIS
The state would look after the most
vulnerable first Clive Mantle will be starring in Wish
The most afflicted in society should You Were Dead, a brand new stage
be given subsidies from the state first adaptation of the bestselling Peter James
and foremost, before the able-bodied crime novel, which tours the UK from
and mentally and physically fit, who February 16. Tour dates and tickets can
are perfectly strong enough to look be found at peterjames.com

JANUARY 2023 • 69

PARTNERSHIP PROMOTION

Love reading?

Love the

Reader’s Digest
and Mirthy

Book Club!

JOIN

TODAY

Find out why Mirthy
are loved by over
45,000 people

✚ 100+ live online events each month
✚ Winner of the Mental Wellness Social Enterprise

of the year 2022 at the SME News UK Enterprise Awards

JOIN MIRTHY FOR FREE TODAY.

Simply visit www.mirthy.co.uk/rd for more information.
We hope to see you at an event soon!

I particularly enjoy R eader’s Digest is pleased to
the Mirthy book announce that they are now
group because I have Mirthy’s Book Club partner!
met people from all Bringing you fantastic author talks,
over the world and engaging reads, book recommendations
exchanged ideas about and more - all to enjoy from the comfort of
more than books your home, and all for free.

And if books aren’t quite enough, Mirthy
offer over 100 online events per month to
try. So whether you have a desire to get
fitter, to try your hand at a new skill, or
simply wish to sit back and relax with a
virtual tour whilst being part of a friendly
online community, signing up for classes
and events with Mirthy could be just what
you have been looking for.

As a Reader’s Digest reader, you get to
enjoy any 4 events every month, for free!

Simply sign-up at mirthy.co.uk/rd and then
choose which class to join (or join each
class if you’re up for it!). If you can’t make
the live event, Mirthy will even send you an
email with a recording for you to enjoy at a
convenient time.

Mirthy’s events are enjoyed by over
45,000 people - find out why by joining for
free today.

Here are a few upcoming events to look
forward to:
• Dare to Be’ series of inspirational talks
• Ukelele Beginners Course
• Archeology and Art History series
• Jazz, Barre and Afrobics dance classes
• Plus regular Early-morning stretch,

Tai-Chi and Pilates classes

My Britain:

CHEDDAR

GORGE

In the heart of Somerset you’ll find a
spectacular sight: a limestone gorge almost
400 feet deep and three miles long, dotted
with feral goats that seem to defy gravity as
they graze on the cliffs. Cheddar Gorge has
an ancient history, having formed during
the last Ice Age and being the site where
Britain’s oldest complete human skeleton,

Cheddar Man, was found in 1903.

Today, Cheddar Gorge and the nearby
village of Cheddar is home to clifftop walks,

underground caves (in which cheddar is
matured!) and vibrant local businesses. For

a perfect day, you can wander round the
village, pick up a cheese sandwich made
with what is delightfully referred to on
every other shop sign as “genuine cheddar,”
and head up the cliffs for a beautiful walk.

We spoke to people who live and work in
Cheddar about what makes the Cheddar

Gorge so special.

By Alice Gawthrop

INSPIRE

73

MY BRITAIN: CHEDDAR GORGE

PAUL HEMINGTON climbing, the caving. We take people
through the caves on tours and we
Paul, 57, is the Assistant have pre-history, which we do with
Operations Manager at the museum, whereby we have
Cheddar Gorge and Caves schools come in and do
demonstrations with them. We will
cheddargorge.co.uk dress up as authentically as we can to
replicate the time period of the
I moved to Somerset mainly for Cheddar Man, which is the Mesolithic
my family. My daughter was period, so 10,000 years ago. We do fire
getting married and I didn’t lighting, for example, and hopefully
want to live six hours away, so it’s inspiring to the young people! It’s
we made the move. Once we really cool to be in the museum
moved, we were made redundant garden and have part of the gorge as
and it was a mad scramble to get the backdrop while you’re doing it, so
work. I ended up at here at Cheddar you can really immerse yourself in
Gorge and Caves. that moment.

