Indice dei contenuti per 07-Jun-2018 in Pick Me Up!

Me and my mum Stella have always been close. Best friends as well as mother and daughter. Every day our relationship goes from strength to strength as we both face new challenges. I remember when I was 21 and told her I was engaged to my husband John, 66, and how excited the two of us were. We spent days planning the wedding and getting excited over all the tiny details. She offered to pay for my wedding dress and, in the beginning, I refused. But, being the kind-hearted and loving person she is she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Not only that, but she surprised me and my hubby by paying for our four-day honeymoon in Devon. She does so much for me and I really love spending…

Cradling my newborn baby, I was exhausted, but so happy. Beth arrived on 6 October 1997, weighing 4lb 11oz. As I stroked her face, it was love at first sight. But there was something else. And the more I looked, the surer I was... Beth had almond-shaped eyes - a tell-tale sign of Down’s syndrome. I’d refused the test during my pregnancy. Aged 29, the risks were low. And as a midwife, I saw newborns every day. I had enough knowledge to have no fear. ‘I’m going to love my baby regardless,’ I’d thought. But now, though there was no mistaking the ferocious love I felt as I cradled Beth, there was sadness, too. For the life she’d never lead. When my parents - Eric, now 83, and Margaret, 79…

Gastritis 1 It occurs when the lining of the stomach becomes inflamed. 2 Many people with gastritis caused by a bacterial infection don’t show symptoms. 3 Gastritis is always caused by infection. 4 You can’t treat the condition yourself. 1 TRUE It develops after the stomach has been damaged and is a relatively common condition. 2 TRUE However, for some it causes indigestion, pain and nausea. With erosive gastritis, where the stomach lining has worn away, symptoms can include bleeding or an ulcer. 3 FALSE It can be caused by regularly taking painkillers, excessive use of alcohol, a stressful event or an autoimmune reaction. 4 FALSE Eat smaller meals, more frequently, avoid irritating foods, cut down on alcohol and try to manage stress in your life.…

All under £17 Pick Me Up! Loves... …a simple slider. Perfect to pop in your suitcase for hols, it takes you from pool to evening beautifully! Pick Me Up! Loves... …a pop of colour for strappy, summer footwear. Wear with plain or patterned neutrals.…

My Jack Russell Poppy is the coolest pup-rocker of them all. Jane Carter, Warwickshire Hugo thinks he rules the world! A very pampered puss indeed… Adam Bradshaw, Halesowen Always alert – that’s my Chinese water dragon Toothless! Louise Johnson, Leicester Despite her very prickly appearance, my African pygmy hedgehog Squishy is so loveable! Emma Richards, Newark Queen of the castle! Daisy loves to get warm and cosy under her heat lamp. Fiona Yule, Aberdeen Look how tiny my puppy was. So, when it came to naming her, Minnie was the perfect monicker! Aimee Barlow, Eastbourne…

I think many prescription drugs are handed out too easily, and effects on patients are not sufficiently monitored. It doesn’t help that doctors are under so much pressure, and 10-minute appointments are not long enough to discuss patients’ problems properly. I am on a lot of prescribed medication that has increased gradually over many years. I fear that it will be impossible for me to become drug-free now. Ann Johnson, Runcorn, Cheshire More does need to be done to control prescription medication. But, on the other hand, if you stop the medication for a genuinely ill person, it can have serious consequences... Krystdena Cardwell, Leamington Spa, Warwicks In my own experience, some doctors are too willing to give these drugs out on repeat prescription, so you don’t need to try…

Bowing to my opponent, my heart soared with pride. I’d just won a gold medal at the 2004 Scottish Taekwondo Championships, and I was over the moon. It had all started when I had my first taekwondo lesson at the age of 12. Straightaway, I was hooked. I loved everything about the Korean martial art - the training, discipline, competitions - and I worked my way through the different coloured belts. She’d spent her whole life keeping her gift a secret While all my friends played football at weekends, mine were spent going to taekwondo contests all over the UK. Then, when I was 14, I was asked to help teach taekwondo, and I found I was a natural. But then I started hearing voices in my head. ‘I must…

E-mail pickmeup@timeinc.com CALL 020 3148 6460 WRITE TO Pick Me Up!, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP FACEBOOK facebook.com/pickmeupmag SEE OUR WEBSITE lifedeathprizes.com Time Inc. (UK) Ltd reserves the right to reuse any submission sent to Pick Me Up! magazine, in any format or medium. Unfortunately, we can’t return photos without a stamped sae. Letters/photos must not be sent to any other publication.…

