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YOURS.CO.UK
ISSUE 262
NEW YEAR
DIET PLAN
Reclaim
your
waist
✓ Stronger heart
✓ More energy
✓ Lower cholesterol
BEAUTY Amazing
new skincare products
FASHION Styles
to flatter
every shape
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‘New show
is my dream
come true’
JAN 3-16
2017 £1.55
Death in Paradise’s Kris
Marshall: ‘My cure for
the January blues’
EXPERT
GUIDE
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51
COVER PIC: MATT AUSTIN/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
Inside
Real life
9 Animal Magic
12 COVER Lifesavers:
‘I am so lucky to be here’
17 ‘Sssh!’ Have we lost the
art of being quiet?
18 ‘We saved our village shop’
21 COVER Time to declutter!
24 Could you give up sugar?
26 Rescue dogs
33 We did it first: velvet
Star chat
10 COVER Caroline Quentin’s
new show
14 COVER Kris Marshall
28 Countryfile’s Anita Rani
30 New Bobby Moore biopic
146 Helen Skelton’s life lessons
Your best life now!
36 COVER Slimming styles
40 COVER Skincare stars
43 COVER 1 Inch at a Time special
Good to know
77 New Year resolutions
78 How to meet new friends
80 Hospital stays
82 Yours Retirement Services
83 Which fitness tracker is for me?
85 Watching the pennies
87 Money resolutions for 2017
89 Your questions answered
91 Guides to send for
Nostalgia
71 Working in a Seventies’ kitchen
72 The tastes of our childhood
Leisure time
99 Your best breakfast ever!
104 Free knitting pattern
106 Create an indoor garden
111 48 hours in Portsmouth
112 The best New Year fitness breaks
115 Burns night event
116 Yours Travel Club
Your favourites
63 Meeting Place
75 Roy Hudd
93 Friends of Yours
121 Carers in touch
129 Puzzles to test you
& prizes to win
137 COVER Free for every reader
offer Get into Shape DVD
138 Short story
145 Horoscopes
£6,000
OF PRIZES
TO WIN
this fortnight...
Best in
beauty
New Year
40 money-saving tips 87
104
Knit this cute,
colourful cardi!
83
The best
fitness
trackers
Welcome…
48
Pack in Protein
“Protein helps you to feel satisfed charge up your immune system
faster, so packing it into every meal against infection.
and snack wi l help you to eat less Over time though, our bodies
overa l,” says Fiona. It also helps to become less efficient at absorbing
increase your energy levels, lifts protein from food and, as our
your mood and helps you build muscle mass natura ly declines
and maintain muscle mass – which with age, we start to lose our stores
means your body looks leaner and of these precious amino acids,
burns more calories, even when making it harder to bounce back
you’re resting.
from i lness. Losing just 10 per cent
“Protein is vital for your overa l of lean muscle mass is enough to
health too,” says Dr Trisha. “You affect your immunity and increase
need a good supply of protein your risk o fa ling foul to infection.
every day to fuel your muscles,
But you can avoid a l of this
keep your skin healthy, improve and speed up your inch-loss
your immunity and keep your by increasing the amount of
brain, heart, liver and other organs protein you eat and exercising
in great shape.” Protein is stored in regularly (turn to p58 to find
your muscles as amino acids, which out more). Most of us don’t eat
your body needs to heal wounds, enough protein to get the benefits
repair itself when you’re i l or to according to Fiona.
Mexican poached eggs
✁ ✁
Marinated steak with
Mediterranean vegetables
60
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
Are your clothes feeling a
little snug after the overindulgence
of the Christmas season? Turn to page
43 to find out why losing inches from your waist
could transform your health and help you to be
stronger, more energetic and pain free. We’ve collected
together the latest diet advice, free recipes and the
chance to join our club to get support from other
Yours readers. Let’s all pledge to Reclaim Our Waists...
1 Inch at a Time and get healthy together in 2017! And,
to help you get off to a flying start, turn to page 137 to
claim your free fitness DVD.
