Table of contents for 29-Sep-2022 in Pick Me Up!

Managing your cholesterol is key to both a healthy heart and body. GP and President of the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society, Dr Jim Moore, answers the most Googled questions about what cholesterol is. 1) What is cholesterol? There are two main types of cholesterol – ‘good’ cholesterol or ‘bad’ cholesterol. The ‘bad’ cholesterol causes fatty deposits which can narrow and clog blood vessels. ‘Good’ cholesterol removes bad cholesterol from the body – it absorbs it and carries it to the liver where it is removed from the body as waste. 2) Why should I be concerned about cholesterol? ‘Bad’ cholesterol can be harmful as it sticks to the inside walls of your blood vessels and leads to a build-up of fatty material, making it hard for blood to flow through…

1. Just have fun with it! Paint can always be painted over so don’t overthink things. With DIY, as much as it’s a step-by-step process, you can’t really go wrong, because if it were to go that way you’ll notice before you get to the next step. So just have fun with it. 2. High street brands have great décor items as well as items you can flip. H&M Home, Dunelm and Tesco are my favourites. 3. Use Pinterest for a mood board because it will really help you solidify what you are looking for. 4. Use Google Reverse Image Search when you find an item that you really like, this will reveal all the places the product is found, and you might be able to find it cheaper elsewhere. 5.…

Panting at the top of the Tube station’s escalator after a busy day at work, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. My heart was pounding erratically and it felt like something heavy was weighing down on my chest. It was rush hour and people were pushing impatiently passed me to catch their tube home after work. For the past few weeks, I’d been experiencing an irregular heartbeat and chest tightness multiple times a day. This was unusual for me because I was the healthiest person I knew. I had always cared about looking after myself and so had been going to the gym ever since I was 16, making sure to eat a healthy balanced diet, too. As an active 26-year-old, I should have had no…

Slumping over the rim of the toilet seat, the uncomfortable floor of the bathroom was my new home. For every time I made a sudden movement, in November last year, my stomach would churn. ‘Are you OK?’ my partner Samuel, 20, cried from the comfort of the bedroom. Only, I couldn’t respond before being violently sick. ‘I didn’t know morning sickness could be this bad,’ I sobbed, heaving. Finding out we were pregnant, just a few weeks before, we were both elated at the news – over the moon! We weren’t trying for a little one, however we weren’t making an effort to prevent it from happening either, so the good news was a blessing. Only, having experienced a miscarriage early on in our relationship, the niggling feeling of losing…

FUN DAYS OUT Looking for something a bit different for your next date night or meet-up with friends? Look no further! StreetHunt Games is a self-guided tour – get outside and up that step count on a grown-up scavenger hunt, meets escape room, meets murder mystery! Played outside around York or London city centres, all you need is your phone and a sense of adventure to solve the cryptic clues – it’s a brilliantly unique way to see the city! • £15 per person • Please visit: streethuntgames.com What’s trending Bring Aldi’s infamous Cuthbert cake to life at home! The budget supermarket has launched a brand-new range of affordable home baking kits – including caterpillar-shaped silicone moulds. Whether it’s a rainy day activity, a gift for Cuthbert fans or creating…

Throwing my rucksack off my back, it hurtled onto the hostel bed. Now this is the life, I smiled, already able to tick London and Greece off of my travelling list. Growing up in Massachusetts, USA, with my mum Susan, 66, and dad Craig, 67, I wasn’t convinced by seeing much of the world. I was always quite happy where I was. Only, as I hit my 20s, that mindset changed entirely. I wanted nothing more to experience what the world had to offer, and what crazy things I could get up to jet-setting across the globe. When it came to my first European solo-trip in June 2018, I had big plans. One month packed full of sights to see and new hobbies to pursue. There was nothing I could…

Hannah Pease is a tea-drinking, dog-walking, energetic mum of three with a passion for reading and being outdoors. She’s been married 23 years and has a working background in communications, too. As a Christian, she has walked through challenges with families who needed her support. Find her by searching Words for Whatever. They can’t leave me… Q When my children go back to school, I feel at a loose end. I have no idea what to do with myself. I'm a stay-at-home mum and I don't know how to entertain myself. I'm worried that when my children leave home entirely, I won't know what to do without them – they give me a sense of security. Is this feeling normal? Susan, Cumbria A Someone once said that change is here…