Cheddar Gorge is like nothing else My favourite spot is when you go
in the UK. It’s a unique phenomenon, past the peak on the walk and you
because although there are other can look back down into the gorge or
caves in the country, you don’t have across to the reservoir. The view is
the gorge elsewhere. This is a major amazing. Yes, you can see pictures of
geological feature, it’s three miles it, but honestly you have to be there
long and there’s just this natural, raw to fully appreciate it. You might hear
beauty. I can sit at my desk in guest some buzzards or see some sheep
services and look out at part of the or goats while you’re up
gorge. It’s amazing. there, just to enhance
the experience!
The Cheddar Gorge spirit is strong.
You know, not having worked here or
heard about the area, you come here
and it gets under your skin in the right
way. You become part of it, it
becomes part of you. I’m very
passionate about it. And there’s the
amazing wildlife, the geology, the pre-
history—Cheddar Man is still one of
the greatest finds in the UK.

Every day at Cheddar Gorge and
Caves is different. You’ve got the
rock sports side of things, the

74 • JANUARY 2023

DECEMBER 2022 • 75

70 • DECEMBER 2022

READER’S DIGEST

CARRIE DANIELS cheese and the home of real scrumpy
cider. We are proud to be the current
Carrie, 28, is the custodians, and we safeguard the
Administrative Manager tradition and heritage of purveying
at The Original Cheddar the real farmhouse handmade
cheddar here in the store.
Cheese Company
What makes us special is the
I have lived close to Cheddar quality of the local produce we have
Gorge all my life. My parents, on offer from surrounding farms. Our
grandparents and great- Café Gorge next door was awarded
grandparents all live locally. It the Best South West Café/Tearoom in
has been so lovely to grow up the Taste of the West awards 2022!
in a village with the most wonderful
countryside and the Mendip Hills, an My favourite spot is Velvet Bottom,
area of outstanding natural beauty, a short walk up the gorge from Café
on our doorstep. Gorge. I like to sit and watch the wild
goats eating all the shrubs and
I love that Cheddar is a very rural standing right on the edges of the cliff.
village with a good little high street in
the centre. Cheddar town has great
access to the cities of Bristol, Bath
and Wells. I am proud to be a
Cheddar Gorge resident because
Cheddar is world famous for its
cheese, which is awesome!

Cheddar Gorge has a very unique
atmosphere. Daytime erupts with
human bustle, and as twilight
takes hold the place
becomes peaceful and
you feel the wildlife come
to life.

The Original Cheddar
Cheese Company shop has
been here since 1870, the first
built in the gorge. Cheddar is the
birthplace of farmhouse cheddar

originalcheddargorgecheese.co.uk

JANUARY 2023 • 77

MY BRITAIN: CHEDDAR GORGE

KATHERINE
LACOSTE

Katherine, 45, is the owner of
Old Rowlands Christmas shop

and Christmas Cottage
Holiday Accommodation

oldrowlands.com

I have lived in Cheddar for bespoke to us, many we design
four years, having moved from ourselves. I try not to repeat the
Hampshire to purchase the Old same decorations every year so that
Rowlands Christmas Shop. returning customers always have
I had never even visited something new to discover and fall
Somerset until the year my husband in love with.
and I saw Old Rowlands for sale.
I had always wanted to own and I find the most satisfying part of
run my own shop so we sold up and my job is seeing the excitement on
moved to Cheddar in 2018. people's faces when they enter shop.
For many, finding us has made their
Instantly, we were welcomed by day, or even their holiday.
local people and regular visitors to
Cheddar. I love the feel of the area! This year my husband and I
The gorge is spectacular any time of launched Christmas Cottage. Above
the year and is such a treat to have the shop is a three-bedroom
on our door step. I love walking maisonette with a garden built into
along the top of the gorge and seeing the gorge. We have themed the
the spectacular views. accommodation so that people can
enjoy the spirit of Christmas any
Cheddar has great community time of the year. We are thrilled it has
spirit and organises many events been very well received and look
throughout the year such as the art forward to welcoming many repeat
trail, various food festivals and bookings next year.
festive night (late night Christmas
shopping in the gorge). One of my favourite places to visit
in Cheddar is the reservoir. On a
The Christmas shop has evolved sunny day it really feels like you are
over the last four years. We specialise on holiday. The Mendip Hills are in
in decorations you are not going to the background and paddle boarders
find in your local gift shop or garden on the res is a wonderful sight.
centre. Some decorations are

78 • JANUARY 2023

DECEMBER 2022 • 79

I N S PI R AT I O N

illusTraTion: elia BarBieri From COVID conspiracies to lies about
the Ukraine war, traditional fact-checking is

no match for the power of the crowd

Fighting
Disinformation

By Eliot Higgins
From The Guardian

In recent years, the internet has
become the venue for a general
collapse in trust. Trolling, fake news
and “doing your own research” have
become such a large part of public
discourse, it’s sometimes easy to
imagine that the online revolution
has only brought us new ways to be

confused about the world.