If your New Year’s resolution is to be happier and
healthier in 2017, why not come along to our Yours
Live Wellbeing break at Bodelwyddan Castle? This
great-value four-night break features
nutrition talks, beauty tips and exercise
classes, plus with a spa on-site
you’re guaranteed to return home
rejuvenated. Turn to page 96
to find out
how to book.
See you
next issue
Keep in touch...
We want to hear your news and views
Write to
Yours magazine,
Media House,
Peterborough Business Park,
Peterborough
PE2 6EA
Email
yours@bauermedia.co.uk
WEBSITE
Find us at
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Yoursmagazine
Sharon Reid,
Editor
99
Brunch
is on us!
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1-inch recipe cards
Leg and arm raises
(strengthens your core)
1 Start on a l fours with your knees hip-width apart and your hands
beneath your shoulders. Pu l in your stomach muscles and keep your
back flat.
2 Slowly extend your right leg straight out behind you and your left
arm out in front of you, keeping your core and back sti l and strong.
Slowly lower back to the start position and repeat with the left leg and
right arm. Repeat 12 times on each side.
I
Bicep
curLs
(works your
upper arms)
1 Stand with your
feet hip-width apart,
shoulders back and
down, core tight and
with a dumbbell or
water bottle in each
hand, your palms
facing upwards.
2 Keeping elbows
tucked in, bring your
hands up towards
your shoulders. Pause
then lower back down
slowly. Repeat 12
times.
n Fast and
Fabulous Fat Loss,
by Fiona Kirk,
is available to
download from
iTunes for iPhone,
iPad and Mac
at £6.99
Cinnamon bircher muesli
Kale, sweet potato
and feta frittata
Join our
brand
new
Free
diet club!
1 inch at a time
t’s time to starting fighting back against
the inches that have crept on around
your waist over the years. We’ve turned
traditional diet advice on its head (no
counting calories for us) and have developed
an exclusive and sustainable healthy eating
and exercise plan specifica ly for you.
Gaining weight around your middle is so
common – especia ly post-menopause – but
it’s not inevitable and you can lose it again
with a little effort, some great food and a fun
exercise plan that wi l rev-up your energy
levels and help you to stay strong. What’s
more, losing inches around your tummy could
help protect you from a whole list of agerelated
health problems. You have nothing to
lose but inches – so join us today!
Make 2017 the
year you get your
waist back! Join
us and we’ll get
stronger, healthier
and happier
together
So with the right combination of diet
and exercise – and the support of the
Yours community - you can join us in
losing one inch at a time and feel
fitter, healthier and happier.
It’s easy to sign up, there’ l
be tips and
tasty recipes
to try and,
best of a l,
it’s FREE!
cut
out &
keep
stomach crunches
(flatten your tummy and
strengthen your core)
1 Lie on your back with your knees bent, your feet
flat on the floor and your hands at your temples,
or if you’re just starting out, cross your arms over
your chest.
2 Tighten your stomach muscles and use them to lift
your head and shoulders off the floor. Pause at the top
then lower back down to the ground. Repeat 12 times.
Reclaim
waist
your
14-
PAGE
SPECIAL
Lose Inches and…
✓ Beat heart disease
✓ Lower your risk of diabetes
✓ Ease back pain
✓ Strengthen your bones
✓ Lower your blood pressure
✓ Reduce cholesterol
✓ Soothe joint pain
✓ Prevent falls
✓ Get more energy
✓ Sleep better
Figureflattering
fashion
36
Plant
succulents
Win £100!
Find Sammy
Squirrel…
For how to join
the search
see page 129
Get Yours
for just £1
…only when
you subscribe
See page 144
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Join our
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Visit our website
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pics: rex/shu terstock, alamy,
shu terstock, jumpfoto
43
106

news nostalgia
We did it first…
VELVET
Elegant, luxurious and perfect for party
season, it’s no wonder velvet has had a
revival. But we still remember it glamming
up our wardrobes first time around
By Katharine Wootton
What do Sgt
Pepper,
Gene
Wilder’s
Willy
Wonka, Princess Diana and
Julia Roberts’ Pretty Woman
have in common? All were
fans of velvet, responsible
for helping make this
sumptuous fabric one of
our favourite fashions of
yesteryear. And as velvet
smoulders its way back onto
the catwalks this season, we
consider the iconic styles
that made us fall in love with
this trend.