Weak at the knees Q I am fairly young, but my knees continually need to be popped back into place when I am walking. Should I be worried? Eleanor, Surrey A Regularly popping your kneecap – so called because of the ‘popping’ sound your knee makes when you dislocate it – can be a sign of having joint hypermobility, which is common amongst young people and tends to get better with age. It’s worth paying a visit to your GP, who can test the flexibility of your joints using the Beighton Score. If you are hypermobile, they will likely refer you to a physiotherapist who can recommend exercises to help you with it. Sore ingrown toenail Q I think I am beginning to get an ingrown toenail on my big…

Some murders will stay in the public consciousness forever. Not just because of their gruesome nature, their high body counts, or their sick perpetrators, but because they remain unsolved years later, despite promising evidence and all the efforts of investigators. The identity of Jack the Ripper is still a mystery, more than a hundred years after the Whitechapel murders took place. More recently, the world still hotly debates over who committed the Zodiac killings and went on to send taunting cryptograms to the press. And which twisted individual spiked Tylenol tablets with deadly cyanide and plunged Chicago into a complete state of panic? Murder Mysteries is packed with crime scene photos and presents the evidence of the world’s most notorious unsolved murders for you to examine. To get your free…

A must-have in every wardrobe – denim! Whether that’s a timeless pair of your favourite jeans that you always lean towards or a perfect shade of blue in the form of a stunning jacket. Say hello to the latest fashion items and remember, if in doubt, wear denim… Don’t be afraid of mixing shades of denim, it’s on trend to wear double this time of year! Wear a pinafore dress with tights, boots, and a turtleneck underneath Trainers and boots are a go to for denim, giving you the perfect casual, autumn look JEANS FOR GENES In the UK, one in 10 families are affected by a genetic condition. By sporting your finest denim jeans, whilst donating as little as a pound, celebrate Jeans for Genes Week this September by…

Did you know that up to 500 words and phrases are added to the dictionary every month? Vocabulary is constantly evolving – this year saw GOAT (greatest of all time) added to the Cambridge Dictionary, along with awesomesauce and sharent. Crossword Quiz Solutions have revealed weird and wonderful new dictionary updates, from the funny to the bizarre – how many have you heard? 1. FEXTING Definition: The act of fighting with someone by exchanging text messages rather than speaking on the phone or in person. A combination of fight and texting. Usage: You look angry, who are you fexting? 2. BARKITECTURE Definition: The art and practice of designing a house or the inside of a house around the needs of one’s pets. Usage: This house is perfect for our dogs, the barkitecture…

I knew the dreaded question was about to be asked. ‘When are you planning on having children? my husband Hayden’s grandfather asked. ‘We don’t want children,’ I replied. It was like the atmosphere changed, I could feel the mix of tension and confusion fill the room. ‘I think that’s really selfish,’ Hayden’s grandfather said. But since I was a little girl, I’d always known I didn’t want children. ‘I will never get married or have children,’ I had vowed solemnly to my mother as a little girl. Of course, I changed my mind about marriage after meeting Hayden, but I hadn’t changed my mind about having kids –I just wasn’t maternal. Don’t get me wrong, I loved spending time looking after my nieces and nephews – but I was not responsible…

Figuring out how to style an autumnal wedding, dinner party or even approaching your own wholesome décor can be a right pain! But Kerry Ferris at AB Event Hire is here to save the day. Using budget buys and foraging pieces for your table, you can create a dreamy scene… To see Kerry’s stunning work, visit: abeventhire.co.uk, or follow @ab_event_hire on Instagram How can I make the ultimate wow factor to impress my guests? Add some colour, textures, layers, different heights, and candles. It sounds a lot, but it isn’t really. A striking centrepiece will be a wow factor – this could be with a floral arrangement, lanterns, photos, fruit, or foraged objects! Adding a tablecloth with fabric napkins will add the texture elements, along with more layers. Charger plates…