JANUARY 2023 • 81

FIGHTING DISINFORMATION

Social media has played a major Why do counterfactual
role in the spread of disinformation. communities form? A key factor is
Malicious state enterprises such as distrust in mainstream authority. For
the notorious Russian “troll farms” some, this is partly a reaction to the
are part of this, but there’s a more UK and US governments’ fabrications
powerful mechanism: the way in the build-up to the 2003 invasion
social media brings together people, of Iraq. Sometimes, it stems from a
whether flat earthers or anti-vaxxers, sense of injustice around the Israel-
who might not meet like-minded Palestine conflict. These are of course
folks in the real world. legitimate positions, and are not by
themselves indicative of a tendency
Today, if you’re convinced our to believe in conspiracies. But a
pervasive sense of distrust can make
FACT-CHECKING you more vulnerable to slipping down
OUTFITS DO GOOD the rabbit hole.
WORK, BUT THEY ARE
MISSING THE POWER One way of looking at this is that
government deception or hypocrisy
OF THE CROWD has caused a form of moral injury.
As with the proverb “once bitten,
planet isn’t round, you don’t have twice shy,” that injury can result in a
to stand on street corners with a sign, kneejerk rejection where anyone can
shouting at passersby. Instead, you be perceived as being on the side of
have access to an online community the establishment.
of tens of thousands of individuals
producing content that not only This creates a problem for
tells you you’re right, but builds a traditional approaches to combatting
web of pseudo-knowledge you can disinformation, such as the top-
draw from if you feel your beliefs are down fact-check, which might be
being challenged. provided by a mainstream media
outlet or other organisation. More
The same kinds of “counterfactual often than not, this will be dismissed
communities” arise around any with: “They would say that, wouldn’t
topic that attracts enough general they?” Fact-checking outfits may do
interest. I’ve witnessed this myself good work, but they are missing the
over the past decade while looking power of the crowd. Because, as well
into war crimes in Syria, COVID-19 as counterfactual communities, we’ve
disinformation, and now the Russian also seen what could be called truth-
invasion of Ukraine. seeking communities emerge around
specific issues.

82 • JANUARY 2023

READER’S DIGEST

These are the internet users social media users realised within
who want to inform themselves seconds that the Russian ministry of
while guarding against manipulation defence had used screenshots from a
by others or being misled by computer game.
their own preconceptions. Once
established, they will not only share I would go as far as to say that
fact-checks in a way that lends them internet users who are heavily
credibility, but often conduct the engaged with particular topics
fact-checking themselves. are our strongest defence against
disinformation. At Bellingcat, a
What’s important about these collective of researchers, investigators,
communities is that they react quickly and citizen journalists I founded in
to information being put out by 2014, we’ve seen this play out in real
various actors, including states. In time during the Russian invasion
2017 the Russian ministry of defence of Ukraine. Our investigation of the
published images on social media downing in July 2014 of Malaysia
that it claimed showed evidence of Airlines flight MH17 over eastern
US forces assisting the Islamic State in Ukraine helped create a community
the Middle East. Huge, if true—except focused on the conflict there that uses
it was instantly debunked when

