Table of contents for June 2019 in Readers Digest Australia

READER’S DIGEST takes great care in portraying the personal stories of people who have faced major health obstacles and overcome those challenges. This month’s Bonus Read, ‘Patient 71’ (page 112) by Julie Randall, is particularly special for the team. Julie works on the same floor as us. We have met her and we admire her tenacity. ‘Patient 71’ is Julie’s story of how the joy (and trepidation) of turning 50 quickly faded after she was diagnosed with advanced melanoma. What Julie makes very clear, is that a cancer diagnosis is not the end, rather it is the start. While her blunt disregard of (some) of her doctors’ bleak prognoses will amaze many readers, her drive to return to good health is nothing short of inspirational. Another story I urge you…

INSPIRATIONAL + LIFESTYLE 50 best simple pleasures that make life worth living From warm laundry to the smell of cookies, sometimes it really is the little things that make life beautiful! PETS + ANIMALS Can you guess the dog breed based on its puppy picture? Extreme cuteness alert… PSYCHOLOGY + RELATIONSHIPS MOST COMMON THINGS MEN LIE ABOUT Experts reveal the things men are most likely to fib about – and why. Join the conversation! PLUS Sign up to our FREE newsletter for more hot offers, top stories and prizes!…

Staying Hydrated Prevents Bladder Infections Approximately half of all women experience urinary-tract infections. A 2018 trial enrolled Bulgarian subjects who had a history of repeated bladder infections and who normally drank less than 1.5 litres of fluid per day. Half of them were asked to add an additional 1.5 litres of water to their usual daily intake. Over the following year, this group had only around half the number of infections compared to the women who continued with their previous habits. The scientists speculated that fluids flush bacteria and hamper their ability to attach to the bladder. Losing Weight May Reverse Arterial Fibrillation Encouraging new evidence from Australia shows that people who have arterial fibrillation (AF) may be able to reverse the progression of the heart condition by adjusting lifestyle…

Exposing cheese to music could give it more flavour – and hip hop might be better than Mozart. Nine wheels of Emmental cheese weighing ten kilograms each were placed in separate wooden crates to test the impact of music on flavour and aroma. The cheeses were exposed 24 hours a day to either a hip hop track, Mozart’s ‘Magic Flute’ opera or Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’. The hip hop sample topped the list in terms of fruitiness, smell and taste. “The differences were very clear,” said a Swiss TV chef. REUTERS…

Defining Distress We often use the terms ‘worry’, ‘stress’ and ‘anxiety’ interchangeably, but they aren’t the same. Each has unique qualities and identifying which one is plaguing us will help us better address it. Psychologist Kristin Buhr, co-author of The Worry Workbook, breaks down the differences. Worry is a negative thought you have about an uncertainty in life. Worries tend to focus on the assumption that something negative will come from future events or from the outcomes of occurrences that happened in the past. Stress involves your reaction to pressures placed on you. You feel spread thin or are overwhelmed because life is demanding too much of your limited time, energy or some other personal resource. While worries are thoughts, stress is a feeling. Anxiety is your mental and physiological…

Five years ago, I was 30, living in London and working in advertising. My job required long hours, and my colleagues often told me that I looked stressed. I was in my head a lot, ruminating over conversations, wishing I’d said something differently and wondering what others thought of me. A complete stranger inspired me to change. A visitor from Australia came to stay with my roommate. She had this amazingly calm energy. I asked her what her secret was, and she told me that she practised Vedic meditation, a silent transcendental meditation rooted in Ayurvedic tradition in which you repeat a mantra in your mind. A few months later, when life became even more overwhelming, I started thinking about our Australian guest and her meditation. Coincidentally, she sent me…

…we had no way of knowing if a president didn’t understand how apostrophes work. @JOHNFUSELGAND ...when someone ‘followed’ you, you ran! @XHAZZX …if you wanted to know what other films a celebrity was in you had to ask your know-it-all older brother. @SCIENCEGIGGLES ...your adventures didn’t need power cords. You just needed somewhere outdoors and your own imagination. @GUYRICKETTS …people would sit alone on trains and in restaurants without gadgets in their hands like... complete... psychopaths! @HAMZAKHANTWEETS…

SHORT FAREWELL A man is at the funeral of an old friend. He tentatively approaches the›deceased’s wife and asks whether he can say a word. The widow nods. The man clears his throat and says, “Plethora.” The widow smiles appreciatively. “Thank you,” she says. “That means a lot.” ROB KIENER CRASH COURSE A farmer was helping one of his cows give birth when he noticed his four-year-old son standing at the fence, watching. Thinking it might be the perfect time to broach the whole birds-and-the-bees topic, he asked, “Well, son, do you have any questions?” “Just one,” gasped the wide-eyed boy. “How fast was that calf going when he hit the cow?” ranchers.net PUN-CTUATION ■ Two quotation marks walk into a “bar”. ■ Hyperbole totally rips into this insane bar…

With the power to inspire curiosity and wonder, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, now in its 54th year, showcases wildlife photography as an art form, while challenging us to consider our place in the natural world – and our responsibility to protect it. THE GOLDEN COUPLE BY MARSEL VAN OOSTEN THE NETHERLANDS A male and female Qinling golden snub-nosed monkey rest on a stone seat in China’s Qinling Mountains, intently watching an altercation down the valley between two lead males of other groups. These endangered monkeys are only found in temperate, mountainous regions of Central China. THE VISION BY JAN VAN DER GREEF THE NETHERLANDS Perfectly balanced, its wings vibrating, its tail opening and closing, with its tiny feet touching the spike for just an instant, an eastern mountaineer…