UNDER £5 We’re all looking for easy ways to save money and Make Up Gallery are here to help! Create a full face for less than a fiver with their affordable buys – just £1 each! Available exclusively at Poundland Turn Up The Volume Mascara No makeup bag is complete without a hardworking mascara for volumized lashes. With a defined brush, you can create a voluminous effect in just one coat. Matte Me Over Foundation Available in six shades, this matte foundation is an affordable product that is perfect for those with normal to oily skin. Designed with medium coverage but easily buildable without leaving you feeling cakey. Hide & Chic Colour Corrector Create the perfect base by covering pigmentation and dark circles with this lightweight concealer. All About The…

Richard and Connie Dabate seemed like a perfect couple. They were often pictured grinning happily alongside their two young boys. The four of them resided in a gorgeous suburban home in Ellington, Connecticut – and to their friends and family, the Dabate’s were a perfect American family. In the run up to the festive season in 2015, Connie, 39, was set on having a perfect Christmas Day. She was trying to organise a potluck with one of her close friends and joked about her appalling cooking skills over text. If I don’t get to see you, Merry Christmas, her friend said when the chat ended. But Connie’s jokes about her cooking leaving her guests with ‘food poisoning’ were covering a secret. Her picture-perfect life wasn’t what it seemed. Connie never…

Bring the taste of Costa to your home this September with this delicious drink recipe! SERVES: 2 PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES YOU’LL NEED… ◻ 70g Dark Chocolate◻ 250ml Costa Coffee Choc Fudge Brownie Frappé◻ 1 scoop vanilla ice cream◻ 60ml vodka METHOD: 1) To begin, break 50g of the chocolate into small chunks and place into a bowl. 2) Melt in 20 second bursts until fully smooth. 3) Use a teaspoon to drizzle the melted chocolate around the inside of two small glasses, then leave them in the fridge to set until you are ready to serve. 4) Next, place the Costa Coffee Choc Fudge Brownie Frappé, vodka and vanilla ice cream into a blender and blitz until smooth. 5) Divide the mixture between the glasses and grate the remaining…

My seven-year-old granddaughter Billi absolutely loves any animal, so it was no surprise that when this baby frog turned up in their garden all alone, she rushed to find him a bed from her dolly furnishing collection to keep him comfortable. Patricia Cordon, Cheltenham My hubby and I having drinks in a Turkish restaurant. We always celebrate special moments and we have been together now for 19 years. Maria Godlova, Liverpool My little cutie Amari, seven, loving his pool life in Kos this summer. Sian Walker, Cradley Heath STAR LETTER I was on a train in Ireland when I saw the lady across from me was reading Pick Me Up! We got chatting about one of the stories (‘Jealous Rage’) and swapped numbers. Kate is a Cork lady, and Irish eyes were certainly…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great product from Addis! Ideal for all hard wood surfaces and carpets, the Carpet Sweeper will make your home sparkle. With no batteries or leads requires, it is also effective on pet hair. Folding flat for easy storage – what more could you want?! Please visit: addis.co.uk Dual purpose! To avoid a dirty tidemark ring after having a bath, simply put a few drops of moisturising lotion in your water and your bath – and you – will have a clean smooth finish. Margaret Anderson, Sunderland An easy clean After using my blender I always fill it with water and a little washing up liquid. Give it a blend and then rinse – perfectly clean! Alexandra Low, Halesowen FAMILY CONNECTIONS…

Sitting down to a good book is a great way to de-stress and dive into the world of literature. For Hannah, this is exactly what she loves to do. Her top read right now is the famous Where the Crawdads Sing. Without spoiling too much, Kya, a sensitive and intelligent ‘marsh’ girl, has been used to surviving on her own for years. Only, when two men are wrapped up in her beauty – nothing is as it seems. • Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens, £9.99, Waterstones GETTING HELP •  If you’d like advice from our Pick Me Up! expert, email us at hello@pickmeupmag.co.uk or write to us at the address on our contacts page (pg4). •  If your problem affects your mental wellbeing, you can call the helpline…

Running my fingers through my hair, I paused as my hands reached my neck. There was a large, hard lump. I froze, my fingers hovering on the lump. What is that? I thought. Feeling a little freaked out, I ran downstairs to ask my mum, Sarah, 43, for advice. At 17, I still relied a lot on Mum for support. ‘You probably have nothing to worry about,’ she reassured. ‘But, if you’re feeling anxious about it, it’s worth going to get checked out.’ So, in 2017, I booked in to see my GP and went to my appointment alone. At the time of my visit, I had dandruff, and blocked ears. ‘Your lymph node looks inflamed, but it will probably go down by itself,’ my GP said. I was prescribed…