The look of luxe
Velvet has always had
connections in high places,
clothing the great and good
of high society. Even in
its early days, velvet was
associated with the European
nobility as the velvet
industry in Italy took off
from around 1400, making
velvet furniture, upholstery
and even curtains for
wealthy buyers.
The first unlikely fashion
model of velvet was Henry
VIII, as his portraits show the
earliest example of velvet
used to adorn something
other than churches.
Then came the Industrial
Revolution and while velvet
could be made more cheaply,
it still retained its air of
luxury. With the arrival of
the decadent Twenties,
naturally, velvet became
the go-to look, with evening
gowns and shawls cut from
velvet or the more patterned
style of devoré.
From Biba to
The Beatles
When Barbara Hulanicki
opened her Biba boutique
in 1964, fashion followers
found plenty of velvet and
soon Biba’s affordable velvet
trousers became a musthave
item of the
Sixties.
What’s
more, velvet
proved it
definitely
wasn’t just
for girls as The
Beatles loved to
dress up in a suave
velvet trouser
suit. Other
superstars
followed,
with the
likes of
Sir Tom Jones and Johnny
Mathis all showing a
penchant for velvet over
the years.
Velvet goes iconic
Come the Seventies and
Eighties – and even into the
Nineties – velvet was at the
top of its game. Suddenly
there were velvet hot pants,
velvet vests and even velvet
heels – it was everywhere.
In the film Pretty
Woman, when
Julia Roberts
rocked up to
the opera
wearing a
stunning red,
Then and now:
Lulu, above, and
Joanne Froggatt,
right, looking
fabulous in velvet
Princess Diana, left, dancing
with John Travolta and above,
dazzled in velvet. Above right,
Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka and
Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman
strapless velvet column
dress with white gloves, we
were torn between gushing
at how beautiful she looked
and longing to get hold of
that dress ourselves.
Velvet had another
magic moment when
Diana, Princess of Wales
took to the dance floor at
a White House reception
with John Travolta in 1985
wearing a velvet midnight
blue off-the-shoulder
gown. The dress sold for
an incredible £510,000 at
an auction in 2011.
Va-va-velvet
Now velvet has returned
to the catwalks, but this
time it’s keen to show it’s
not just for evening wear as
velvet T-shirts and trousers
pop into the shops. Joanne
Froggatt and Victoria
Beckham are among the
modern-day fans enjoying
a touch of velvet.
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
33
PICS: ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES/TIM GRAHAM, REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

est in beauty
clever
new
skincare
Baffled by science and
frustrated by product promises?
Here are our top skincare picks
for 2017 that really do deliver,
says Beauty Editor
Michelle Nightingale
SMOOTH AWAY LINES AND WRINKLES
We’re always impressed with Nip + Fab, which
offers hard-working products at reasonable
prices. New out is the Nip + Fab No Needle Fix
Moisturiser (£19.95/40ml). This super-charged
day cream features a host of ingredients including
Osilift from purified oats, which immediately
smoothes out fine lines and softens your skin.
BOUNCE BACK SKIN
If it’s firmer skin you’re
after, this purse-friendly
product is worth a go. The
B. Lifted Contouring Cream
(£12.99/30ml) works to
improve skin elasticity and
firmness with a collagenboosting
formula containing
soy isoflavones.
This clinically proven
ingredient helps to increase
the skin’s own collagen
production – think of it as a
workout for your skin.
TIP: Don’t give up -
it can take up to three
months for a product
to start to work
BRIGHTER EYES
Brand new and a multi-tasker,
we are pretty impressed with
the Skyn Iceland Brightening
Eye Serum (£30/10ml). This
do-it-all eye serum is jampacked
full of hard-working
ingredients that help
RADIANCE
BOOSTER
Say goodbye to dull skin
with the Sanctuary Spa
1 Minute Flash Facial
(£14/75ml). Containing
three kinds of Vitamin
C, this rinse-off mask
promises to boost
radiance and even
out the skintone. It
also contains a host of
essential oils including
rosemary – a handy skinprotecting
antioxidant.
