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7 clear signs you might have an unhealthy gut

<h2>The mighty gut health benefits of bacteria</h2> <p>Your gastrointestinal, or GI, tract is inhabited by microbes collectively called the microbiome, which includes bacteria, fungi, and even viruses. Though it sounds gross and maybe even unhealthy, it’s actually the complete opposite. Gut bacteria perform many important functions in the body including aiding the immune system; producing the feel-good brain chemical serotonin; making energy available to the body from the food we eat; and disposing of foreign substances and toxins, according to dietitian Lisa Dreher. Though most of us have a mixture of good and bad bacteria, sometimes the bad guys get the upper hand, causing dysbiosis, or an imbalance in gut bacteria, which can play a role in a number of health conditions.</p> <h2>Your stomach doesn’t feel right</h2> <p>Diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, nausea and heartburn are classic symptoms of problems with gut health. “Gastrointestinal discomfort – especially after eating carbohydrate-rich meals – can be the result of poor digestion and absorption of carbohydrates,” Dreher says. Reflux, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and colitis have all been linked to an imbalance in the microbiome.</p> <h2>You have a hankering for certain foods</h2> <p>Craving foods, especially sweets and sugar, can mean you have an imbalance of gut bacteria. Although unproven, some experts believe that if there’s an overgrowth of yeast in the system, which might happen after a course or two of antibiotics where you wipe out all the good bacteria, then that overgrowth of yeast can actually cause you to crave more sugar.</p> <h2>The scale is going up or down</h2> <p>Certain types of gut bacteria can cause either weight loss or weight gain – especially when they colonise in the small intestine, a condition called SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth). Too many microbes in the small intestines can mess with gut health by interfering with absorption of vitamins, minerals, and fat. “If you’re not able to digest and absorb fat normally, you can actually see some weight loss,” Dreher says. Other types of bacteria have been linked to weight gain, as certain microbes are able to harvest more calories from foods than others.</p> <h2>You’re anxious or feeling blue</h2> <p>Roughly 80 to 90 per cent of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood, social behaviour, sleep, appetite, memory and even libido, is produced in the gut. When less serotonin is produced, it can negatively impact mood. “Gut imbalances of the microbiome can trigger depressive symptoms,” says physician Dr Todd LePine.</p> <h2>You’re not sleeping well</h2> <p>Not having enough serotonin can lead to bouts of insomnia or difficulty getting to sleep, according to Dreher. And Dr LePine says chronic fatigue and symptoms of fibromyalgia can be tied to gut bacteria imbalances as well.</p> <h2>Your skin is acting up</h2> <p>Skin rashes and eczema, a chronic condition characterised by inflamed and itchy red blotches on the skin, can be a sign of poor gut health because they develop when there is an imbalance in gut bacteria, according to Dr Victoria Maizes, a professor of medicine, family medicine and public health at the University of Arizona.</p> <h2>You have an autoimmune condition</h2> <p>An imbalance in the microbiome can cause more than just GI symptoms. According to Dr LePine, diseases affecting the immune system, known as autoimmune diseases, can also indicate an imbalance. “Rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis are tied in with imbalances in gut bacteria,” he says.</p> <h2>How to build better gut health</h2> <p>Eating right is the first step in improving gut health. In fact, the types of foods we eat can change our microbiome in as little as 24 hours, according to Dr Ali Keshavarzian, a professor of medicine and director of the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.</p> <p>To feed your good bacteria and starve the less desirable bacteria, swap out processed foods, breads, and pastas for plants, fruits, seeds, and nuts. And consider adding fermented foods into your diet, including yoghurt containing live, active cultures, kombucha, tepache, kimchi, and kefir, which naturally contain probiotics, or healthy bacteria. It’s also a great idea to fill up on prebiotic foods, which actually feed the good bacteria. Try leeks, asparagus, onions, garlic, chicory, oats, soybeans, and Jerusalem artichokes.</p> <p>Lastly, avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics. “Any time you take an antibiotic, you’re going to knock out a lot of the healthy bacteria,” says Dr Maizes. If you must take antibiotics, consider taking a probiotic supplement to help maintain a healthy and balanced bacterial community in your gut.</p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/healthsmart/7-clear-signs-you-might-have-an-unhealthy-gut" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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Three years into the pandemic, it’s clear COVID won’t fix itself. Here’s what we need to focus on next

<p>On March 11 2020 the World Health Organization classified COVID as a <a href="https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020">pandemic</a>. Three years on, it remains just that.</p> <p>As much as we don’t want it to be, and as much as it is off the front pages, COVID is still very much with us.</p> <p>But how bad has it really been? And, more importantly, what have we learned that could help us accelerate a real and sustained exit?</p> <h2>COVID has hit us hard</h2> <p>There was a <a href="https://theconversation.com/too-late-already-bolted-how-a-faster-who-response-could-have-slowed-covid-19s-spread-160860">slow initial</a> global response to what we now call SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. This allowed the virus to get a foothold, contributing to unexpectedly rapid <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-there-so-many-new-omicron-sub-variants-like-ba-4-and-ba-5-will-i-be-reinfected-is-the-virus-mutating-faster-182274">viral evolution</a>.</p> <p>Three years into the pandemic, with the removal of almost all mitigation measures in most countries, it’s clear the virus has hit the world very hard. <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/">So far</a>, almost 681 million infections and more than 6.8 million deaths have been reported.</p> <p>This is perhaps best visualised by its impact on life expectancy. There were <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/padr.12477">sharp declines</a> seen across the world in 2020 and 2021, reversing 70 years of largely uninterrupted progress. </p> <p>The excess mortality driving this drop in life expectancy has continued. This includes in Australia, <a href="https://www.actuaries.digital/2023/03/06/almost-20000-excess-deaths-for-2022-in-australia/">where over 20,000 more lives</a> than the historical average are estimated to have been lost in 2022.</p> <h2>Not just COVID deaths</h2> <p>The indirect impacts on the health systems in rich and poor countries alike continue to be substantial. Disruptions to health services have led to <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00079-6/fulltext">increases</a> in stillbirths, maternal mortality and postnatal depression.</p> <p>Routine <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/15-07-2022-covid-19-pandemic-fuels-largest-continued-backslide-in-vaccinations-in-three-decades">child immunisation coverage</a> has decreased. Crucial malaria, tuberculosis and HIV programs have been <a href="https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/2021/2021-09-08-global-fund-results-report-reveals-covid-19-devastating-impact-on-hiv-tb-and-malaria-programs/#:%7E:text=GENEVA%20%E2%80%93%20The%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic,history%20of%20the%20Global%20Fund">disrupted</a>. </p> <p>A paper out this week highlights the <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1107560/full">severe impact</a> of the pandemic on mental health globally.</p> <h2>Then there’s long COVID</h2> <p>Meanwhile, more evidence of long COVID has emerged around the world. At least <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2">65 million people</a> were estimated to be experiencing this debilitating syndrome by the end of 2022. </p> <p>The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/covid-19/long-covid-in-australia-a-review-of-the-literature/summary">estimates</a> 5-10% of people who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 will develop long COVID, with symptoms persisting more than three months. That’s between 550,000 and 1.1 million Australians, based on the more than 11 million cases reported <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/australia/">so far</a>.</p> <h2>COVID highlighted inequalities</h2> <p>The pandemic has also had a huge economic impact, both directly and indirectly. </p> <p>The United States alone spent <a href="https://impact.economist.com/perspectives/economic-development/understanding-economic-consequences-covid-19-pandemic">US$4 trillion</a> on its response. Economists have estimated the pandemic will contribute an average 0.75% reduction in GDP in countries with high infection rates and high productivity in 2025.</p> <p>Studies in the <a href="https://www.local.gov.uk/health-inequalities-deprivation-and-poverty-and-covid-19">United Kingdom</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/04/us-covid-devastating-toll-poor-low-income-communities">US</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/25/disease-of-disadvantage-melbournes-lower-socioeconomic-areas-suffer-most-covid-deaths-amid-omicron">Australia</a> show COVID has had a disproportionate impact – including higher death rates – in disadvantaged communities and ethnic minorities. </p> <p>The causes range from high exposure in low-paid jobs to inadequate access to health care. And <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2021/05/27/covid-19-is-a-developing-country-pandemic/">poorer countries</a> have fared terribly on all fronts from COVID, including inequitable access to vaccines.</p> <h2>There’s no end in sight</h2> <p>We cannot assume there will be a natural exit to the pandemic, where the virus reaches some benign endemicity, a harmless presence in the background. </p> <p>In fact, there is little indication anything like that is imminent.</p> <p>In Australia, since the beginning of January, <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/australia/">more than 235,000 COVID cases</a> have been reported, almost as many as in 2020 and 2021 combined. Since the start of January, there have been 2,351 COVID-related deaths, more than twice as many as in the whole of 2020 and around the same as in the whole of 2021.</p> <h2>What needs to happen next?</h2> <p>The future response can be practically distilled into three overlapping actions.</p> <p><strong>1. Politicians need to be frank</strong></p> <p>Our political leaders need to communicate frankly with the public that the pandemic is not over. They need to stress we still have an exceptional problem on our hands with acute disease as well as worrying concerns about long COVID. It’s crucial politicians acknowledge sufferers and those who have died. They need to do this while delivering the good news that addressing COVID does not require lockdowns or mandates. </p> <p>If our politicians did this, the public would be more likely to have their booster vaccines, get tested and treated, and adopt measures such as improving indoor ventilation and wearing high-quality masks.</p> <p>The health system also needs to be greatly strengthened to deal with long COVID.</p> <p><strong>2. Avoiding infections is still important</strong></p> <p>Suppressing the virus is still important. We still can and should reduce the burden of newly acquired COVID and, therefore, long COVID. We have the tools to do this. </p> <p>We need full recognition that COVID is transmitted largely through the air. As this just-published article in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00642-9">Nature</a> discusses, there are things we can do right now to ensure we all breathe air that is safer, not just from SARS-CoV-2 but from other respiratory viruses.</p> <p><strong>3. Adopt new knowledge and technology</strong></p> <p>We should be focusing on the science and be ready to adopt new knowledge and products rapidly. </p> <p>Just a few days ago we had trials of a <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4375620&amp;utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email">promising new approach</a> to treat long COVID with the diabetes drug metformin. </p> <p>There is also intriguing research that has identified <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2">persistent infection</a> as a potential underlying cause of organ damage and disease after COVID and in long COVID. This suggests anti-viral drugs such as Paxlovid may have an important role to play in reducing the impact of chronic disease. </p> <p>Many types of new COVID vaccines are being trialled, such as <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02824-3">versions administered by nasal sprays</a>, which may be game changers.</p> <h2>The virus won’t fix itself</h2> <p>As we enter the fourth year of the pandemic, we must not leave it up to the virus to fix itself. </p> <p>The biggest lesson of the past three years is there’s little chance that is going to work, at least without an intolerably high cost. </p> <p>Rather, we can end the pandemic by choice. We know <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-covid-control-to-chaos-what-now-for-australia-two-pathways-lie-before-us-174325">what to do</a>. But we are simply not doing it.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-years-into-the-pandemic-its-clear-covid-wont-fix-itself-heres-what-we-need-to-focus-on-next-201181" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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Child marriage comes with a heavy cost for young girls in Africa – but there’s one clear way out

