Table of contents for 20-Jan-2022 in Pick Me Up!

Growing up, I had low self-esteem. In school, I had a group of close friends, who I had known since I was three. They helped me through everything – we were like sisters. Leaving school, I wanted to have a gap year, but my friends carried on their studies. I felt like I had lost my support bubble. Living in Australia for three years, I saw the most incredible sights and landmarks. Even though I was having a great time, I felt like I was missing out. So, I moved back to Leeds settling back into UK life, with a new office job. As a result, my mental health had soon plummeted. This was not an unusual feeling for me, I had been seeing therapists since I was 17. Going…

Sitting in the lunch hall with my friends, I took an apple out of my bag. That’s 52 calories, I thought, making a mental note. ‘Is that all you’re having, Milly?’ one friend asked. ‘I had a big breakfast, I’m not really hungry,’ I smiled. After school, I went to my dance lesson. My tummy looks huge, I thought as I put my leotard on. I’d always been self-conscious about how I looked. But since seeing a post on social networking site Tumblr about a 1,200-calorie a day diet, I’d become obsessed. I started tracking everything I ate and restricting myself. My unhealthy relationship with food got worse. ‘Amelia’s lost a lot of weight,’ I heard my dance teacher telling my mum one evening. ‘Is everything OK?’ Only, whenever Mum…

Kyphosis 1 It is a curvature of the spine. ◻ True ◻ False 2 A curved spine is the only symptom. ◻ True ◻ False 3 The cause is unknown. ◻ True ◻ False 4 Physiotherapy can help. ◻ True ◻ False 5 It is hard to diagnose. ◻ True ◻ False 1 TRUE People with kyphosis have spines that appear to be curved or hunched. Everyone has some amount of curvature in their spine. However, more than 45 degrees is considered excessive. 2 FALSE In severe cases, kyphosis can cause difficulty breathing and eating, back pain and stiffness, tiredness and tenderness of the spine. 3 FALSE There are a number of different causes. It can be due to genetics, abnormally shaped vertebrae, poor posture or a range of other conditions such as…

Use code PMU22 We’ve got together with Tower Housewares to offer every reader 20% off the full range of fantastic appliances! Are you fed-up of the same mundane meals and searching for new ways to revitalise your cooking? Look no further, Tower has everything you need in one versatile and wonderful kitchen appliance. The Xpress Pro Combo Digital Air Fryer provides 10 different cooking methods at a discounted price! The new Air Fryer is simple and easy to use and because Tower is the nation’s favourite air frying brand, they aim to save you time while making meals healthier. It features NEW Vortx technology, so cooking meals 30% faster and with 99% less fat! So, all your favourite dishes will be cooked to delicious perfection – you lose the fat and not…

Do you ever just throw everything out of your wardrobe and scream knowing you have nothing to wear? Defacto.com have got some great pieces, that are easy to style for any occasion. So, there is certainly no need to panic! Here are some of our favourites… SPORTY SPICE Achieve a model off duty look with this monochrome activewear outfit… LUXE IN LEATHER Black is super slimming, and if you want to add a pop of colour, throw in a fun accessory or bright lip… COMFY YET STYLISH This fit will make you look put together, even if you only had 10 minutes to get ready… WINTER WALK Chunky boots and a raincoat are perfect dog walking additions… HIT THE SHOPS Dress in style to get the weekly essentials… Top tip…

Wanting a baby, but not being able to have one, for whatever reason, is heartbreaking. For women looking for a sperm donor to help them start their family, regulated clinics are often too costly – so many go online to help them conceive a child. But is it safe? Professor Luciano Nardo is the founder of NOW-fertility.com, as well as a surgeon and board-certified professor in obstetrics, gynaecology and reproductive medicine, too. He has 20 years of clinic practice and academic focus on assisted conception, male and female infertility, reproductive endocrinology, miscarriage and all aspects of gynaecology. ‘Embarking on treatment outside the boundaries of regulation and quality assurance is a danger,’ he says. ‘Women are exposing themselves to the risk of choosing a donor who may have underlying medical problems,…