It smells amazing too.
diminish crows’ feet, bolster
collagen production and
combat puffy tired eyes. It’s
small and it isn’t cheap, but if
you’re serious about antiageing
your under-eye area
it’s a good choice.
YOUR HAIR
AND CHEMO
Clinical Nurse
Specialist Catherine
Priestley from
Breast Cancer Care
explains what to expect.
How should I care for
Q my hair during my
cancer treatment?
If you’re having
A chemotherapy, try not
to wash your hair for about
two days after each session
and stick to just twice a
week. Switch to mild and
unperfumed products and use
a soft bristle brush. Let your
hair dry naturally, or use the
cool setting on your hairdryer.
When will my hair
Q grow back?
ARegrowth can be quick
for some, but for others
it takes several months. Your
regrowth may be patchy and
it may grow back differently
to how your hair was before.
NO NONSENSE SKINCARE
Fuss-free and pursefriendly,
The Ordinary
is a revolutionary
new skincare range of
credible and effective
products that delivers
on its promises. While
the ingredients aren’t
new, the concept and
affordable prices are. This
impressive range includes
a skin-brightening
Vitamin C serum,
an anti-ageing retinoid
and a skin-exfoliating
lactic acid. A good
starter product is The
Ordinary Hyaluronic
Acid 2% +B5
(£5.90/30ml), a serum
which gives deep-down
hydration by utilising
hyaluronic acid molecules
of different sizes.
A NEW STYLE OF CLEANSER
Launched at the end of 2016, the latest
addition to the Neutrogena Hydro
Boost range is the Gelée Milk Cleanser
(£7.99/200ml). This no-rinse cleanser
combines the lightness of a gel, but works
like a traditional milk cleanser that you
wipe away.
Containing hyaluronic acid to boost
hydration and protect the skin, it does
a great job at removing make-up and
grime without drying out the skin.
SOOTHING SKINCARE
If you suffer from dry, itchy skin, E45 should
be your go-to brand. We love the new
spray formulas, which are easy to apply
to those hard-to-reach places.
Try the Derma Protect Fast Acting 24H
Spray Moisturiser (£5.99/200ml) for
sensitive dry skin, or the Intense Recovery
Fast Acting 24H Spray Moisturiser
(£5.99/200ml) for very dry skin.
Stockists:
B. Available
from Superdrug
0345 671 0709;
E45 available
nationwide;
Neutrogena
and Nip + Fab
available from
Boots 0345 070
8090; Sanctuary
Spa available
from Boots; Skyn
Iceland available
from M&S 0333
014 8555; The
Ordinary available
from Victoria
Health.com 0800
389 8195
How soon after chemo
Q can I colour my hair?
It’s best to wait until your
A hair and scalp are fully
recovered and healthy before
colouring. This could be six
months to a year, or it could
be sooner – it depends on
the individual.
n For more support and advice
call the Breast Cancer Care
helpline 0808 800 6000 or visit
www.breastcancercare.org.uk
40 YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT 41
PICS: SHUTTERSTOCK, MASTERFILE, ALAMY

Plant an
INDOOR
garden
Bring beautiful succulents to life in your
own home with this simple pot arrangement
1Put a layer of
cacti compost in
the container and
position the plants
on top in their pots
to create an attractive
display. If you have a
large pot try creating
a circular wreath
shape.
Remove the plants
2 and put them in
the same positions on
your work surface.
3Remove the pots
and add the
plants.
n Dipped
macramé hanging
pot £8.95
Dotcomgiftshop
0208 746 2473
fun to make
n Happy face
plant pot £4.99
New Look
0344 499 6690
PERFECT POTS!