<p>650 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday. That’s one of the startling figures contained in a <a href="https://data.unicef.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Towards-Ending-Child-Marriage-report-2021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 UNICEF report</a> about child marriage. Africa’s sub-Saharan region is home to <a href="https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-protection/child-marriage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nine of the ten countries</a> with the highest rates of child marriage in the world.</p> <p>Ingrained traditions and cultural practices typically entrench such early marriages. State or customary laws in <a href="https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/MarryingTooYoung.pdf#page=12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">146 countries</a> allow girls younger than 18 to marry with the consent of their parents or other authorities. In <a href="https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/MarryingTooYoung.pdf#page=12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">52 nations</a>, girls under 15 can marry with parental consent.</p> <p>Early marriage among boys is <a href="https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/115-million-boys-and-men-around-world-married-children-unicef" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also widespread</a>, though the numbers are far lower than they are for girls and young women.</p> <p>And it is girls and young women who pay the heaviest costs for early marriage. Girls who marry before 18 are <a href="https://data.unicef.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Towards-Ending-Child-Marriage-report-2021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more likely</a> to be subjected to domestic violence and less likely to continue schooling than their peers. They have worse economic and health outcomes, a burden they almost inevitably pass on to their children.</p> <p>Early marriage has been linked to poorer <a href="https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/Events/PDF/Slides/1_khatoon.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cognitive development</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953617303283" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stunting</a> among the children of such women.</p> <p>Today, the practice is declining thanks to national and international policies, global treaties and, since 2016, the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage. But gains have been slow in sub-Saharan Africa.</p> <p>What is it that drives the practice in the region? That’s what we examined in a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0021909620966778" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent study</a>. Using statistical analysis, we looked at the socio-economic and demographic determinants of early marriage among young women the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi, Mali and Niger. Each of the four countries has sought to introduce measures to discourage early marriage, but their challenges remain formidable.</p> <p>We explored several possible explanations and variables: age at first intercourse, education and literacy, women’s current age, region and type of place of residence, family wealth index, ethnicity, employment status, and even mass media exposure.</p> <p>One factor stands out across the four countries in our study: education. Women without formal education are more likely to marry early than those who completed secondary or higher education.</p> <h2>Four study countries</h2> <p>The four countries have a great deal in common, including high poverty levels and substantial under-15 and rural populations.</p> <p>In each country, around 50% of people are younger than 15, and around half of the countries’ respective populations live in rural areas (a full 84% in the case of <a href="https://malawi.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/resource-pdf/2018%20Malawi%20Population%20and%20Housing%20Census%20Main%20Report%20%281%29.pdf#page=23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Malawi</a>).</p> <p>Among the four countries in our study, Niger has the highest child marriage prevalence worldwide – 76% of girls are married before the age of 18. The rates stand at 52% in Mali, 42% in Malawi, and 37% in the DRC.</p> <p>For our analysis, we turned to the most recently available demographic and health surveys from each of the four countries. We then applied a framework that seeks to describe the important social-cultural and cognitive variables and their interrelationships that underlie behaviours and decisions around reproductive health.</p> <h2>Statistical variables</h2> <p>The answers we found as to why early marriage is so commonplace in these countries were not always clear-cut. What’s more, there were lots of statistical variations across the four countries and contradictions, as was to be expected.</p> <p>For example, the average age of first marriage ranged from 15.3 in Niger to 17.1 in Malawi. There was also a range in the percentage of women from the poorest wealth category in the countries who had been married by 18: Niger (90.9%), Mali (80%), DRC (70.3%), Malawi (63.1%).</p> <p>Rates of early marriage dropped among women from richer categories, but were still high: Niger (72.7%), Mali (65.4%), DRC (60.3%) and Malawi (42.5%).</p> <p>The study also showed that young women living in rural areas were likely to marry earlier than those from urban areas.</p> <p>These variations’ social, economic, and cultural underpinnings are likely complex and would need some unpacking. In some cultures, for example, girls are married off young as they are considered to be more likely to be virgins still and can thus fetch a higher payment of what’s known as the <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/child-marriage-brides-india-niger-syria/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bride price</a>.</p> <p>Amid the many statistical variables that emerged, we were especially struck by the relationship between educational levels and average age at first marriage.</p> <h2>The role of education</h2> <p>We found that the average age at first marriage in Niger, Mali, DRC, and Malawi increased from young people with no education (15.1, 15.4, 16.2, and 16.4, respectively) to those with secondary and higher education (17.0, 16.6, 17.1 and 18.5 in that order).</p> <p>In addition, we saw that the highest prevalence of early marriage (by 18 years) was found among young women with no education (90.6%, 80.3%, 70.9%, and 70.3%). It was lowest among women with secondary and higher education (64.2%, 62.9%, 58.9%, and 30.2%).</p> <p>Malawi is the only one of the four countries where school education is universal, accessible and compulsory.</p> <p>Education offers young women opportunities in life. In some African cultures, however, allowing girls to finish or even attend school <a href="https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/learning-resources/child-marriage-and-education/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is discouraged</a> as it is feared that an educated girl is less likely to get a husband or be a good wife.</p> <p><a href="https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/learning-resources/child-marriage-atlas/atlas/malawi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In Malawi</a>, less than 15% of women have any secondary school education, and 42% of girls are married before the age of 18 – the twelfth highest rate of child marriage in the world.</p> <h2>Next steps</h2> <p>There is an urgent need for governments in these countries to introduce programmes that promote delaying the age at which girls first have sex and to equip adolescents with knowledge about responsible and safer sex.</p> <p>Policymakers should also work to promote prolonged enrolment in school for adolescent girls. And, crucially, laws are needed – and must be enforced – that criminalise child marriages.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/child-marriage-comes-with-a-heavy-cost-for-young-girls-in-africa-but-theres-one-clear-way-out-190924" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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"You acted out of love": Judge says no jail for man who killed his wife

<p>A pensioner who slit his wife's throat has been spared jail and cleared of her murder after telling a jury he killed his terminally-ill partner of 40 years in an "act of love".</p> <p>Graham Mansfield, 73, was instead found guilty of manslaughter after he admitted to taking the life of his terminally-ill wife Dyanne, just months after she asked him to take her life "when things get bad for me".</p> <p>The retired airport baggage handler told Manchester Crown Court they were the "saddest words he had ever heard", but that he agreed to his wife's request as long as he could kill himself too.</p> <p>A jury made up of 10 men and two women only took 90 minutes of deliberation to find Graham not guilty for murder, but guilty of manslaughter. </p> <p>He was sentenced to two years in jail, but with two years suspended sentence, meaning he will not be imprisoned.  </p> <p>Graham was arrested in March 2021 after he called emergency services himself and told the operator he had killed his wife of 40 years at 9pm the previous day before trying to kill himself.</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/graham-wife-2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><em>Mrs Mansfield had been suffering with Stage 5 lung cancer. Image credit: Greater Manchester Police</em></p> <p>Mrs Mansfield was found with a "gaping incised would" and her windpipe had been severed. </p> <p>Police found three knives and a hammer near her body, along with two bricks on top of a plastic wallet containing a note written by the defendant for the police.</p> <p>"We have decided to take our own lives," it said, giving instructions on where to find his house keys and how to contact his sister, the court heard.</p> <p>Another note was written by Mr Mansfield and was addressed to his family, which read, "We are sorry to burden you with this but there is no other way. We made a pact that when it got too bad for Dyanne we would end it."</p> <p>"I couldn't bear to live without Dyanne and as the months progressed and as things got worse, it only reinforced our decision that the time has arrived. We hope you all understand."</p> <p>"Don't get too upset. We have had a wonderful and happy life together."</p> <p><em>Image credits: ITV News / Greater Manchester Police</em></p>

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7 clear signs you’re in a rebound relationship