With over 10 years’ experience, Ellis has styled the likes of Kate and Rio Ferdinand, Dani Dyer, and Ferne McCann, too. She has answered this season’s most common denim dilemmas! • To see more outfit inspiration follow @ellisransonx on Instagram Now it’s September, what are the best denim options to have in your wardrobe? It is key to find your fit. This may take a bit of trial and error but work out whether you are a high, mid or low rise, and the rest is easy. I’m all for a light wash high rise baggy style. You should also experiment with different cuts, especially for your day to night looks. How can you make sure that a jean is really for you? Denim is all about the fit, so…

Hearing the rustle of cereal and glugging of orange juice from the kitchen, I padded downstairs. ‘Hi, Mum,’ my daughter Amber said, as she grabbed a bag of crisps for her lunch. ‘Morning, darling,’ I said, giving her a kiss. As her older sisters, Bethany and Faith, put on their shoes, Amber grabbed her school bag and slung it over her shoulder. ‘See you later, love you,’ she called out, as the three of them headed out of the door. ‘Love you,’ I shouted back. Heading to the window, I gave them all a wave as they jumped into their Nan’s car for a lift to school. Amber, 12, Faith, 13 and Bethany, 15, all went to the same high school, while my younger son Jacob, 10, went to primary…

Here are some notable women, who chose not to have kids and what they have said in various interviews with the press. Each have different reasons for choosing not to – but each is valid. • Renée Zellweger – ‘Motherhood has never been an ambition. I don’t think like that.’ • Oprah Winfrey – ‘If I had kids, my kids would hate me.’ • Stevie Nicks – ‘I don’t want to go to PTA meetings.’ • Dolly Parton – ‘It just wasn’t meant for me to have kids, so everybody’s kids can be mine.” • Helen Mirren – ‘It was only boring old men [who would ask me]. ‘And whenever they went, ‘What? No children? Well, you’d better get on with it, old girl,’ I would say ‘No! F*** off!’’…

Guaca-houmous, 79p, Aldi Calling all dip lovers! What better way to celebrate your love for guacamole and houmous than by mixing the them both together? The next time you’re rushing to make lunch, only to realise the avocado still isn’t ripe enough yet, all you have to do is take this little pot out and make your meal! Verdict: GENIUS! Get spreading! The world’s largest avocado In December 2018, the Pokini family grew the biggest avocado on record in Kahului, Hawaii. Coming in at a whopping 2.55kg which is as big as 5.6lb, the Pokini’s avocado tree appeared to be growing out of control, so they knew it needed to get the recognition it deserved. It was soon celebrated in The Guinness World Book of Records and will go down in…

Bestselling author, Rebecca Wilson has launched her latest cookbook Fast Family Food that is sure to please everyone. Rebecca has earned nearly half a million fans on Instagram by sharing her easy-to-follow recipes. Quick and healthy, her latest cookbook is all about family food that can be prepped in 10 minutes or less – meaning less time in the kitchen and more time around the table. • Fast Family Food by Rebecca Wilson is published by DK, £18.99, dk.com Cherry Bakewell Flapjacks Makes 16 YOU WILL NEED ◻ 1x 410g can of prunes in fruit juice◻ 2 tsp almond extract◻ 100g ground almonds◻ 350g rolled porridge oats◻ 150g unsalted butter, melted◻ 200g frozen dark sweet pitted cherries HOW TO 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C fan and line a 20cm square…

ARIES 21 March–20 April You’re tired of having to report to those who never had to or wanted to share their plans with you. You’re also tied by the third party to these affairs, who does not know everything that’s gone on. This week, Mercury brings all the facts to the fore, so get ready to state your opinion and don’t just say what you think others want to hear. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May You’re giving up, just when you should be fighting harder. If you’re tired, and I know you have reason to be, then just lighten your load, my friend. Those who you think aren’t helping you have been waiting to give you their backing for months now. Let them help you. Check your…