Give your plants a pretty place to grow…
n Pyramid terrarium
£15 Paperchase
0203 322 4788
n Glass apple
terrarium
£25 Dunelm
0345 165 6565
Difficulty
rating
✪llll
You will need:
n A large planting pot (or pots)
n Cacti compost
n A selection of succulents
Choosing
your plants
Succulents come in all
shapes and sizes, from the
fast-growing Crassula ovata
(money plant) to the tiny
slow-growing rosettes of
Echeveria. Some flower,
such as the Aloes, Sedums,
Senecio and Kalanchoe
(flaming Katy). If your house
doesn’t get a lot of light in
winter, choose a succulent
that prefers low-lighting
Yours tip: Don’t water succulents from
overhead. Instead, use a narrow spout to
pour the water directly on the compost.
Give them enough water so that the soil
is thoroughly wet, but let the soil dry out
completely before watering again
4Fill the container
with compost to
the rim and water
gently near a sunny
window. Water once
a week from spring
to autumn and feed
every 4-6 weeks.
During winter water
once a month and
stop feeding.
n Patterned
terracotta pots
from £4
Oliver Bonas
0208 974 0110
n Orla Kiely
large retro print
pot £27.95
John Lewis
0345 604 9049
n Prism terrarium
£12.99 Homesense
01923 473561
n Project
taken from
n Hammered copper
Bring the
planter £25 National
Outside in by
Trust 0300 123 2025
Val Bradley,
Bantam Press, £9.99
such as Haworthia.
106 YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT 107

Actor Kris Marshall
chats about the
new series of Death
In Paradise and
why he thinks the
tropical crime
caper makes
perfect winter
viewing
By Alison James
There’s no
getting away
from it, the
month of
January can
be a bit like one long
post-Christmas hangover.
The ‘season to be jolly’ is
over for another year and
we’re spent-up, fed-up and
the weather’s awful.
Thankfully, TV drama
at this time of year can
help alleviate the gloom
and no show does it
better than Death in
Paradise. BBC1’s smash-hit
crime drama filmed on
the Caribbean island of
Guadeloupe is returning
for its sixth series and
actor Kris Marshall, who
plays clumsy but clever
DI Humphrey Goodman,
certainly thinks it can help
cure the January blues.
“It’s absolutely the
antidote to them and I
think the BBC in its infinite
wisdom may have planned
it that way,” he smiles.
“It’s exactly what people
want to watch at this time
DI Humphrey
Goodman
(Kris Marshall,
centre) with
the cast of
Death in
Paradise
‘My cure
for the
January
blues!’
Kris as Colin with
love interest
Carol-Anne (Elisha
Cuthbert) in
Love Actually
of year – everyone is broke,
back at work, on a diet and
doing a ‘dry’ January!
“But they’re also looking
forward and thinking about
booking holidays in the sun
for the summer, so Death
in Paradise, with its fabulous
tropical setting, just about
ticks every box. It’s not
just the sunshine, sea and
sand factor, though. There’s
a tongue-in-cheek element
to the show and I think it’s
just as good as all those
Nordic-Scandi crime shows
out there.
“Death in Paradise pokes
fun at them a bit – the
gloomy expressions and
gravelly voices – and I think
that’s what people like. We
don’t take ourselves too
seriously, yet we still honour
the genre of crime drama.
And it’s not just viewers
in cold countries who love
Death in Paradise. Its appeal
is global and after Sherlock,
we’re the BBC drama that
sells to the most territories.”
For an actor, the show is
surely one of those ‘once-ina-lifetime’
gigs.
“Oh it is,” Kris agrees.
“It’s a wonderful job. I get to
swim in the sea every day,
it’s a ten-minute commute
down the road and I go to
work in flip flops. But we
only show the best bits. We
film from April to October,
which is hurricane season.
It’s sometimes 40°C of
searing heat with
85 per cent humidity.
There are lots of
insects including
mosquitos, which
means mosquitoborne
diseases.
“One year, dengue
fever swept through
the crew and this year
there’s been the zika
virus, which some
people went down
with. When you’re
there for six months
you also miss things – British
TV, just being able to go
to the pub or the pictures
and, of course, your friends
and family.
“Loved ones come out
‘The show’s appeal
is global. After
Sherlock, we’re the
BBC drama that
sells to the most
territories’
and see you, but it’s not the
same as being on holiday
together as you’re working.”