<p><strong>Rebound or real love?</strong></p> <p>Whether you were in a 6-month relationship that you thought would go the distance, or a 10-year marriage that didn’t make it to 11, breakups are emotionally difficult. You may find yourself jumping into a new romance quickly and wondering if your rebound relationship can go the distance. Or, you may be terrified that you’ve fallen for someone on the rebound who doesn’t really care for you. “When you’re hurting from a past relationship and want to avoid feeling the pain, [and] you jump into another one right away – that’s a classic rebound relationship,” says relationship expert Audrey Hope. Rebound relationships are defined by more than just speed. A person who is rebounding may be trying to avoid their feelings about the breakup. Fixating on someone new is a great way to do that. “In a rebound relationship, there is no space and time to process the truth of the past love. The rebounder uses the technique of denial, plus moving on quickly, to stop their feelings. They might be moving so fast [that] they never stop to learn or grow from what was left behind,” Hope explains.</p> <p><strong>Your phone has become a lethal weapon</strong></p> <p>If you’re constantly listening for your ex’s special ringtone, or need to stop yourself from sending him/her/them text messages, that’s a red flag that you’re holding on and not ready to connect with someone new. “If you still have your ex’s number in your phone, you may be subconsciously holding out hope that they’ll reach out again. It may also feel too final to delete their number. Either way, keeping an ex’s number handy is a sign you’re still hung up on them, and not present in your new relationship,” says therapist Kimberly Hershenson. While it may be natural to hold on for a short time, this can be a sign that there are issues you need to work through before you can deeply connect with someone else.</p> <p>If you think your new honey is a rebounder, their phone may also provide clues (but don’t go snooping, that’s just creepy). If their wallpaper hasn’t been changed since you’ve been together, and their ex’s face is still the one they gaze at every day on that screen, have a heart-to-heart conversation about the issue, and be ready to move on to greener (more available) pastures.</p> <p><strong>You’re being tortured by social media</strong></p> <p>The internet is forever, but that’s not such great news for relationships that end in the meantime. If your rebounding honey is spending more time sneaking peeks at their ex’s social networks than they’re having fun with you, that’s a clue that they’re rebounding, instead of falling. “If you’re checking your ex’s social media frequently, such as looking at their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts on a daily, or even weekly basis, it’s a sign you’re not over them. The need to see what your ex is up to should not be a priority if you are truly ready to move on in your new relationship,” says Hershenson. It’s common to peek into your ex’s life for a little while, but this behaviour, if it lasts longer than a few weeks, is a masochistic and toxic way of staying connected. It keeps the hurt alive, making it harder to move on.</p> <p><strong>It’s always happy hour</strong></p> <p>One of the more dangerous rebound relationship signs you must look out for is overuse of mind-bending substances. Sharing a bottle of wine is fun and romantic, but if every single date includes drinking, you may be in a dangerous rebound. “A rebounder may have new issues with substance abuse to keep the pain under wraps. They may need pills or alcohol, and this problem may grow. Watch for signs of drug or alcohol abuse that is way more than usual,” warns Hope.</p> <p><strong>Three’s a crowd</strong></p> <p>If your new love wants to keep their old love around, because now they’re ‘just friends’, you may want to put the brakes on the relationship. Ironically, this can also be a healthy sign that the old relationship is truly over. What you want to see is proof of the genuine healing of old wounds. This can occur only if time has passed, and the rebounder has put in the effort that self-examination takes.</p> <p>Arguing with your partner is inevitable. But knowing how to argue constructively with your partner is healthy.</p> <p><strong>Your ex is the main topic of conversation</strong></p> <p>If your new love is starting to feel like your ex-love is haunting them, it may be because you never stop talking about them. This may take the form of how they ‘did wrong by you’, or how awful they were to you, with no introspection about your own role in the breakup. This type of fixation is a sure sign that you’re not truly in your new relationship and still need to process the old one. And if it goes on too long, you may be better off seeking the help of a therapist who can guide you and listen objectively. “If you or your partner think about your ex a lot, or talk about your prior relationship constantly, that’s a sign that there are unresolved issues, which need to be examined,” emphasises Dr Sinh.</p> <p><strong>You never ever mention your ex</strong></p> <p>If your former relationship is completely off-limits as a topic of conversation, this may also be a red flag of a rebound relationship. “The rebounder may never want to have an honest, heart-to-heart talk about their past relationship. They want to skip over the details, just move on, and live in the moment. To them, it is better to avoid, deny, and forget,” says Hope. If your past relationship is painfully tender to the touch for too long, you haven’t moved past it in a healthy way. This is a sure sign that you’ve got some emotional work to do before you can care for someone else.</p> <p><strong>Can it last?</strong></p> <p>So, are rebound relationships always doomed to fail? “Not necessarily,” says Dr Sinh. “If you find that you’re the one rebounding, it means giving yourself time to grieve and mourn your old relationship. This can be hard to do if you’re with someone else. If you really want to make it with the person you’re now with, then you have to work on the issues.” After doing the work, you may find yourself open to love, in a mature, lessons-learned way.</p> <p>But, what if your partner is the one who is rebounding? According to Dr Sinh, “If your partner has just left a past relationship, and you want to make it work, give them the time and mental and emotional space to figure out what they want to do. This is not the time to pester them to make a choice or demand they ‘get over’ their ex. This requires a wiser, more practical approach of pointing out the issues to them, and letting them figure it out. If they can’t do that, despite your patience, maybe it’s time to move on. You really don’t want to be with someone who has one foot out the door.”</p> <p><em><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/true-stories-lifestyle/relationships/7-clear-signs-youre-in-a-rebound-relationship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Relationships

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Single mother’s new home accidentally cleared out

<p dir="ltr">A single mother has been left distraught after her apartment complex’s management mistook her apartment for one destined for eviction, and cleared out all the possessions belonging to her and her three children. </p> <p dir="ltr">Single mother Stephanie Gunia moved into the apartment in the US state of Nebraska last week, and knew something was not right as soon as she entered her new home. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I knew something was wrong, right when I walked in the door and saw my mat was gone,” she told local news channel KETV 7 Omaha. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We walked in and there was nothing in our apartment except for a mattress,” Gunia, 31, told the outlet. “My kids' stuff was gone, their clothes, everything.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When the devastated mother asked why the unauthorised clear-out occurred, Gunia revealed, “They said they got the wrong apartment. They cleaned out the wrong apartment.” </p> <p dir="ltr">All of the family’s belongings were thrown in dumpsters in the carpark of the apartment complex, covering everything in trash and grime. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Our stuff was in five of the seven dumpsters,” said Gunia, who had been living in the apartment for just one week before arriving home with her kids, who she had just picked up from school, to find it cleaned out.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I just went grocery shopping the day before, all that food is ruined, food was mixed in with the toys, and there was like beer and trash ‘gooze’ all over my kids' stuff, our clothes,” Gunia said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My kids were crying because they were scared, they don't know what's going on, they don't know why somebody threw their stuff away in a trash can.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The mother called the management of the complex in a panic, with staffers at the organisation telling her to call police to report that she had been burglarised, not realising their mistake. </p> <p dir="ltr">When officers arrived at the scene, they noticed no signs of burglary, as Stephanie’s neighbour informed them they had seen a group of men moving things out and placing them in the garbage. </p> <p dir="ltr">Police eventually discovered that the complex hired a company to clear out an apartment belonging to another tenant - one who owed back rent and was supposed to be evicted from the property that day.</p> <p dir="ltr">The management company has since apologised for the mistake, saying in a statement that “almost all” of the family's possessions had been rescued from the bin and that the group had provided Gunia a $250 gift card. </p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, the distraught mother told <a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/there-was-nothing-in-our-apartment-la-vista-womans-apartment-cleaned-out-by-mistake/39745982">KETV</a> that while the gesture is a start, it does not come close to making good on the oversight, which has left her kids scared and without a bed to sleep on, as she is not comfortable letting them sleep on the sullied mattresses police and staff pulled from the dumpsters.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: KETV 7 Omaha News footage</em></p>

Real Estate

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"The instructions were clear": Djokovic journo speaks out

<p dir="ltr">The French journalist who interviewed Novak Djokovic while the tennis star was Covid positive, was told not to ask the Serb about his vaccination status.</p> <p dir="ltr">Franck Ramella from French publication <em>L’Equipe </em>interviewed Novak in Belgrade on December 18th, two days after Djokovic had tested positive for the deadly virus.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ramella wrote, “The instructions were clear — no questions about vaccination.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The French journalist said the topic was clearly “very sensitive”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So we didn’t ask him if he had made efforts to get tested. If we had asked him, what would have been the point?” he added.</p> <p dir="ltr">Writing for the paper on Wednesday, Ramella said the photographer from <em>L’Equipe </em>asked Novak to remove his mask for a photo, to which he refused, before taking a photo unmasked later in the proceedings.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ramella was only made aware of Novak’s positive diagnosis three weeks after the interview, but had luckily tested negative after being in contact with him.</p> <p dir="ltr">Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59958662" target="_blank">BBC</a> that if Novak went out knowing he had a positive PCR result, it would be a “clear breach” of Serbia’s Covid restrictions.<br />“If you’re positive you have to be in isolation,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The maximum sentence under Serbia’s criminal code for failure to act pursuant to health regulations during epidemic is three years imprisonment.</p> <p dir="ltr">During an interview on Wednesday, Djokovic said he made an “error in judgement” in going ahead with the interview in December.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I felt obliged to go ahead and conduct the <em>L’Equipe</em> interview as I didn’t want to let the journalist down but did ensure I socially distanced and wore a mask except when my photograph was being taken,” Djokovic said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“On reflection, this was an error of judgment and I accept that I should have rescheduled this commitment.”</p> <p dir="ltr">This “error in judgement” from the tennis champion has been described as “deeply concerning” by the International Tennis Writers Association (ITWA).</p> <p dir="ltr">“The news that Novak Djokovic did not tell one of our members — and the rest of the L’Equipe team on the day — that he had tested positive for Covid-19 is deeply concerning,” an ITWA statement read on Thursday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As journalists, we take great care to adhere to all Covid-19 rules in place, and we would expect all players to do the same.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