OUR TOP TIP Blades of glory Wilkinson Sword have unveiled their latest razor, with its brand-new bidirectional blade technology. In layman’s terms, you can now seamlessly shave back and forth effortlessly with its movable head. It’s half price (RRP £11.99) until 11 June. Best Eton on a hot day! Eton mess is a fabulously British summer pud, and Kelly’s of Cornwall have taken this sweet and transformed it into their Berry Eton Mess Ice Cream. It’s only £2 in Sainsbury’s (usually £3.99) until 12 June. Be smart and be gorgeous Buy any product from the Phil Smith Be Gorgeous range for just £2.50 from Sainsbury’s until 12 June. Products include Big It Up! Conditioner, Cocolicious Shampoo and Total Treat Argan Oil Cream. Scent to please you... Kiss Air Candles are…

Touching my jaw, I felt a twinge of pain. It was 18 February 2011, and I was 36 weeks pregnant with twins. The left side of my jaw had suddenly started to feel tender and uncomfortable, and my ears were ringing. At dinner with my husband Andrew, 33, and our then 18-month-old daughter Ayla, I realised I couldn’t close my mouth around the fork either. I went to the mirror and was horrified to see the left side of my face had dropped! ‘I’m having a stroke!’ I panicked. Leaving Ayla with family, Andrew rushed me to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. A stroke was soon ruled out, but I was told I had Bell’s palsy. ‘It’s temporary facial paralysis and should get better by itself in a few months,’ the doctor…

Basil Borutski had a troubling record where women were concerned. It started with his mother Beatrice. Said to be domineering, she ruled the house with a rod of iron. ‘She didn’t treat [Borutski] well - that was well known,’ a friend claimed. Years later, when he was an adult, it was Borutski himself who was a terrifying presence in the home. In 1982 he married Mary Ann Mask and they had three daughters. Within three years of their marriage, Borutski appeared in court in Ontario, Canada, charged with domestic assault against his wife. He was acquitted. In 1994, he was back in court, accused of more of the same violence against Mary. Once again, he was found not guilty. But the truth of what Mary lived through at the hands…

Susanne Westwood, 50 , Powys Rubbing the hair dye into a lather on my head, I sat on the toilet seat while it set. It was November 2015. My partner Julian, 45, was downstairs watching TV. So while I waited for the colour to take, I decided to enjoy a few games of bingo on my phone. I’d joined Pick Me Up! Bingo four years before after my daughter, 29, had recommended it. ‘It’s fun,’ she told me. And she was right. It was entertaining and it was a great bit of me time. Just like now. As I perched on the toilet seat, I bought a few tickets for Sapphire - it was my favourite game. I sat watching as the games played out. Then I realised I only…

Two thirds of those on ‘dependence-forming medicines’ are female, and typically in their 50s and 60s Britain is facing a drug-addiction crisis, with hospital admissions involving overdoses almost doubling in the last decade. But we’re not talking about illegal substances such as heroin or cocaine. The drugs sending thousands into an abyss of addiction are those prescribed by our doctors. Since 2007, there has been an 80 per cent increase in the number of opiates - a range of prescription drugs mainly used for pain relief - handed out in England. Powerful painkillers such as tramadol and codeine are regularly prescribed. But with this respite from pain often comes a dependence on the feeling of numbness these drugs provide. In the UK, there is said to be 200,000 problem users…

Klorane Aerosol-Free Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk, £9 Klorane is changing the world one tree at a time. As part of their Botanical Foundation, they’re planting 10,000 trees a year in Africa, helping to provide food and jobs. Burt’s Bees Strawberry Lip Balm, £3.99, amazon.co.uk As part of their campaign, #BringBackTheBees, Burt’s Bees will plant 5,000 wildflower seeds for every limited-edition lip balm sold. It’s important work – without bees, strawberries wouldn’t exist! EcoTools Sculpt Buki, £9.99, ecotools.com Make-up brushes may not be the first thing to spring to mind when it comes to ethical beauty – but EcoTools’ brushes are made from vegan-friendly synthetic fibres, and the handles are made from easily renewable bamboo. Beauty Kitchen Sustainable Beauty Wipes, £5.99, Holland & Barrett For every…

Greek potato salad Serves 4 Prep: 15 Cook: 15 min ◻ 500g salad potatoes (such as Charlotte or Maris Piper), scrubbed ◻ 2 small red onions, thinly sliced ◻ 400g can chickpeas, drained and washed ◻ 175g cherry tomatoes, halved ◻ 50g black olives, pitted and chopped ◻ Small handful of fresh, flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped For the dressing: ◻ 2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil ◻ 2tbsp lemon juice ◻ 1tsp grated lemon zest ◻ 1tsp Dijon mustard ◻ Salt and black pepper 1 Simmer potatoes for 15 min until tender, drain, leave to cool slightly, then cut into quarters. 2 Put all dressing ingredients in a small bowl, and whisk well to combine. 3 Put potatoes in a bowl and, while still warm, pour over half the dressing, then leave…