In previous years, Kris has
been joined on location by
his wife, Hannah, and their
young son, Thomas – but not
for this latest series.
‘We now have a baby girl
who was born last January
– two-and-a-half months
before I left for Guadeloupe,”
he explains. “We decided it
wouldn’t be a good idea for
them to come out because
of the humidity, heat,
mosquitos and zika virus.
“It was tough leaving
them behind, but I got
to come home every six
weeks for four or five days.
If the show is picked up
for another series, we’ll
definitely all go out. After
that my son will be starting
school, so I don’t know. Yes,
the separations are hard, but
a friend of mine, another
Kris rose to fame
in the BBC sitcom
My Family
star chat
new dad, is in the Navy and
he’s been sent to the Persian
Gulf to sit on a destroyer for
six months with no alcohol
and 600 men for company.
I know which working
conditions I prefer, so I’m
not complaining.”
Kris (43) first came to our
attention playing hapless
Nick Harper in Noughties
sitcom My Family, and then
there were those famous
BT commercials in which
his character Adam finally
married his single mother
girlfriend Jane. But perhaps
he’s best known for playing
looking-for-love Colin
Frissell in the Richard
Curtis film Love Actually.
“Love Actually was
released in 2003, but I still
get recognised for it all the
time, in fact it‘s a bit like
being mobbed – especially if
I go to America where they
still go absolutely nuts for
the film,” Kris laughs. “It’s
the same in Australia, too.
I’m no Robbie Williams but
when I was in Perth making
a film a few years ago, I
was just walking down a
road when two girls started
shouting, ‘Colin! Colin!’
from a passing car. How
they recognised me,
I don’t know.”
n The new series of Death In
Paradise starts on BBC1 on
Thursday, January 5
14 YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT 15
PICS: STAY STILL/PHOTOSHOT, ALAMY , BBC PIC PUBLICITY

Forget the
scales – get
your tape
measure out
to kick-start a
whole new way
to lose weight
How much you weigh
doesn’t tell you an
awful lot about your
health – unless you have
some fancy scales they can
only tell you how much your
fat, muscle, bones, water and
organs weigh altogether.
They can’t tell you anything
about your body composition
or whether your weight is
made up of healthy muscle
or unhealthy fat. The humble
tape measure can tell you a
lot more.
“There’s a common myth
that muscle weighs more
than fat,” says nutritionist
Fiona Kirk. “But a pound of
muscle weighs exactly the
same as a pound of fat – 1lb.
However muscle is much
denser than fat and takes up
less space. So if you weigh
10 stone and have plenty of
muscle and little body fat you
will look a great deal leaner
and wear at least one or two
trouser sizes less than if you
weigh 10 stone and have less
muscle and more body fat.”
If you lose body fat, but
gain muscle through a
healthy diet and exercise plan
the number on
the scale won’t
budge, but
your shape will
change, your
clothes will
fit better and
you’ll be fitter
and healthier.
44
Losing just
two inches from
your waist could
reduce your risk
of cardiovascular
disease by
10 per cent
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
Measure
INCHES
FOCUS ON YOUR WAIST
If you only want to take one measurement,
make it your waist measurement. “Tummy
fat, the stuff that gives you the apple shape
that most of us know as ‘middle-age spread’
can be really harmful,” says Yours doctor
Dr Trisha McNair. “It’s made up of extra fat
cells deep in your abdomen called visceral
fat which releases adipose hormones –
chemical troublemakers that travel to your
blood vessels and organs where they cause
inflammation that can affect how your body
controls your blood sugar, insulin levels,
cholesterol, your metabolism and even
your appetite.
“This abdominal fat hugely increases your
risk of diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart
disease and stroke and it can even make
arthritis more painful,” says Dr Trisha. “But
the good news is that you can reduce your
risk of all these things by losing inches from
your waist through a healthy diet and regular
exercise plan like this one.”
not lbs
✗
HOW DO YOU
MEASURE UP?