2022 is the year to make some gardening resolutions! Experts at GardeningExpress.co.uk have put together a list of outdoor jobs to do in order to make your green space that much more manageable. Founder of Gardening Express, Chris Bonnett, says: ‘Everyone always has a list of jobs that they’re just too busy to get around to doing and it happens with gardening, too. ‘We’ve put together this list of gardening resolutions for people to get stuck into this year. ‘Some of these things are quick jobs, but others are habits that are good to get into. ‘Another great thing about these resolutions is that they involve a lot of eco-friendly tips that perhaps people haven’t thought about.’ Clean your gardening tools What better way is there to start your gardening…

We’re loving We all need to express a little creativity sometimes and unleash our inner Art Attack! Rather than a paper plate and a pipe cleaner, Artisans provide a crafting box to make an array of stylish leather creations. The box contains everything you need to make a leather keyring, pencil pot or even a handy card holder. The DIY leather products can fit into everyday lives, as all of the products can be easily crafted at home, without the need for specialist tools or equipment. With simple step-by-step guides and visual workshops, it couldn’t be easier! So, if you’re looking for a new hobby this year, or simply want to turn your hand to leathercraft, these sets are your answer. So, it’s time to thread your needle and get sewing!…

Complete the grid then read down the shaded squares to reveal the hidden answer. Clue: Greek goddess. Answer on page 47. ACROSS 7 Range, extent (5) 8 _ Waltz, Oscar-winner for the 2009 war film Inglourious Basterds (9) 10 Frisk, gambol (6) 11 Suffered (8) 12 The French _, 2021 drama film directed by 16 Down, and starring 8 Across, 17 Across, 1 Down, 4 Down, 23 Down & 24 Down (8) 13 Section of the foot (4) 15 Rejuvenation (7) 17 Léa _, star of the 2021 Bond film No Time To Die (7) 20 Potato (4) 22 Tummies (8) 25 Wizard or magician (8) 26 Border or trim (6) 27 Powerful (wind) (4-5) 28 German beer mug (5) DOWN 1 Liev _, star of the 2016 drama film…

Damage control No matter how good they are at giving puppy eyes and seeming like butter wouldn’t melt, the truth is, dogs can make a mess if they’re left alone at home for a long time. If you’re leaving your pooch for less than four hours, there are some things you can do to prevent them from getting separation anxiety and destroying your house. Dr Jayne Laycock, a resident vet at pet supplement company YuMOVE, shares her top tips on making sure your hound is happy when home alone. 1. Take your dog on a brisk 20-to-30-minute walk before you leave. 2. Feed them two or three hours before you leave so they have time to digest their food and do their business before you exit. 3. Leave plenty of…

Sinking back into the sofa, I closed my eyes and placed my hands on my burgeoning bump as soothing music tinkled. All of a sudden, I felt a kick. ‘Do you like the music, baby?’ I smiled. My husband Kevin, 43, and I had decided to wait to find out what we were having. But one thing was for sure – he or she loved music already. Every time a song came on, I’d feel my little one kicking away, dancing along with it. We were already parents to a little girl Niva, then three, and she couldn’t wait to meet her new brother or sister. One day, the day before Kevin’s birthday, I was waddling to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. I was nearly a week…

School reunions are an opportunity to see some old faces, and a chance to find out what former classmates are doing, after so many years. Some people show up to brag about their successes or to catch up with long lost friends – while others secretly hope an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend might turn up. When Mandy Melzer-Head went to her reunion in 2018, she bumped into her high school sweetheart, Trefor William Kingdon. Mandy, 63, was a retired schoolteacher and had grown up daughters. It had been years since her teenage romance with Trefor, 65, but despite both now being in their 60’s, the spark was still there. The couple started dating again and moved in together, to a remote 20-acre hobby farm in Bendoc, eastern Victoria, Australia. Was it…

Piling around the bar with my mates, we each ordered a pint. The local girls liked to dance on the side lines, but a smiley woman caught my eye. Growing up in the Whitby area, I lived on a farm. Although the long hours were something that took a bit of getting used to, the social events were great! There would be a variety of things on every week – dinner dances and summer BBQs. At the ripe age of 20, I met Cath, then 17. We had been attending the same Young Farmers events for months, I plucked up the courage and got talking. She also lived on a farm in the local area, so we already had a mutual background. And we got on like a house on…