News

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Why Terence Darrell Kelly’s neighbour is clearing out

<p><em>Images: 7NEWS</em></p> <p>The neighbour of accused Cleo Smith kidnapper, Terence Kelly is so scared of what will happen once police leave the area that he’s packing up and leaving.</p> <p>Ever since Cleo was found at the home 18 days after she went missing, there has been a strong police presence at the Carnarvon property.</p> <p>Detectives and forensic officers have been at the Tonkin Crescent house each day, but security guards have also protected the house from vandalism or vigilante attacks while Kelly is in custody and police carry out their work.</p> <p>Kelly’s neighbour believes once police and security presence stops, the duplex could become the target “revenge” attacks and vandalism.</p> <p>“The house will be smashed,” he told 7NEWS.</p> <p>“A lot of people are disappointed and angry about what has happened, so there’s a greater chance that once the police are gone, we expect something will happen.</p> <p>“100 per cent sure they will come here and smash the house.”</p> <p>As he was packing up on Thursday, Kelly’s neighbour showed 7NEWS through his property, which is a mirror image of the home next door where Cleo Smith was held captive.</p> <p>The two bedrooms are positioned away from the common wall, which is hardly sound proofed, with only fibro and a timber frame separating the living rooms of the two properties.</p> <p>“I find it hard to know that it was right next door to me. It took me a while to absorb it.”</p> <p>Kelly was described as the perfect neighbour. He didn’t drink, didn’t smoke or take drugs and the two would occasionally chat when taking the bins out. Kelly would keep an eye on his house if he was away.</p> <p>Kelly’s neighbour has been offered a new place to live in wake of what allegedly happened next door.</p> <p>Police have stripped Kelly’s home gathering evidence, all but the sleeping bag which still remains missing.</p> <p>Police tape is set to come down once a final sweep of the home has been done. Those who have become accustomed to street presence have growing fears about what might happen next.</p>

Legal

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Piers Morgan’s Meghan Markle comments cleared

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Piers Morgan has been cleared by British media regulator Ofcom, after it received a record 58,000 complaints about Morgan’s criticisms of Meghan Markle.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The former </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Good Morning Britain</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> host said he didn’t believe what Meghan said during her and her husband’s controversial Oprah Winfrey interview, prompting the duchess to file complaints with the regulator and ITV.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ofcom said restricting Morgan’s views would be a “chilling restriction” on free expression, though it criticised his “apparent disregard” for the topic of suicide.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, Morgan expressed disbelief at Meghan’s claims of experiencing suicidal thoughts and struggling with her mental health while performing her royal duties.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Royal author Angela Levin claimed the duchess would be “absolutely livid” with the decision and may pursue further legal action.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“She can’t cope with someone saying she didn’t tell the truth. Because she is all about compassion and understanding and caring for people,” Ms Levin told </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Sun</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking outside his home, Morgan said he “wasn’t really sure why I lost [my job] in the first place”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He added that Ofcom had “emphatically endorsed my right to not believe what the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were saying”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Taking to Twitter, the 56-year-old journalist wrote: “I’m delighted OFCOM has endorsed my right to disbelieve the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s incendiary claims to Oprah Winfrey, many of which have proven to be untrue.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">I’m delighted OFCOM has endorsed my right to disbelieve the Duke &amp; Duchess of Sussex’s incendiary claims to Oprah Winfrey, many of which have proven to be untrue. This is a resounding victory for free speech and a resounding defeat for Princess Pinocchios. <br />Do I get my job back? <a href="https://t.co/czhzeejYpa">pic.twitter.com/czhzeejYpa</a></p> — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/1432995892353765377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is a resounding victory for free speech and a resounding defeat for Princess Pinnocchios. Do I get my job back?”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a lengthy statement about the ruling, Ofcom said the incident “became a major international news story and we acknowledged it was both legitimate and in the public interest of ITV to broadcast debates featuring presenters such as Mr Morgan scrutinising those allegations”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Consistent with freedom of expression, Mr Morgan was entitled to say he disbelieved the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s allegations and to hold and express strong views that rigorously challenged their account.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The [Ofcom broadcasting] code allows for individuals to express strongly held and robustly argued views, including those that are potentially harmful or highly offensive, and for broadcasters to include these in their programming.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The restriction of such views would, in our view, be an unwarranted and chilling restriction on freedom of expression both of the broadcaster and the audience.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We were particularly concerned about Mr Morgan’s approach to such an important and serious issue and his apparent disregard for the seriousness of anyone expressing suicidal thoughts.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the regulator noted the importance of co-hosts Susanna Reid and Chris Ship challenging his views, which provided “adequate protection for viewers”.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

TV

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Place your bets! Clear favourite for name of Harry and Meghan’s new baby

<p><span>The world is waiting in anticipation for the birth of Meghan and Harry’s second child, especially the name they decide to give their first daughter.</span><br /><br /><span>The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their son Archie in May 2019, and are waiting for their second child who is due in the coming weeks.</span><br /><br /><span>Bets have already been placed on the name of the little royal, with betting agent Ladbrokes tipping “Philippa” as the top pick.</span><br /><br /><span>The name is a nod to Harry’s grandfather, Prince Philip, who died in April.</span><br /><br /><span>It is paying $4.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841194/meghan-harry-archie-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8534c86b90194ba49f6918fb9ad703d6" /><br /><br /><span>Diana, Harry’s late mother, is closely trailing behind on $6.</span><br /><br /><span>Allegra and Elizabeth are tied third at $11.</span><br /><br /><span>“The support for baby Philippa is showing no signs of slowing down, and we’ve been forced to trim the odds again that it’s the name for Harry and Meghan’s daughter,” Jessica O’Reilly of Ladbrokes told PEOPLE.</span><br /><br /><span>Meghan and Harry shocked bookies when they named their son Archie, as the popular suggestions had been Arthur, Charles and Albert.</span><br /><br /><span>Harry’s cousin Princess Eugenie honoured her late grandfather in her first child’s name, after giving birth in February with husband Jack Brooksbank.</span><br /><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841195/meghan-harry-archie-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4965ae8759f348b7a2e7dc212f881f20" /><br /><span>They named their son August Philip Hawke Brooksbank.</span><br /><br /><span>Meghan, 39, and Harry, 36, revealed to Oprah Winfrey in their bombshell interview in March that they were expecting a little girl after announcing their pregnancy on Valentine’s Day.</span><br /><br /><span>Harry earlier told the September issue of British Vogue that the couple would only be having two children “maximum”.</span></p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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7 morning brain exercises to clear your mind