JANUARY 2023 • 83

FIGHTING DISINFORMATION

Alex Navalny’s attempted assassins THE ANSWER LIES IN
In December 2020, Bellingcat
published an investigation that CREATING A SOCIETY
implicated Russia’s Federal Security
Service in the poisoning of opposition THAT’S RESILIENT
leader, Alex Navalny. Telecoms and
travel data (uncovered by Bellingcat AGAINST
and The Insider, in cooperation with
Der Spiegel and CNN) showed that at DISINFORMATION
least three FSB operatives shadowed
Navalny on more than 30 flights for open-source techniques to examine,
several years, before finally poisoning verify and debunk information.
him with the nerve agent, Novachok,
in Tomsk. The 2022 documentary In the weeks before the invasion,
Navalny follows the investigation. we gathered videos and photos
of Russian troop movements that
UK weapons arming US police forewarned of the planned attack, and
Bellingcat discovered that UK-made we debunked disinformation spread
anti-riot gear was used by US police to by separatists—including images of
suppress BLM protests in 2020, a supposed IED attack posed with
including to strike press members bodies that, as we discovered, had
covering events on the ground. This been autopsied before they even
contradicted the British government’s arrived at the scene.
report, which was assessing whether
the UK should keep giving equipment After the invasion started, many
to the US. The UK follows rules that of the same people collected and
prevent it from exporting gear for geolocated images, including those of
“internal repression”. potential war crimes, that Bellingcat
and its partners have been verifying
Christchurch attack motives and archiving for possible use in
As journalists hunted for a motive for future accountability processes.
the Christchurch mosque attacks,
Bellingcat published an analysis of the But how do you grow and nurture
shooter’s manifesto that identified what are essentially decentralised,
several red herrings. The report self-organised, ad hoc groups like
warned against falling for this? Bellingcat’s approach has been
“s**tposting”, where ironic content is to engage with them, creating links
posted to provoke a reaction from from their useful social media posts to
internet users not in on the joke, and our publications (all thoroughly fact-
showed how its meme humour was checked by our team), and crediting
designed to appeal to 8chan users. them for their efforts. We also create
guides and case studies so that

84 • JANUARY 2023

READER’S DIGEST

anyone inspired to give it a go has the Teaching young people how to
opportunity to learn how to do it. engage positively with issues they
face and then expanding this work
But there’s more to do than simply into online investigation is not only
waiting for crowds of investigators empowering; it gives them skills they
to emerge and hoping they’re can use throughout their lives.
interested in the same things we
are. The answer lies in creating This is not about turning every 16-
a society that’s not only resilient to 18-year-old into a journalist, police
against disinformation, but has the officer, or human rights investigator,
tools to contribute to efforts towards but rather giving them tools they
transparency and accountability. can use to contribute, in however
small a way, to the fight against
For example, the digital media disinformation. In their home towns,
literacy charity The Student View in in conflicts such as Ukraine, and in
the UK has been going into schools the wider world, they really can make
and showing 16- to 18-year-olds a difference. n
how to use investigation techniques
to look into issues affecting them. Eliot Higgins is founder of the Netherlands-
In one case, students in the city based Bellingcat investigative journalism
of Bradford used freedom of network and author of We Are Bellingcat: An
information requests to uncover the Intelligence Agency for the People. He lives in
unusually large number of high- the UK
speed police chases in their areas.
CopyriGhT Guardian news & media lTd. 2022

Fungi Friends

Humans share nearly 50 per cent of our DNA with fungi, making fungi closer to us genetically
than they are to plants

The largest living thing on Earth is a fungus, which is bigger than a blue whale and spans an
area as large as 1,665 football fields in Oregon’s Blue Mountains

Like us, mushrooms breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, and they release more
CO2 when temperatures go up. But mushrooms can still help tackle greenhouse gases in the

atmosphere by releasing nutrients into the soil, which plants feed on

Source: wbur.org, scientificamerican.com, phys.org

JANUARY 2023 • 85

I N S PI R AT I O N

SO YOU’VE
HAD IT
ROUGH?
GOOD!

HOW WE
APPROACH
HARDSHIP COULD
TELL US HOW
LONG WE’LL LIVE

By Markham Heid
From elemental.medium.com

86 • JANUARY 2023

PHoto: ©James WarWick/Getty imaGes

SO YOU’VE HAD IT ROUGH? GOOD!

DURING THE SECOND

World War, an American woman that summarises an 80-year study
named Shelley Smith Mydans based on interviews and health
reported on the conflict for Life data collected from approximately
magazine. Along with her husband, 1,500 people—each followed from
the photographer Carl Mydans, youth until death. Its authors came
Shelley documented battles in both to an unlikely conclusion. “We found
Europe and the Pacific. that many people who lived through
hard times went on to live long
Midway through the war, the couple lives,” says co-author Leslie Martin, a
was captured in the Philippines. professor of psychology at California’s
The Japanese held them in camps La Sierra University.
in Manila and Shanghai. But despite
spending two years as prisoners of Unlike Philip, for whom the war
war, both Mydanses survived and seemed to push life onto a self-
went on to live long and productive destructive path, Martin says that
lives. Shelley lived to 86, while Carl the Mydanses appeared to turn their
made it all the way to 97.
THE WAY A PERSON
Many who survived the war were REACTS TO HARDSHIP
not so fortunate. A US serviceman
named Philip was also in the IS AN IMPORTANT
Pacific theatre during the Second FACTOR IN LONGEVITY
World War. Even before the war,
Philip was prone to anxiety and wartime experience into a source of
“catastrophising”—always predicting motivation. “They didn’t see their
the worst. After he returned home, stress as meaningless—it seemed to
these traits intensified. Philip drank fuel them,” she says. “And this ability
heavily and separated from his wife. to think about the hard things we
Frustrated and resentful about his go through as ultimately beneficial
time overseas, blaming it for his seems to be important.”
failed marriage, Philip escalated his
drinking. He tended not to exercise, Eat right, exercise, avoid stress…
and he was occasionally depressed. These vague directives are often
He died at age 64 of a heart attack. framed as the necessary ingredients