ARIES 21 March–20 April The common way people give up power, is by thinking they don’t have any. Use this week to look back and see how far you’ve come in two years. You’re capable of success – you’re a phoenix that’s risen from the ashes. Be kind to yourself and others will follow suit. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May It feels as if you’re not getting anywhere with a relationship. You’re an earth sign, so those who understand you know you can’t be rushed. You can’t see that, though, as you want dramatic displays of affection. Think about what you really want and soon… Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June Don’t play games in love or you’ll get your fingers burnt. Why not watch…

Pregnancy medication Q I work in a nursing home and a resident has scabies. I’m pregnant and reluctant to use the medication that’s been prescribed to us all. What’s your advice? Philippa, Enfield A Scabies is contagious and the rash takes up to eight weeks to appear after infestation, although the itch is present early. There is a safe treatment in pregnancy if exposure was significant. Bipolar relapse Q I have bipolar disorder, which is controlled. But I had a traumatic experience. Should I change my medication? Samantha, Folkestone A A significant emotional reaction after adverse events is normal, but to prevent it destabilising your background mental health, you must be well-supported over the next few months to monitor your healing. Any substantial shifts in your baseline state can then…

Here’s why… 1 Play over 150 games with everything from Bingo, Slots and Casino. Plus many new games are added every month. 2 Many games have a demo mode, so you can try them for free before you spend any money. 3 You don’t ever have to miss a Bingo game. Just buy your tickets in advance to play while you’re out and about – it’s really simple. 4 It’s really convenient – you can play for cash prizes in the comfort of your own home, or out and about on your smartphone. Whenever or wherever it suits you! 5 You can play games from just 1p and still be in with a chance of winning fantastic cash prizes. 6 There are fun chatrooms where you can make friends and…

Smiling at my wife Amber, I offered her another slice of pizza. ‘Tuck in!’ I said, ploughing through my own gigantic helping. It was May 2007 and Amber had just found out she was pregnant. ‘Well, if you’re eating for two..!’ I joked, patting my belly. It was the same every night. Large pizzas, a side of chips, and a fizzy drink, of course. I was addicted to cola, getting through at least six litres a day. By now I was 27, and weighed 25st 1lb. Big for my height of 5ft 11in. Funny thing is, I hadn’t always been fat. Just seven years earlier I’d been a healthy 12st 8lb. But, after moving into my own place in the summer of 2002, and without my mum putting dinner on…

Opiate or opioid painkillers are medicines with effects similar to opium. They are part of the same family of drugs as diamorphine, otherwise known as heroin. Opiate painkillers are available either from doctors on prescription, or over the counter at a pharmacy if it’s a low dose. The following painkillers are all opioids – morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, tramadol and codeine. These can all be habit forming and are intended to be used for a limited period of time to treat pain that does not respond to standard painkillers like aspirin, ibuprofen and paracetamol.…

The British Soap Awards, ITV For the first time ever, the British Soap Awards will be broadcast live from London’s Hackney Empire with your fave soap stars on their best behaviour, nervously waiting to see if they’ve picked up a gong. Among those hoping for a win are Jack P Shepherd ( Corrie’s David), Lacey Turner ( EastEnders’ Stacey), Anna Passey (Sienna in Hollyoaks ) and Ryan Hawley (Robert in Emmerdale ). Phillip Schofield again hosts the glittering night. Ackley Bridge, C4 The students and teachers of Yorkshire college Ackley Bridge are returning for a new series of the gritty drama. You can expect plenty of angst for put-upon headmistress Mandy, played by Jo Joyner (right), as she…

Walking my pug Coco through the park, I saw a familiar face coming towards me. My ex - Anthony Creegan. ‘Hi, Chloe,’ he said. ‘How’s life treating you?’ Most women would have turned and walked the other way after bumping into an ex. But I had no hard feelings towards Anthony. He’d been my first love when we’d met at school aged 15. Anthony was always skint. I was trying to save for a better future And we’d been together for four years, on and off. He wasn’t a bad lad. Just a bit stingy and lacking in ambition. We’d gone our separate ways after I’d had enough of him struggling to keep a job, while I’d worked hard, studying Health and Social Care, as well as waitressing part time.…