<p><strong>How can I sharpen my brain?</strong></p> <p>It can be mentally exhausting to try and resume your “normal” schedule during coronavirus. You may be working remotely, helping your children adapt to hybrid learning, keeping your family safe from coronavirus, or all of the above. Add trying to practice self-care in this mix of endless responsibilities. All this stress can zap your concentration, make you irritable or depressed, and potentially damage your professional and personal relationships.</p> <p>However, brain exercises, especially before work, can help get you through your day. “Working out areas of the brain before a full day can set us on a path of increased agility and flexibility in our thinking and enable us to communicate more calmly and effectively with our colleagues,” says Dr Jennifer Wolkin, a clinical neuropsychologist. Fold a mix of these brain exercises into your morning routine and you’ll find yourself working smarter and more efficiently from the get-go.</p> <p><strong>Relax with a good read</strong></p> <p><span>In today’s fast-paced day and age, it’s hard to remember to unplug and take time for the simple things that relax and stimulate the mind. Reading is certainly one of those—be it a chapter book, newspaper, or online article. “Some of the best activities to perform are ones that enrich the brain with new information, like reading,” says neurosurgeon Dr Jason Liauw. “Taking in a good book or the morning paper is not only a calming way to start your day, but it also can help you reorient your priorities, taking you momentarily out of the daily grind from yesterday before today’s begins.” Most importantly, reading can also cause a frameshift in your mind, so that when you’re in the middle of your day, you may be able to look at your routine and tasks through a different lens.</span></p> <p><strong>Do exercise</strong></p> <p><span>You probably know how important of a role exercise plays in your health and mood, but there are some additional brain-boosting reasons to sneak in a workout before work. “Exercise actually alters brain chemistry and has even been likened to the effect of taking antidepressants,” says Wolkin. “It signals the release of several key neurotransmitters, many of which play a vital role in keeping our brain sharp as we age.” Exercise also helps pump blood flow and oxygen to the brain, allowing your grey matter to work to its highest capacity, which translates to better and sharper decision making, judgment, and memory.</span></p> <p><strong>Practise meditation</strong></p> <p><span>“Studies have found that the amygdala, known as the brain’s ‘fight or flight’ center and the seat of our fearful and anxious emotions, decreases in brain cell volume after mindfulness practice,” says Wolkin. “The impact mindfulness exerts on our brain is born from routine—a slow, steady and consistent reckoning of our realities, and the ability to take a step back, become more aware, more accepting, less judgemental and less reactive.” Meditators also show a greater ability to recall information faster, leading researchers to believe that the ability to quickly “screen out” mental noise, allows the working memory to search and find information needed more quickly and efficiently, says brain expert Daniel Amen, double-board-certified psychiatrist, physician, and author of </span><em>Time for Bed Sleepyhead</em><span>.</span></p> <p><strong>Play classical music in the background</strong></p> <p><span>The gentle, peaceful sounds of classical music from the likes of Mozart and Beethoven have long been touted as beneficial to the brain and productivity in general. “Listening to classical music while getting dressed in the morning or exercising is a one-two punch of neural circuitry that’s been shown by researchers to significantly improve verbal fluency, cognitive functioning, and overall focus and concentration,” says Dian Griesel, entrepreneur and business and health spokesperson.</span></p> <p><strong>Play a fast logic-based game</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Lifelong learners are definitely onto something, as continued education—not just higher education—promotes brain health and creates new neural connections. “Even just taking a stab at a crossword puzzle or taking online quizzes that challenge your mind, can help build cognitive reserves,” says Wolkin. The best tasks for the brain are not only challenging, but are varied and novel—think Sudoku, or memory-recall games or apps.</p> <p>“It’s important to keep brain-boosting activities constantly changing with increasing complexity as well as cross-training brain activities that use different parts of the brain,” says Dr Kristin M. Mascotti. “Consistency is key, and many of these techniques can be done in just a few minutes every day with different skills tested on different days.”</p> <p><strong>Make a gratitude list</strong></p> <p><span>When you bring your attention to the things in your life for which you’re grateful, your brain actually works better, especially with a gratitude list. “Brain imaging studies show that negative thought patterns change the brain in a negative way, but that conversely, practicing gratitude literally helps you have a brain to be grateful for,” says Dr Amen. Every day, write down five things you’re grateful for—whether that’s your dog, your job, or that the football season has started back up again.</span></p> <p><strong>Get a good night's rest</strong></p> <p><span>It sounds obvious, but between 33-45 per cent of adults report they get insufficient sleep at least one night per month, according to the Sleep Health Foundation. “Sleep is proven in countless studies to help our ability to recall—which directly affects our capability to control both our behaviour and learning,” says Griesel. “Sleep deficits actually result in performance comparable to intoxication.” The best way to prime your body for a great work performance the following day is to stick to a sleep schedule. Make sure that it doesn’t change much on the weekends. Also, remember to practice a relaxing bedtime ritual, like reading a book. Make sure your room is dark and cool at an ideal temperature of around 19 degrees celsius.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written by Jenn Sinrich</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. This article first appeared in </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/healthsmart/7-morning-brain-exercises-to-clear-your-mind" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reader’s Digest</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Find more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA93V" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">here’s our best subscription offer</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></em></p>

Mind

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7 morning brain exercises to clear your mind

<p>It can be mentally exhausting to try and resume your “normal” schedule during coronavirus. You may be working remotely, helping your children adapt to hybrid learning, keeping your family safe from coronavirus, or all of the above. Add trying to practice self-care in this mix of endless responsibilities. All this stress can zap your concentration, make you irritable or depressed, and potentially damage your professional and personal relationships.</p> <p>However, brain exercises, especially before work, can help get you through your day. “Working out areas of the brain before a full day can set us on a path of increased agility and flexibility in our thinking and enable us to communicate more calmly and effectively with our colleagues,” says Dr Jennifer Wolkin, a clinical neuropsychologist. Fold a mix of these brain exercises into your morning routine and you’ll find yourself working smarter and more efficiently from the get-go.</p> <p><strong>Relax with a good read</strong></p> <p>In today’s fast-paced day and age, it’s hard to remember to unplug and take time for the simple things that relax and stimulate the mind. Reading is certainly one of those—be it a chapter book, newspaper, or online article. “Some of the best activities to perform are ones that enrich the brain with new information, like reading,” says neurosurgeon Dr Jason Liauw. “Taking in a good book or the morning paper is not only a calming way to start your day, but it also can help you reorient your priorities, taking you momentarily out of the daily grind from yesterday before today’s begins.” Most importantly, reading can also cause a frameshift in your mind, so that when you’re in the middle of your day, you may be able to look at your routine and tasks through a different lens.</p> <p><strong>Do exercise</strong></p> <p>You probably know how important of a role exercise plays in your health and mood, but there are some additional brain-boosting reasons to sneak in a workout before work. “Exercise actually alters brain chemistry and has even been likened to the effect of taking antidepressants,” says Wolkin. “It signals the release of several key neurotransmitters, many of which play a vital role in keeping our brain sharp as we age.” Exercise also helps pump blood flow and oxygen to the brain, allowing your grey matter to work to its highest capacity, which translates to better and sharper decision making, judgment, and memory.</p> <p><strong>Practise meditation</strong></p> <p>“Studies have found that the amygdala, known as the brain’s ‘fight or flight’ centre and the seat of our fearful and anxious emotions, decreases in brain cell volume after mindfulness practice,” says Wolkin. “The impact mindfulness exerts on our brain is born from routine—a slow, steady and consistent reckoning of our realities, and the ability to take a step back, become more aware, more accepting, less judgemental and less reactive.” Meditators also show a greater ability to recall information faster, leading researchers to believe that the ability to quickly “screen out” mental noise, allows the working memory to search and find information needed more quickly and efficiently, says brain expert Daniel Amen, double-board-certified psychiatrist, physician, and author of Time for Bed Sleepyhead.</p> <p><strong>Play classical music in the background</strong></p> <p>The gentle, peaceful sounds of classical music from the likes of Mozart and Beethoven have long been touted as beneficial to the brain and productivity in general. “Listening to classical music while getting dressed in the morning or exercising is a one-two punch of neural circuitry that’s been shown by researchers to significantly improve verbal fluency, cognitive functioning, and overall focus and concentration,” says Dian Griesel, entrepreneur and business and health spokesperson.</p> <p><strong>Play a fast logic-based game</strong></p> <p>Lifelong learners are definitely onto something, as continued education—not just higher education—promotes brain health and creates new neural connections. “Even just taking a stab at a crossword puzzle or taking online quizzes that challenge your mind, can help build cognitive reserves,” says Wolkin. The best tasks for the brain are not only challenging, but are varied and novel—think Sudoku, or memory-recall games or apps.</p> <p>“It’s important to keep brain-boosting activities constantly changing with increasing complexity as well as cross-training brain activities that use different parts of the brain,” says Dr Kristin M. Mascotti. “Consistency is key, and many of these techniques can be done in just a few minutes every day with different skills tested on different days.”</p> <p><strong>Make a gratitude list</strong></p> <p>When you bring your attention to the things in your life for which you’re grateful, your brain actually works better, especially with a gratitude list. “Brain imaging studies show that negative thought patterns change the brain in a negative way, but that conversely, practicing gratitude literally helps you have a brain to be grateful for,” says Dr Amen. Every day, write down five things you’re grateful for—whether that’s your dog, your job, or that the football season has started back up again.</p> <p><strong>Get a good night’s rest</strong></p> <p>It sounds obvious, but between 33-45 per cent of adults report they get insufficient sleep at least one night per month, according to the Sleep Health Foundation. “Sleep is proven in countless studies to help our ability to recall—which directly affects our capability to control both our behaviour and learning,” says Griesel. “Sleep deficits actually result in performance comparable to intoxication.” The best way to prime your body for a great work performance the following day is to stick to a sleep schedule. Make sure that it doesn’t change much on the weekends. Also, remember to practice a relaxing bedtime ritual, like reading a book. Make sure your room is dark and cool at an ideal temperature of around 19 degrees celsius.</p> <p><em>Written by Jenn Sinrich. This article first appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/healthsmart/7-morning-brain-exercises-to-clear-your-mind">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.co.nz/subscribe">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.</em></p>

Mind

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Clear signs you may suffer from “overactive bladder”