The Mydanses’ and Philip’s very
different stories were recounted
in The Longevity Project, a book

88 • JANUARY 2023

PHoto: ©Busà PHotoGraPHy/Getty imaGes for a long and healthy life. There is to safeguard some people from
definitely truth to each of them. But such pitfalls, and experts say one
those who have studied longevity quality consistently tops the list. In
say these are oversimplifications terms of personality characteristics,
that tend to prioritise action over conscientiousness was the strongest
attitude. While day-to-day habits predictor of a long life, according
and behaviours matter, a person’s to Martin.
approach to life—including, and
maybe especially, the way he or she Conscientiousness refers to
reacts to hardship—is arguably the someone who is organised, prudent,
more important factor in longevity. and persistent in their pursuits.
“Conscientious people are planful
Confronted by difficult times, and responsible, not impulsive,” she
a lot of people start drinking, says. “When they take on a task, they
smoking, abandoning exercise, don’t give up easily.”
cutting ties with friends, or making
other unhealthy choices. These new This may come as a surprise to
habits can be hard to kick once the those who assume carefree, take-it-
problematic period has passed. easy types are best insulated against
However, certain qualities seem life’s many injuries and injustices.
“We actually found the most cheerful

JANUARY 2023 • 89

SO YOU’VE HAD IT ROUGH? GOOD!

and optimistic people lived shorter adopt and stick with healthy habits,
lives,” Martin says. “Being worried and their awareness and diligence
or anxious all the time is a problem, leads them into healthy relationships
but a little worrying—when you’re and jobs. All these tendencies
thinking ahead and working through promote a long and healthy life.
scenarios—can help you to be better
prepared.” Conscientious worriers Peter Martin, a professor of
tend to put their fretting to good gerontology at Iowa State University,
use: they make choices or changes makes it clear that “anyone who
in response to their concerns. Their has lived to 100 has faced many
worrying is productive, not pointless. difficult situations.” He echoes
many of the above sentiments and
While conscientious people are not mentions a few other characteristics
totally risk-averse, they’re judicious that the long-lived seem to share.
about the risks they’re willing to take. “They’re not uptight or neurotic,”
They tend to wear their seat belts, he says. While not blasé about life’s
eschew heavy drinking or drugs, and challenges, people who live a long
avoid other sources of undue risk. time usually don’t catastrophise—
Conscientious people also tend to that is, they don’t assume the worst,

HOW TO LIVE A CONSCIENTIOUS LIFE Experts share transformative tips

Hard times can there is good automatically, professor at
set off all sorts of news: “It is but others can California’s La
bad choices: certainly possible teach themselves Sierra University.
drinking, to change your to do too: “Being with people
smoking, cutting personality, and who demonstrate
ties with loved it happens pretty 1 these behaviours
ones. These quickly,” says can make habit-
decisions and Gary Small, Look for a mentor forming easier, as
consequences former director of their tendencies
often far outlive the University of “Spend time with influence us.”
the trials that California, Los people who are
spawned them in Angeles, diligent, organised 2
the first place—a Longevity Centre. and who have
drinking habit Here are four other admirable Form deep
escalates or lost things that qualities,” says relationships
friends are never conscientious Leslie Martin, a
replaced. But people do psychology Don’t worry if

90 • JANUARY 2023

READER’S DIGEST

which is a habit that can lead a to those who are more fortunate.
person to make choices that get Instead, they think about people
him or her into trouble, such as who have it worse or about past
prematurely abandoning a healthy situations they endured that were
routine or a promising enterprise. even more difficult.