Measure your waist by
wrapping the tape measure
around your middle in line with
your belly button. Make sure the
tape is level all the way round
(you might need someone to
help you with this), breathe
in then breathe out naturally
before taking the measurement.
Regardless of your weight and
height, if your waist is 31.5
inches (80cm) or more if you’re a
woman, or 37 inches (94cm) or
more if you’re a man, you should
try to lose some fat from around
your middle.
FIGHT FAT –
FORGET CALORIES
Losing body fat and slimming
your waist is 80 per cent down
to food and 20 per cent down to
how much exercise you do.
“Successful fat loss is
only sustainable if it’s healthy fat loss,” says Fiona. “It’s
important you don’t eat your way through more calories
than you need for your daily energy requirements (about
2000-2500 kcals a day) but it’s better to focus on getting
a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat than
to count calories.” We’ve included calorie counts on our
recipes as a guide but the quality of the calories should be
more important than quantity. You could eat 750 calories
of apple crumble and custard, or 750 calories of grilled
salmon and stir-fried veg, but only the salmon and stir fry
would nourish your body, boost your
energy and shrink your fat cells.
BE CARB-CONSCIOUS
There’s a lot of confusion
about carbohydrates and
some diet plans recommend
cutting them out entirely,
which isn’t realistic long
term. Your body needs
carbohydrates for energy but
if you eat too many too often,
or don’t eat enough, your
blood sugar could be affected,
which hits your energy levels
and encourages your body to
store fat instead of burning it.
“Vegetables should be your
main source of carbohydrates
and fibre because they won’t
pack on the pounds,” says
Fiona. “Make vegetables the
major part of every meal and
snack. Fruits are
also great but
because of
their relatively
Women with
healthy waist
measurements are
three times less
likely to develop
dementia
high fructose (sugar) content,
limit them to 2-3 portions
per day. Wholegrains such as
brown rice, plus beans, lentils
and legumes are filling and
fibre-rich and should feature
regularly in your diet – but go
for a small portion (two tbsp
of cooked rice, for example)
because they should always
be a back-up to vegetables
and not form the major part
of every meal and snack.”
Any foods made with refined
white flour and sugar such
as biscuits, cakes, pastries,
pies and tarts should be a
rare treat and not
part of your daily
diet.
✁ ✁
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
NAME
AGE
START
WEEK 2
WEEK 4
WEEK 6
This handy checklist will encourage you
to measure yourself then keep tabs on
how you are progressing each week
Waist
Hips
Thighs
Chest
Upper arms
Weight
Waist
Hips
Thighs
Chest
Upper arms
Weight
Waist
Hips
Thighs
Chest
Upper arms
Weight
Waist
Hips
Thighs
Chest
Upper arms
Weight
HEIGHT
n You can download new blank charts from
www.yours.co.uk/1inch
We’ve
included
weight just in
case you want
to keep
track
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Wonder
WOMEN
‘I am so
lucky to
be here’
Brought back from the dead twice
after a road accident, thanks to the
kindness and courage of strangers,
Helen McMenamin-Smith survived
– and now sees every day as a gift
By Carole Richardson
Even on the
coldest, wettest
weekday when all
she’s got to look
forward to is a
mountain of ironing, Helen
McMenamin-Smith refuses
to grumble.
“I never ever moan about
anything any more because
I know I’m so lucky to be
here and I am very grateful,”
says the retired engineer
who was twice brought
back from the dead after an
horrific car crash more than
three years ago.
With no memory of the
accident Helen (54) only
knows how extremely
fortunate she is because
people have told her.
After working hard to
become the managing
director of two engineering
companies and travelling
the world, she was forced
to quit her job by 40
because of a chronic
inflammatory disease.
She threw herself into
spending more time with
her husband John (66)
and their only daughter
Alyxandra (now 19), taking
up new hobbies
and voluntary
work. It was
when driving
back from a
photography
course with a
friend that the
Helen with daughter
Alyxandra, husband
John and the team
who saved her life
accident happened along a
rural Cambridgeshire road.