<p><span>What is an overactive bladder? Overactive bladder (OAB) is a very common condition that affects one in three Australians, according to the Continence Foundation of Australia. It causes a combination of symptoms related to involuntary urination. Here are the signs and symptoms you should know.</span></p> <ol> <li><strong><span> You get sudden urges to go</span></strong></li> </ol> <p><span>One of the classic overactive bladder symptoms is a sudden, uncontrollable urge to go. </span></p> <p><span>“We spend our younger years learning how to have our brains control our bladder, letting us empty our bladders when it is socially acceptable,” says urologist, Dr Aisha Khalali Taylor. “As we age as women, our bladders become defiant and start to want to overrule the brain, causing bladder contractions or spasms at times when it’s not socially acceptable.”</span></p> <p><span>Pregnancy and childbirth, as well as lower levels of oestrogen after menopause, can contribute to OAB in women. And although OAB is more common with age, it should not be considered a “normal” part of ageing.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <ol start="2"> <li><strong><span> You have to go all the time</span></strong></li> </ol> <p><span>Along with a sudden urge, you may feel like you have to urinate constantly. This happens for one of two reasons, “Either the nerves that provide information about sensation [sensory nerves] receive, or think they receive, information about being full or irritated; or the nerves that send signals to the muscle of the bladder are too active, and the muscle contracts,” explains urogynecologist, Dr W. Thomas Gregory. </span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <ol start="3"> <li><strong><span> You often go only a little bit</span></strong></li> </ol> <p><span>With overactive bladder, even though you may feel the urge to hit the bathroom all the time, not much comes out. </span></p> <p><span>“Sudden urge to urinate occurs because the muscles of the bladder start to contract involuntarily, even when the amount of urine in the bladder is low,” Dr Taylor says. “This involuntary contraction makes women feel an urgent need to urinate, which signals OAB, as the bladder lining becomes ‘hypersensitive’ to the smallest volumes of urine.” </span></p> <p><span>Note: this particular symptom could also be a symptom of a urinary tract infection (UTI). “The only way to truly tell the difference between a UTI and OAB is to obtain a urine culture to see if bacteria is growing in the urine,” Dr Taylor says. A urine culture is a very easy test that can be done in most labs.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <ol start="4"> <li><strong><span> You feel like you have to go even if you’ve just gone</span></strong></li> </ol> <p><span>You’ve just used the bathroom, but there it is again – that feeling of “gotta go”, so you turn around and head back in. If that happens to you, it could be OAB. </span></p> <p><span>This constant need for the bathroom can be disruptive, but luckily, there are natural remedies for overactive bladder that can help. </span></p> <p><span>“Sometimes we have to use our brains and emotions to retrain our bladder what is the right amount of urine to hold before going to the bathroom,” Dr Gregory says. </span></p> <p><span>Pelvic floor exercises called Kegels can help you control those muscles, especially if they’re done with a qualified pelvic floor therapist using a device such as InTone, which offers feedback on your progress. Then you can attempt bladder training, which involves “training yourself to delay urination when you feel the urge to urinate,” Dr Taylor says. </span></p> <p><span>“You start with small delays such as five to 10 minutes, and work your way up to three to four hours.”</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <ol start="5"> <li><strong><span> You wake up to go to the bathroom</span></strong></li> </ol> <p><span>It can be normal to wake up to go at night, but if your sleep is constantly disrupted due to multiple trips to the toilet, it can affect your cognitive function the next day. Disrupted sleep can even lead to depression. You might think not drinking before bed will resolve the problem, but reducing your total fluid intake is a bad idea. That will only make your urine more concentrated, which is irritating and can make overactive bladder symptoms worse. What’s more, “the kidneys produce urine all the time, even if you haven’t had anything to drink. “This is especially true at night when you lay down to go to sleep,” Dr Gregory explains. <br />“Fluid in your body has an easier time getting back to the heart because it doesn’t have to work as hard against gravity.”</span></p> <p><span>High urine output at night could also indicate other conditions such as congestive heart failure, sleep apnoea, diabetes, or poor kidney function, so see a urologist if you’re constantly waking up to pee to make sure it’s not something else.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <ol start="6"> <li><strong><span> You have accidents</span></strong></li> </ol> <p><span>All of a sudden having to go may mean that you end up going when you don’t want to – even if it’s just a few drops of urine. </span></p> <p><span>“The amount of urine one leaks is not necessarily correlated with severity of OAB,” Dr Taylor says. “What counts the most is the level of bother a patient feels. Some women are comfortable wearing pads and leaking large amounts of urine, while some are very bothered by the slightest drops.” </span></p> <p><span>Triggers for such accidents may be touching or hearing running water, drinking a small amount, or even briefly being in a cold environment, such as reaching into the freezer at the grocery store. </span></p> <p><span>To identify your personal triggers, keep a bladder diary. “If you leak urine, marking down what you were doing and feeling can help you and your provider understand that better,” Dr Gregory says. </span></p> <p><span>Retraining the bladder by scheduling bathroom trips at regular intervals can also help. “As infants we learn to control our bladder and go to the bathroom when it is socially acceptable,” Dr Gregory says, and you may need to do the same thing again now.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <ol start="7"> <li><strong><span> It doesn’t necessarily happen when you cough, sneeze or jump</span></strong></li> </ol> <p><span>You may think you don’t have OAB because you don’t leak when you sneeze or cough – but that isn’t a symptom of OAB. Instead, “stress incontinence” is actually a different type of bladder issue caused by a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles, according to the Australian Government Department of Health. </span></p> <p><span>“Leaking a few drops at a time can be a sign of stress urinary incontinence, when moving, coughing, sneezing, standing up, jumping and jogging put stress on the bladder to cause the leakage,” Dr Gregory says. </span></p> <p><span>But it’s possible to have both urgency incontinence, a symptom of OAB, and stress incontinence together. “Some women have a disorder called mixed incontinence when leakage occurs with both urge and coughing/straining activity,” Dr Taylor says. “It is important to discuss these concerns with a physician to tease out what is going on.”</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <ol start="8"> <li><strong><span> Certain foods and drinks trigger symptoms</span></strong></li> </ol> <p><span>Spicy or acidic foods, sugar, alcohol and caffeine can all be irritants, so you might notice your overactive bladder symptoms getting worse after you consume them. </span></p> <p><span>“Alcohol acts as a diuretic, causing more urine to be filtered through the kidneys, increasing subsequent urine production and the feeling of OAB,” Dr Taylor explains. “Caffeine acts as both a diuretic and also makes the bladder more sensitive by lowering the threshold at which a bladder contraction will occur.” </span></p> <p><span>Dr Gregory says that some people just have a lower tolerance for certain foods that irritate the bladder’s lining. “If you have that type of sensitivity, then a good strategy is to identify and avoid your trigger foods,” he says. Culprits often include hot peppers, tomato sauce, wasabi, and even cranberry juice.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <ol start="9"> <li><strong><span> You don’t have pain, burning or blood</span></strong></li> </ol> <p><span>Another way you can tell if it’s OAB or something else is whether you have pain, burning or blood in your urine in addition to your other symptoms. Having to go all the time is a real pain, but it shouldn’t actually hurt. If urinating causes pain, it could be a urinary tract infection, a sexually transmits infection, bladder or kidney stones. If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor ASAP. If you don’t have these symptoms, it could be OAB.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <ol start="10"> <li><strong><span> You’re always scoping out bathrooms</span></strong></li> </ol> <p><span>Studies have shown that overactive bladder symptoms can really affect your quality of life. You may become reluctant to be in public situations where you’re unsure if there will be a bathroom readily available; and when you are out and about, you might find yourself always on the lookout for a restroom. </span></p> <p><span>“If you have any of the quality of life issues – knowing all the bathrooms, afraid to be in social settings – it’s time to talk with a doctor,” Dr Taylor says. </span></p> <p><span>Many OAB sufferers are often embarrassed to bring up the subject, but overactive bladder treatment is available, and there are completely natural remedies such as exercises and bladder retraining. If those don’t work, there are medications and procedures as a next step. </span></p> <p><span>“If you are changing the way you live – not seeing friends or family, not exercising or doing the things you like – then you should seek assistance,” Dr Gregory says. “These problems can often be addressed and improved.” </span></p> <p><em>Written by <span>Tina Donvito</span></em><em>. This article first appeared on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/healthsmart/10-clear-signs-you-could-have-an-overactive-bladder" target="_blank">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a rel="noopener" href="http://readersdigest.co.nz/subscribe" target="_blank">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Image:</strong> Getty Images</p>

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“They’ve made it clear”: Queen reacts to Harry and Meghan’s wish to step down​

<p>The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have rejected the Queen’s request to stay as full-time royals after crisis talks and are set to seal their fateful exit within days.</p> <p>Her Majesty issued a statement of support for her grandson and his family, saying she was “entirely supportive: of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s desire to become independent from the royal family and spend more time in Canada.</p> <p>She announced while she “would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family,” she agreed to their requests.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7RlhXIDBVd/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7RlhXIDBVd/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Royal Rewind (@royalrewind)</a> on Jan 13, 2020 at 1:23pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family,” she said in a statement after two hours of crisis talks at her Sandringham estate.</p> <p>“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working members of the royal family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”</p> <p>The Queen said that while discussions were still ongoing, as more complex matters need to be resolved, she had accepted a “period of transition” in which the Sussex's would spend time in Canada and the UK.</p> <p>“Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives,” she said.</p> <p>“It has therefore been agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussex's will spend time in Canada and the UK.</p> <p>“These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”</p> <p>The statement followed after Prince Harry and Prince William took a united step of releasing a joint announcement to deny claims of “bullying” ahead of the royal summit.</p> <p>Via Buckingham Palace, she said: “Despite clear denials, a false story ran in a UK newspaper today speculating about the relationship between The Duke of Sussex and The Duke of Cambridge.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7RiJv1HkAe/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7RiJv1HkAe/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Meghan and Harry (@meghan__harry__photos)</a> on Jan 13, 2020 at 12:54pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“For brothers who care so deeply about the issues surrounding mental health, the use of inflammatory language in this way is offensive and potentially harmful,” they said.</p> <p>A source told<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Times</a><span> </span></em>a falling out between the two brothers began around the Sussex wedding in May 2018, as Prince Harry believed his older sibling had not done enough to welcome Duchess Meghan into the family.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Rms21AkdP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Rms21AkdP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Royal Pictorial Records (@british_monarchy_history)</a> on Jan 13, 2020 at 1:33pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The newspaper also mentioned the constraint of Prince William always taking precedence as the heir to the throne.</p> <p>“If you are Meghan and Harry and you have had two years of constantly being told your place, constantly bullied as they would see it, constantly being told what you can’t do, Meghan has been thinking ‘This is just nuts, why would anyone put up with this?’” the source said.</p> <p>The Duchess of Sussex was not present at the summit, and chose to dial in from Canada, where she returned last week to be with their son, Archie.</p> <p>It is the first time the family had med face-to-face since the Sussex’s bombshell announcement that they would be stepping back as senior royals and work to achieve “financial independence”.</p> <p>At the time, Buckingham Palace responded with a terse statement saying: “Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”</p> <p>The key issues up for negotiation included their royal titles, duties, security arrangements, any commercial deals and funding arrangements as well as where the couple would live and their immigration status.</p>