Spotting a decline Two key indications of poor bone health are loss of grip strength and receding gums as a result of a weakened jaw. Diagnosis You would only know from scans or tests. A DEXA scan is the most common bone density scan used in the UK. Vitamin D Those living in less sunny climates are often more likely to suffer from poor bone health, as vitamin D helps the body to absorb vitamin C, and in turn calcium. You are what you eat There are lots of foods that are great for bone health – including tinned fish, wild salmon, milk, cheese, and for those who would rather not eat animal products, green leafy veg. Lifestyle and exercise Consuming less alcohol, quitting smoking, and eating foods high in…

Watching my little boy Jeffrey playing happily with his toys, I smiled. ‘Mama,’ he babbled away chirpily as he raced cars around the floor. He was my whole world. But as he turned three, my fiancé Andrew Charlesworth, 35, and I noticed Jeffrey’s speech wasn’t improving. He could say a few words here and there, but any further progress had pretty much stalled. ‘Boys are lazier,’ my mum Angie said when I mentioned it. ‘I’m sure he’ll catch up.’ I was sure she was right. But still, I kept a close eye on Jeffrey. ‘We’ve noticed it, too,’ a nursery worker said when I asked them about it. ‘We could try referring him to a speech therapist.’ ‘We’ll give it a go,’ I said. I wasn’t too concerned, but I’d…

Geordie Hospital, Channel 4 Based across Newcastle’s hospitals, this uplifting new series celebrates the extraordinary work performed by NHS staff. In this first episode, consultant transplant surgeon Colin performs a live kidney transplant on Kimberly, using an organ which her older sister Debra has bravely donated. The head chaplain Katie brings staff welfare hound Poppy Jingles back to work for the first time in 18 months, after being ‘furry-loughed’. Children’s heart consultant Emma changes the device that powers four-year-old Kit’s mechanical heart, meaning he can finally leave the hospital. Kelvin’s Big Farming Adventure, BBC One Kelvin has spent most of his working life playing a farmer on Emmerdale – now he’s attempting to do it for real. Like tens of thousands of other Brits in the past year, he’s escaped…

They were another high school romance that had been reignited many years later. Paul Hindle and Lisa Lebitka had reunited in 2010, after Lisa’s marriage had failed. Paul moved into her family home, in Toronto, with her three children. It was supposed to be a fresh chance for happiness, but Paul was in serious debt and had spun a terrible web of lies. Then on December 30, 2011, Paul, 48, murdered Lisa, 45. Paul had promised her a pay cheque was coming and they could use it to all take a family holiday. When Lisa asked him for the money, his lie was finally exposed. Paul strangled Lisa with his bare hands. He went on to smother her with a pillow and shove socks down her throat to make sure that…

Nothing quite says winter like a swathe of stunning snowdrops. Despite the cold January weather, these hardy little flowers can be found thriving in pastures, woods, ditches and orchards all across the country. Flowering between January and March, snowdrops are one of the first signs of life after the autumn months. It might be a little chilly, but if you’re looking for an excuse to get some fresh air outside, then nothing quite beats a stroll amongst these little white droplets. A welcome sign that spring is not far away, you’ll likely find snowdrops right on your doorstep. However, if you’re after something a little more spectacular, why not visit a National Trust site near you? Anglesey Abbey on the outskirts of Cambridge, is renowned for its breathtaking collection of…

Sitting at the dining table, my mind wondered back to my own school days. It was the start of lockdown back in 2020, and I was trying my best to homeschool my eight-year-old daughter, Brooke. In year four, she was just starting to learn her times tables, and I tried to scrub up on my Key Stage 2 maths. Thankfully, my eldest daughter Paige, 14, was old enough to sit and do her work by herself, but Brooke needed a helping hand. My husband Mark and I were trying our best, but there’s no denying it was tough. However, sat at the table, Brooke was eager as ever to start learning. ‘Right, two times two is?’ I asked her. ‘Four,’ she quickly replied. Brooke just seemed to get it. She…