“A LITTLE WORRYING Another underappreciated
CAN HELP YOU element of longevity is something
TO BE BETTER that Peter Martin refers to as
PREPARED” gerotranscendence, which, roughly,
is a preference for a cosmic or
Additionally, he says, those who spiritual worldview rather than a
live a long time tend not to engage materialistic or strictly rational one.
in “upward comparisons.” They He says many long-lived individuals
don’t spend a lot of time comparing seem to lean toward the spiritual
themselves or their circumstances as they age. “You see a pronounced
reliance on religious beliefs—on
putting faith in a higher power’s
hands,” he says.

you don’t have ties,” says spending your life element of
a lot of friends. Friedman. engaging in conscientiousness
When it comes to “meaningful work, is sticking with a
bonding with 3 and doing good healthy change or
others, it’s about things for family, ambition once
having quality Find a purpose friends, society.” you’ve started it.
relationships The more that
over quantity. Increasing one’s 4 people push
maturity over the themselves to
“If you are an years is essential Stick to it follow through on
introvert with a to maintaining their goals—be
few close good health, Trying all of the they easy to
relationships with according to above is easy; achieve or
supportive, Howard Friedman, staying with it, not difficult—the more
healthy ties, that co-author of The so much. This is they can build
can be as good as Longevity Project. why Small says up their “tenacity”
being an extrovert By this he means that the core muscles.
with many more

JANUARY 2023 • 91

Adopting a more spiritual attitude One was genetic good fortune. PHoto: ©underWorld111/Getty imaGes
may allow people to better work “They’d say, ‘My sister made it to 94,
through the aspects of life that they my brother to 98.’ So genes played
find inscrutable or disconcerting. a big part in it,” he says. “The other
“When you’re able to hand things story was the person who did not
over to a higher being, that’s a way have any long-lived siblings or
of letting go,” he says. At a certain parents but was in a concentration
point, letting go can reduce anger, camp during the Second World
frustration and other emotions that War.” In other words, something
push people towards unhealthy about living through incredible
thoughts or actions. hardship seemed to bestow longevity
on certain survivors. Longo has a
Valter Longo is director of the couple of theories about what that
Longevity Institute at the University something could be.
of Southern California. In 2019,
Longo travelled around Italy to speak His first is based in nutrition
with centenarians in an effort to science. Much of his work—in
uncover patterns that might explain mice and in people—has found
their enviable longevity. He says that that periods of fasting or caloric
two themes emerged. restriction can help clear away dead
or dysfunctional cells in ways that

92 • JANUARY 2023

READER’S DIGEST

may discourage the development of and that he was looking forward to
disease and also promote longevity. retirement—though he didn’t know
“If we give mice low levels of protein how he would fill his time or whether
or calories for a while, then we feed he would enjoy himself. Even in his
them normally, they live longer than early sixties, he wasn't involved in
the mice we fed normally the whole activities that gave his life passion
time,” he says. or purpose.

While malnourishment is an Though some, like Philip, regard
extreme and inhumane example of tough times as a sign that life is
forced deprivation, Longo points unfair or unpleasant, others emerge
out that many places in the world from a struggle with a greater sense
where people tend to live into very of gratitude and a newfound resolve
old age are also places where people to commit their time and efforts
eat a vegetable-centric and meat- to things that matter—to close
restricted diet. Along with clearing friendships, to family bonds, or to
away dead or diseased cells, “eating hobbies or work for which they are
this way could cause epigenetic passionate. Despite their two years
changes that affect life span,” he says, in captivity, Carl Mydans and Shelley
referring to diet-induced alterations Smith Mydans gladly returned to
in the way some genes are expressed. Japan when Carl was tasked with
leading Time-Life’s Tokyo bureau,
His second theory is more of an and the two continued to be
observation. “One thing all these engaged, writing and photographing
centenarians had in common is that until the end.
they all wanted to live—they wanted
to go on,” he says. “They didn’t say, While everyone is entitled to a
‘I’m ready to die’ or ‘I don’t care period of adjustment during difficult
anymore.’ They were still interested times, those who endure will not let
in life and paying attention to those difficulties knock their lives or
everything.” While most people attitudes off course for good.
are passionate and engaged when
they’re young, a great many lose “If you dwell on the negative,
these attributes as life wears on. And you’re not going to do well,” warns
this loss seems to matter. Gary Small, former director of the
University of California, Los Angeles,
Returning to the story of Philip, the Longevity Centre. “But if you can see
heavy-drinking Second World War a challenge as something to rise to,
veteran who died young of a heart it can be very gratifying to get to the
attack, Leslie Martin’s book says that other side.” n
he found his job merely “tolerable”
elemental.medium.com (may 11, 2020), coPyriGHt
© 2020 By medium