International Travel

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4 ways to clear space on your smartphone

<p>If you’ve been hit with the pesky “low on space” message from your phone, here are four tricks to freeing up space and getting the most out of your device.</p> <p><strong>1. Check your usage</strong></p> <p>Check which apps are taking the most space on your phone as there are usually some surprise hogs.</p> <p>For Apple: Go to Settings &gt; General &gt; Usage &gt; Manage Storage.</p> <p>At the top you’ll see how much space you’ve used and how much is available. Below you’ll have a more detailed analysis with a list of apps ranked by how much space they are using.</p> <p>For Android: Go to Settings &gt; SD &amp; phone storage &gt; Internal phone storage &gt; Manage Storage.</p> <p><strong>2. Delete unused apps</strong></p> <p>Don’t keep apps that you don’t use. Every app takes up storage space and runs some kind of background process, which all combines to slow down phone’s performance.</p> <p>Game apps, which use high quality graphics, can surprisingly take up a lot of space so delete the ones you can’t see yourself using anymore. You can always re-download if you find you need them.</p> <p><strong>3. Remove old podcasts and videos</strong></p> <p>Podcasts and videos take up a lot of space on phones. If you’ve uploaded your videos onto your computer (or another back-up) and don’t need them on your phone anymore, then delete them. Videos are one of the biggest space hogs.</p> <p><strong>4. Use a cloud system to back up photos</strong></p> <p>The hundreds of photos on our phones can take up quite a sizeable chunk on phone storage. But if you don’t want to take them off your phone, the good news is you don’t have to. <a href="http://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/technology/2015/01/back-up-photos/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Save space and back-up photos by using a cloud storage system such as Dropbox.</strong></span></a>  Your photos will be accessible on the web so you can easily search them up or alternatively many cloud systems have an app to download, where you can quickly access them.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><em><strong><a href="http://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/technology/2015/02/phone-charging-tips/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Phone charging tips for when you’re short on time</span></a></strong></em></p> <p><em><strong><a href="http://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/technology/2014/10/6-amazing-things-you-didn%E2%80%99t-know-your-phone-could-do/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">6 amazing things you didn’t know your phone could do</span></a></strong></em></p> <p><em><strong><a href="http://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/technology/2015/02/how-to-unsubscribe-from-emails/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">How to stop receiving unwanted emails</span></a></strong></em></p>

Technology

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5 tactics to clear debt on the age pension

<p>Retirement doesn’t mean you have to let your debt spiral out of control.</p> <p><strong>1. Make a plan</strong></p> <p>Ignoring your debt won’t make it go away. You need to be realistic about your financial situation, so make a full plan of exactly what you owe, your payments and interest, and what you can afford to pay back. It’s a good idea to speak with a financial counselor or advisor to point you in the right direction. The government offers a number of free services to help you manage your money.</p> <p><strong>2. Cut your expenses</strong></p> <p>At any life stage – and whatever your income – cutting your expenses so you can pay off more of your debt is always the first step. If you’re on the pension, it’s likely that you will already be living a fairly frugal life but look around for any extra cuts. Even paying an extra $10 or $20 a week can take thousands off your interest over time.</p> <p><strong>3. Generate some extra income</strong></p> <p>If you can't save money, make money. Even though you’re not working anymore there are plenty of ways you can bring in a little extra cash. Have a garage sale or join eBay and get rid of things you no longer use. You can look at simple business ideas like dog walking or selling cakes at a market stall. Just make sure that you declare any extra income and check that it doesn't interfere with your pension.</p> <p><strong>4. Restructure your debt</strong></p> <p>If you have debts in a lot of different places, like a mortgage, car payments, personal loans and credit cards, you probably aren’t getting the best deal. Having multiple loans can result in paying lots of different fees and accruing unnecessary interest. Speak to your bank and find out if consolidating everything under your existing mortgage or taking out a personal loan would save you money. For credit cards, you can always find good deals that offer 0% interest on balance transfers for a set period of time. Don’t be afraid to move your debt around so you can concentrate on paying off the principle, not just the interest.</p> <p><strong>5. Think about downsizing</strong></p> <p>For most retirees, their major equity is in their house. If you have paid off your mortgage or have only a small amount left, downsizing could be a way to free up some cash to pay off other debts. Moving into a smaller home or apartment means lower bills and less money spent on maintenance, as well as non-financial benefits like less cleaning to do. Downsizing is a complex process and not something to be taken lightly, so speak with a financial advisor first.</p> <p><em>This article is for general information only. You should seek formal financial advice on your specific circumstances.</em></p>

Retirement Income

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Rolf Harris launches bid to clear his name

<p>Disgraced children’s entertainer Rolf Harris has launched an audacious bid to clear his name today, appearing before the Royal Courts of Justice in central London with fresh evidence he believes will have his <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/2017/05/rolf-harris-trial-dramatically-concludes/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>12 indecent assault convictions thrown out</strong></span></a>.</p> <p>The 87-year-old’s legal team has told a London appeals court that key evidence, not seen by the jury in his 2014 sexual abuse trial, could have exonerated Harris.</p> <p>Four of initial convictions will be appealed, and if the judges sitting in the Court of Appeal Criminal Division rule in his favour, Harris will argue the remaining eight convictions are unsafe and should also be thrown out by the court.</p> <p>The defence is arguing Harris should not have been convicted of indecently touching a seven-year-old girl at a community centre in Leigh Park council estate in rural England, as there was no evidence that he had ever been there.</p> <p>Harris’ legal team also contends one of the key prosecution witnesses was a “Walter Mitty-type” character who, amongst other things, lied about serving in the Korean War.</p> <p>Stephen Vullo, QC, for Harris says this means the conviction was unsafe.</p> <p>"It's credible, it's reliable, it goes to the central issue in the case and it wasn't raised at the trial," he said. </p> <p>Prosecutor Jonathan Rees, QC, argues this should not be accepted as new evidence.</p> <p>“The fresh evidence should not be received by the court and if any or all if it is, it still does not render the convictions unsafe,’’ he said.</p> <p>The court will hear more legal arguments on Wednesday, before retiring to consider its decision.  </p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Twitter / Global's Newsroom </em></p>

Legal

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4 golden rules for keeping pores clear

<p>You don’t need to rely only on great genes to have clear pores on your skin. Redness, irritation, pimples and blackheads often have a root cause that you may be able to sort out before things get out of hand. Here’s what you need to do to keep your pores in good shape.</p> <p><strong>1. Sleep clean</strong></p> <p>Don’t head to bed with your makeup on, as this means your skin is going to be covered in foundation, powder, and pollution from the day for hours on end. Keep some wipes near your toothbrush so that you get into the habit of cleansing your skin before you retire for the night.</p> <p><strong>2. Hands off</strong></p> <p>When you squeeze and pick at your skin, the oil in your hands and the irritation you cause can wreak havoc with your skin. It can get infected and inflamed, making the issue even worse than before. Resist the urge to squeeze and scratch, and instead apply a specific spot treatment.</p> <p><strong>3. Scrub gently</strong></p> <p>Keep a gentle exfoliating face scrub in the shower to use once or twice a week. This will remove dead skin cells and give your skin a chance to renew itself. There’s no need to scrub every day, as this can have the opposite effect and leave your skin red and irritated.</p> <p><strong>4. Choose well</strong></p> <p>Many people cover up their skin with heavy foundation or concealer, but these can cause build up in your pores. Go for oil free products, and those specifically made for sensitive skin. You can also go for the big guns and get yourself a specific pore reduction cream. They help to minimise pores so that there is less chance of them causing issues later. <a href="http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/habits-that-hurt-pores"></a></p> <p>Have you got any great products that you would recommend for keeping pores in great condition? Share them with us in the comments below.</p>

Beauty & Style

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How to clear a path to less stress