A motorbike travelling
towards her at high speed
collided with her VW car
and burst into flames, killing
the young rider and flipping
Helen’s vehicle onto its roof.
Although her passenger
friend managed to escape,
Helen was trapped inside
with the car roof crushed
onto her head.
“Apparently I tried to
avoid the motorbike but
there was no way I could…”
she says.
With just seconds to
spare, three people in the
area arrived on the scene
to pull her free from the
wreckage before her car
burst into flames.
First was Alan Chapman,
who’d been driving past and
stopped. He was quickly
followed by two off-duty
RAF Flight Lieutenants –
Chris Pearson and his wife
Nikki. Without a thought
for their own safety, the two
men pulled Helen out of
the window of her car and
carried her as far as possible
from the burning vehicle.
Nikki, who was a medical
officer training to be a
doctor, was able to use
her training to keep
Helen alive until the air
ambulance arrived.
Soon paramedics and fire
crews joined them and the
Magpas Air Ambulance was
flown in to provide critical,
expert medical care at the
roadside.
After twice being
resuscitated, she was put
in a medically induced
coma before being flown to
‘I never ever moan about anything any
more. I am just so very grateful to the
people who saved my life’
Addenbrookes Hospital with
multiple injuries, including
to her head.
“I can never thank them
enough. Never,” recalls
Helen, from Burwell,
Cambs, who spent the
next ten weeks in hospital
but can only remember
the last week. “When I
came out of my coma after
two weeks I didn’t know
who my husband was. I
couldn’t work out what had
happened or why I was in
hospital,” she says.
Lapsing in and out of
semi-consciousness for the
following weeks, Helen
was eventually allowed
home, but was unable to
walk far and her memory
loss continued.
“I recognised my
surroundings and our two
dogs, Ted and Barney, but
I couldn’t remember their
names. I struggled to walk
up and down stairs and
my short-term memory was
so bad I didn’t even know
how to use a TV remote
control. Everything was
such a struggle.
“I didn’t start to get back
to anywhere near normal
for six months. I had no
memory at all for four or
five months,” she says.
With the love and
support of her family and
professional physiotherapy
support from Headway
Cambridgeshire (a brain
injury charity she describes
as “fantastic”), Helen slowly
began to recover.
Husband John patiently
triggered Helen’s memory
by initially teaching her
real life
Flying medics who save lives
Magpas Air Ambulance provides crucial, life-saving care by
land and air to patients in life-threatening emergencies in the
East of England and beyond.
Their expert doctors and paramedics, some of whom
volunteer their own time, give treatments, usually only
available in hospital, at the scene of emergencies. They
support the ambulance service by using specialist skills and
giving advanced medical care when time is of the essence. This
helps seriously ill and injured people to recover more quickly
and return to a good quality of life.
Magpas Air Ambulance is not a state-funded service and
relies on generous public donations to continue saving lives.
To make a donation, please call 01480 371 060, visit
www.magpas.org.uk or write to Magpas Air Ambulance,
Centenary House, St Mary’s Street, Huntingdon, Cambs,
PE29 3PE and make your cheque payable to Magpas.
basic numbers and letters
with the help of an iPad,
while Headway provided
expert physiotherapy to
rebuild her physical fitness.
On her slow journey
to recovery, Helen was
thrilled to meet the people
who pulled her to safety,
with whom she’s become
friendly, and the Magpas
doctor on the scene, Dr
Wayne Kark.
“I couldn’t stop saying
thank you and hugging
them. They were just
brilliant,” she says.
Today, Helen tires easily,
has eyesight problems
and has to inject herself
with a growth hormone
daily. Yet she is an avid
supporter of Magpas and
gives fundraising talks
about their vital work. She’s
returned to other voluntary
work and hobbies, including
photography, and has even
begun riding a tandem with
her husband.
“Life will never be the
same. I’m never going to be
the person I was, but I’m not
giving up,” she says.
“You don’t realise until
something like this happens
just how lucky you are.”
Helen was trapped
inside her car and was in
12 YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT
a coma for two weeks
YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT 13
PICS: KEITH HEPPELL/CAMBRIDGE INDEPENDENT