JANUARY 2023 • 93

COMPETITIONS

WIN A LUXURY BREAK

Does a stay in a Butcombe Inn sound like the whatever the occasion, our inns have
idyllic getaway for 2023? Start the New Year everything you need. From stunning ensuites
off the right way. to breakfast hampers on request, our rooms
are full of cosy charm and personal touches.
WIN a 2-night stay in one of our award-
winning Butcombe Inns of your choice, with Our guests can also enjoy award winning
breakfast, dinner and a bottle of Prosecco food in our restaurants; try unique and
included. seasonal dishes created with local produce
and to finish off your evening, a cheeky
THINKING ABOUT BOOKING YOUR NEXT tipple from the bar. We offer an exciting
STAYCATION? range, from award-winning Butcombe
Whether you are looking to explore beers to local cider, fine wines and classic
the rugged Jurassic Coast or planning cocktails. With dog-friendly, family-friendly
a romantic weekend in the Cotswold and accessible options available, there is
Countryside, Butcombe Pubs and Inns something for everyone when staying at a
have the perfect accommodation for you, Butcombe Inn.
whatever your plans. With AA Five and Four
star rated boutique inns located across the Book your stay with us today and use the
South West and South of England. code digest20 to receive a 20% discount.

Relax in front of the fire after walking Visit butcombe.com/hotels to plan your
in the Mendips or enjoy a glass of bubbly next adventure with us.
in your room after sightseeing in Bath,

www.butcombe.com/hotels

SIMPLY ANSWER THE QUESTION CORRECTLY TO BE IN WITH YOUR
CHANCE TO WIN.

Where are the AA Five and Four star rated Butcombe boutique inns
located across the UK?
A. Scotland
B. Wales
C. South West and South of England

Simply answer A, B or C on the entry form or enter online. See page 151.

T’s & C’s: The prize draw we are offering is for any inn or hotel across the Butcombe Estate. Offer is subject to
availability. Valid for 6 months. Exclusions can apply. Bottle of Prosecco. Dinner up to value of £100.
£50 towards lunch on one day. Breakfast included each morning of your two night stay

94 • JANUARY 2023

WIN!

A Luxury
Break

Salvatore Bumbello stages
daily shows at the Antonio
Pasqualino International
Puppet Museum

96

PHoto by roselenA rAmistellA TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

Pulling

StTrhe ings

HistOof ry

Sicily’s puppeteers are
finding novel ways to
keep their art form alive

By Anna Staropoli
From AtlAs obscurA

97

PULLING THE STRINGS OF HISTORY

Deep in the historic heart of the Sicilian capital of Palermo, a
dragon stirs. A drumbeat thuds through the darkened room as
the creature takes flight. The dragon lurches towards our
armour-clad hero, Orlando, but it is no match for the knight.
Orlando’s sword slices through the beast and its body falls to the
ground. Its bloodied head dangles by a string above the stage. A
burst of fun-house music from a barrel organ closes out the scene.

Here at the Antonio Pasqualino The productions follow traditional
International Puppet Museum, storylines from the Renaissance
housed in a grand building that and earlier, in particular the tales
was once home to the 18th-century of Orlando and Rinaldo, two
Hotel de France in Palermo, slaying legendary knights, or paladins, of
dragons is a family affair. Salvatore Charlemagne’s court. The pair take
Bumbello stages daily live puppet on dragons, demons, and other
shows in the museum’s theatre, often foes—staple fare for this distinctive
with the help of his ten-year-old style of Sicilian puppetry, which
began in the early 19th century.
daughter, Martina, and her older
brothers, Luciano and Francesco Weathering war and economic
(during the dragon show, Martina turmoil, the Opera dei Pupi has been
cranks the handle of the theatre’s performed without interruption
barrel organ, while both her brothers for more than 200 years. COVID-19
work backstage). threatened that run, forcing
Palermo’s puppeteers to tweak the
very elements that set their tradition
apart—or risk losing it altogether.

Palermo had dozens of puppet
theatres before 1950, when interest
in the art form began to decline.
Today, there are only four left,
each employing the handmade
marionettes that stand nearly a
metre tall and weigh nine kilograms.

Puppetry inspired by regional
tales crops up across cultures, from
ancient India’s Ramayana and
Mahabharata to Japan’s Tale of the

98 • JANUARY 2023