<p>I've got a date with a garden skip this weekend, to remove the growing pile of bark, leaves, weeds and soil that's been jarring my vision since we decided to 'clean up' our garden a few weeks ago.</p> <p>I'm excited. Not about playing with thorns or getting my trainers dirty. It's just that this burgeoning mound of waste may as well be sitting squarely on my brain - it's taking up that much head space: a clear-cut case of matter over mind.</p> <p>I'm sure I'm not alone in being bugged by such seemingly innocuous things.</p> <p>It's often said a cluttered environment can clutter the mind. And anyone who likes a sense of order - things in their rightful place - will relate.</p> <p>Whether it's clearing bills off the table or finding a home for your children's artistic masterpieces, or making space in the drawer for one extra cake container, keeping on top of things at home could be one small way to keep your stress in check too.</p> <p><strong>Does mess create stress?</strong></p> <p>There'll be countless people who couldn't care less about tidy surfaces and won't be introducing the Dewey Decimal System to their bookshelf any time soon.</p> <p>But whichever camp you're in, there's been evidence over the years linking our environment to our levels of stress, wellbeing, and general behaviour too.</p> <p>Studies done by the UCLA's Centre for the Everyday Lives of Families (CELF), found women who described their homes as messy or chaotic actually had flatter levels of cortisol - an indicator of stress.</p> <p>"They also tended to show greater increases in depressed mood across the day, consistent with greater fatigue in the evening and a more difficult transition from work to home," the authors said.</p> <p>In contrast, women who spoke more positively of their yards and outdoor features and who used words connoting relaxation at home - well their cortisol slopes showed less stress.</p> <p>In this study women were more sensitive to their home environment than men, suggesting they may feel a greater sense of responsibility for the home (eg. feeling guilty about clutter).</p> <p>Further investigations found that managing the volume of possessions in middle-class homes was such a crushing problem that it elevated levels of stress hormones for mums.</p> <p>Only 25% of garages could be used to store cars because they were so packed with stuff.</p> <p>Authors said the sheer volume of objects clinging to a fridge door - from the plumber's phone number to the date of the next doctor's appointment - may indicate how much clutter can be found throughout your home. Furthermore that clutter provides clues as to how much stress mums feel when they walk through the door after a day at work.</p> <p>Another study by the University of Minnesota looked at the impact of ordered and disordered environments and found that order leads to "desirable, normatively-good behaviours", encouraging healthfulness, generosity and a mindset of tradition and convention.  </p> <p>"Sitting in a tidy room led to healthier food choices and greater financial support of charitable institutions, relative to sitting in a cluttered room," the authors noted. Yes, they tested specifically for these things.</p> <p>But in a lucky stroke for the disorganised amongst us, the same study found that physical disorder serves a different sort of purpose. It leads to enhanced creativity, an appreciation for novelty and a mindset of unconventionality. What that means is that people can harness the power of each environment to achieve their goals.</p> <p>So if you're looking for a future in culture, business or the arts, then a dishevelled dwelling might be just the inspiration you need.</p> <p>"Many creative individuals with Nobel prizes and other ultra-prestigious awards prefer - and in fact cultivate - messy environments as an aid to their work," said the authors. One such person was Einstein, who famously quipped, "If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?"</p> <p><strong>Is it time for a spring clean?</strong></p> <p>Kiwi author and life coach Sarah Laurie sits clearly in the 'tidy home, clear mind' territory.</p> <p>"When we introduce order, rituals and a touch of gorgeousness to our spaces, I'm quite sure that this extends to other areas of our life," she says.</p> <p>"We may see greater opportunities at work, increased connectedness in our relationships or increased wellbeing. Clean, fresh and gorgeous is good for us!"</p> <p>Laurie's advice for anyone wanting more order in their life, is that cleaning up is the easy part - keeping it that way is more challenging.</p> <p>"It's key to work out what our triggers are, that return us to disorder. Perhaps it's rising too late in the mornings and having to rush, or not putting things away when we're finished, or dropping our clothes on the floor at the end of the day or as we change outfits, or running out of groceries, or a filing system that doesn't work [or no filing system], or failing to plan the day? </p> <p>"There are so many little, seemingly inconsequential habits that erode our opportunity to maintain a good rhythm. When we know them, we can address them - just one at a time."</p> <p><strong>Laurie's top five tips:</strong></p> <p><strong>1. Make your bed</strong>. As soon as you rise, make your bed and your body will step into 'organised' mode.<br /><strong>2. Write a list each morning [with a pen].</strong> Writing is a left-brain activity, so it gives structure and clarity to your thoughts - you feel more in control.<br /><strong>3. Create routine. </strong>Your body operates in rhythms, so try and establish patterns in your week. Whether it's the same bed time on week days, a morning plan that is the same each day or a set exercise time, routine will have a leveling effect on your more stressful responsibilities.<br /><strong>4. Get complete. </strong>Spend 10 minutes as you finish work, and then at the end of your day just tying up loose ends. Clear your desk for tomorrow and ensure phone calls are returned; put belongings in their place before bed. A fresh start in the morning feels productive.<br /><strong>5. Prioritise the little things.</strong> The missing sock in a pair, the dregs of milk that is not enough for your cereal, or the document that didn't quite make it to its file - seemingly inconsequential, yet frustrating and time-wasting when you're in a rush to get on with the bigger things.</p> <p><em>Written by Aileen Nakhle. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p>

Mind

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5 steps to clear your credit card debt

<p>You've spent up a storm on the credit card and now your internet shopping binge is racking up interest at a frightening rate.</p> <p>Don't panic. There is an easy way to avert disaster and get your head above water.</p> <p>Best of all, if you follow these five steps, you get to give your bank a good spanking along the way.</p> <p><strong>Step One: Assess the damage</strong></p> <p>The first step is working out your own personal contribution to that gaping whirlpool of red ink.</p> <p>If you have got more than one card, add up all the balances, and check out the interest rates.</p> <p>Recent estimates put the average credit card bill around $3600, so we will use that as our template.</p> <p>With a minimum repayment rate of 3 per cent a month, it would take a staggering 14 years to repay.</p> <p>Over that time, you would also end up paying close to $3000 in interest, almost doubling the original debt.</p> <p>This is an incredibly expensive option, and it is exactly what banks want you to do.</p> <p>The minimum payment level is cynically calculated so that you are only ever chipping away at a tiny bit of the actual debt.</p> <p><strong>Step Two: Slash interest</strong></p> <p>Even while you are treading water, banks will fight each other to toss you a lifebuoy.</p> <p>It is called a "balance transfer", and you should grab it with both hands.</p> <p>You may have seen ads popping up recently offering 0 per cent interest for credit card balances transferred from another bank.</p> <p>A couple of years ago, the going rate for balance transfers was 3-5 per cent. Earlier still, it was more like 8 per cent.</p> <p>"There is clearly a war on out there, which benefits the consumer," says Raewyn Fox, chief executive of the Federation of Family Budgeting Services.</p> <p><strong>Step three: Stop spending</strong></p> <p>The 0 per cent and 1 per cent offers are clearly loss leaders. The banks are actually losing money in order to win your business.</p> <p>Sounds too good to be true?</p> <p>Unless you tread a careful path, there are a couple of pitfalls that will quickly tip the balance back in the bank's favour. The lenders have a few tricks up their sleeves, though they are hidden in plain sight.</p> <p>"The first thing you have to do is make sure you have read the terms and conditions," says Fox.</p> <p>Big mistake No 1 is to keep spending. Any new purchases start racking up interest at full cost. This is a double-whammy. You might assume you can add a couple of morning lattes on top of the transferred balance, and then quickly pay them off.</p> <p>In fact, they will be the most expensive coffees you ever drink.</p> <p>Any repayments go towards the transferred balance first, rather than the bit that is actually racking up interest.</p> <p>That means you have to clear the entire card before you can think about new spending.</p> <p>To avoid temptation or confusion, leave the card safely hidden away at home, or even cut it up.</p> <p><strong>Step four: Make a plan</strong></p> <p>The second big mistake is to transfer the balance, breathe a sigh of relief and then do nothing.</p> <p>Six or 12 months will fly by, and you will be right back to square one.</p> <p>"What you should really do to take advantage of it is… aim to have it paid off in that period of time," says Fox. "Make monthly payments of what you owe, and get rid of it before the interest comes back on."</p> <p>Setting up an automatic payment or direct debit is a good idea but that is not enough by itself.</p> <p>"You need to have a really good plan to make that happen," says Fox.</p> <p>Of course, some people will be so mired in debt they won't have a chance of clearing it in a year.</p> <p>Financial adviser Alan Borthwick, of Dux Financial, has had clients transfer as much as $18,500 in one go when consolidating several debts.</p> <p>Although there is "no way" they can ditch the lot, they can certainly make a big dent, he says.</p> <p>It also provides breathing room to tackle other problems, which may be more pressing.</p> <p>"If they're not able to roll everything in, it will free up money to hammer some of the smaller [debts]," says Borthwick.</p> <p><strong>Step five: Credit surf</strong></p> <p>If you do need more time, not to worry. Simply go back to step two, rinse, and repeat.</p> <p>Yes, that's right. It is entirely possible to hop from bank to bank as each offer comes to an end.</p> <p>If you still have your original credit card open, you can take turns exchanging the balance between them, or to a different bank entirely.</p> <p>Keith McLaughlin, managing director of credit reporting bureau Centrix, says banks can see your credit card limits, the number of cards, and how far behind on payments you are.</p> <p>"If you have multiple cards you are a higher risk. When a credit card issuer is looking at you, they would take that into account," he says.</p> <p>But assuming you close off each old card as you go, there is no issues for your credit score.</p> <p>"Each organisation will potentially look at it differently. They might say, if he has moved three banks … how loyal is this customer going to be for us?" McLaughlin says.</p> <p>"But if you are talking about credit risk, no."</p> <p>The only other risk is that the juicy offers won't be around forever.</p> <p>"Funding costs for banks and credit card providers are starting to rise, which will raise questions around the sustainability of balance transfer rates at their current levels," says ANZ's Herrick.</p> <p>However, they are highly unlikely to disappear overnight.</p> <p><strong>The aim of the game</strong></p> <p>Borthwick is always wary when recommending balance transfers, for fear they will be used poorly.</p> <p>He says some people revel in the low interest and forget about the actual aim of the game, which is to become debt-free.</p> <p>"That's tomorrow's problem. Today's problem is about ‘how do I enjoy the weekend'," he says.</p> <p>"And that is how they get you."</p> <p>As long as you keep the purpose firmly in mind and steer clear of the pitfalls, balance transfers are a great tool.</p> <p>For once, you get the opportunity to rip off your bank, not the other way round.</p> <p><em>Written by Richard Meadows. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><em>This article is for general information only. You should seek formal financial advice on your specific circumstances.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/finance/money-banking/2017/02/more-secrets-of-worlds-most-money-savvy-senior/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>6 more secrets of the world’s most money savvy senior</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/finance/money-banking/2017/02/ways-to-cut-your-grocery-spend-in-half/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>8 ways to cut your grocery spend in half</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/finance/money-banking/2017/01/best-saving-tips-for-seniors-in-2017/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Over60 community’s tips on how to make extra money in retirement</strong></em></span></a></p>

Money & Banking