In August 2016, I stood in front of my pantry and surveyed the bulging mess. Then I opened my fridge, freezer and the cupboards above the fridge – where I had even more food stored. I had a mountain of edible food, even though I had made a conscious effort not to spend much money on groceries. I remembered what it was like to throw out and donate lots of food before I left Taiwan and moved back to Australia, and how sad I felt to waste so much. I started with a clean slate and an empty cupboard, and vowed I would never let that happen again. Yet, somehow, I had enough food to survive for months in the unlikely event of a nuclear holocaust. This realisation was the…

Swiss coffee importers are required by law to store bags of the raw beans. The system of emergency reserves, which includes sugar, rice and edible oils, was established between WWI and WWII as Switzerland prepared for potential shortages in case of war, natural disaster or epidemics. According to a plan released for public comment, coffee stockpiling obligations would expire by the end of 2022, as “The Federal Office for National Economic Supply has concluded coffee...is not essential for life,” the government said. A final decision on scrapping coffee stockpiles is expected in November. Switzerland’s mandatory coffee reserves amount to about 15,300 tonnes, enough to cover three months of the alpine state’s domestic coffee consumption. REUTERS…

RD Talks: The 39-Year-Old Apology We all have something from our past life we wish we could apologise for. In this RD Talks, a young boy’s thoughtless act is finally redeemed 39 years later when he tracks down the person he’d wronged. I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats (Night Vale Presents) Hard-core music fans will rejoice in this quirky and artistic podcast which ties in with The Mountain Goats’ album All Hail West Texas. Each episode focuses on a different track from the album. A fun listen, even if you aren’t a fan. Caliphate It’s a dark topic but investigating terrorism and the conflict it brings is central to this engrossing and thought-provoking series about ISIS. The ten chapters are reported by The New York Times foreign correspondent Rukmini…

1. Two of actor Russell Crowe’s cousins, Jeff Crowe and Martin Crowe, have captained which country’s national cricket team? 1 point 2. Danish chemist S.P.L. Sørensen developed the pH scale while working to improve the taste of what beverage? 2 points 3. Singles’ Day is a major shopping event in China. In which month does it take place? 2 points 4. What German port is the most populous city in the European Union that isn’t a national capital? 1 point 5. Which Formula 1 racing driver has his driver number, 44, tattooed behind his ear? 1 point 6. Which is the only South American capital city on the Pacific Ocean? 2 points 7. What now-extinct species had antlers that were up to 3.65 metres wide? 2 points 8. The two-digit…

1. je ne sais quoi – A: special, indefinable quality. B: euphemism for underclothing. C: herb mixture for flavouring soups. 2. habitué – A: nun’s dress. B: person frequently visiting a place. C: eggs done over easy. 3. billet-doux – A: first-warning ticket. B: opera rehearsal open to the public. C: love letter. 4. laissez-faire – A: noninterference approach. B: lost and found. C: pale complexion. 5. bric-a-brac – A: layer of sediment on the forest floor. B: collection of ornaments. C: horse-drawn sleigh. 6. flâneur – A: brushed-cotton fabric. B: one who idly strolls around and observes. C: airplane rudder. 7. de rigueur – A: very strict or harsh. B: stiffness of a corpse. C: required by fashion or convention. 8. esprit de l’escalier – A: can-do attitude. B:…

Anecdotes and jokes Send in your real-life laugh for Life’s Like That or All in a Day’s Work. Got a joke? Send it in for Laughter Is the Best Medicine! Smart Animals Share antics of unique pets or wildlife in up to 300 words. Reminisce Share the tales of an event from your past that made a huge impact in 100–500 words. My Story Do you have an inspiring or life-changing tale to tell? Submissions must be true, unpublished, original and 800–1000 words – see website for more information. Letters to the editor, caption competitions and other reader submissions ONLINE Follow the “Contribute” link at the RD website in your region EMAIL AU: editor@readersdigest.com.au NZ: nzeditor@readersdigest.com.au ASIA: asiaeditor@readersdigest.com.au WE MAY EDIT LETTERS AND USE THEM IN ALL MEDIA. SEE WEBSITE…

MOST PET OWNERS DO THEIR BEST to provide excellent care for their four-legged friends. But even the most well intentioned of owners can make mistakes. Veterinarian Dr Katrina Warren shares her advice about some of the mistakes pet owners can make and aspects to be careful about. 1 BUYING A PET ONLINE Buying a pet online is risky because you will have absolutely no idea about the conditions that the pet was raised in or the health of the pet. You should aim to see the puppy or kitten in the place it was born, preferably while they are still with their mother. Ensure the premises are clean and the puppies or kittens are friendly and well cared for. Consider adopting a pet from a welfare shelter as an alternative.…

TINEA IS A... A. type of fungal infection. B. ringing sensation in the ears. C. mineral that is essential for mice and possibly also humans. D. desire to eat chalk or mud. Answer: A. Tinea is a skin, hair or nail infection caused by a commonplace family of fungi called dermatophytes. Depending on where it’s found, tinea might be referred to as athlete’s foot (between the toes), jock itch (on the groin) or ringworm (elsewhere). It typically causes itchy patches or ring-shaped rashes. Sometimes over-the-counter creams or powders can kill the fungus. Otherwise, a doctor could prescribe you more aggressive products.…

INSTANT MESSENGER On the way to meet my husband at a restaurant, I realised that I didn’t have my phone and immediately panicked. I needn’t have worried. He saw my phone on the couch at home and brought it with him. When he arrived, I checked my texts. There was only one, and it was from him: “I’m on my way, and I have your phone.” MICHELLE STEINMETZ MIDNIGHT RAMBLINGS A woman who found herself constantly woken at night by her boyfriend talking in his sleep decided to record him. Some of his remarks were: “No, octopus, you can’t do that!” “Spaghetti is hair for meatballs.” “Where are my pancakes, penguin?” “I won’t. The toilet said no.” “Butterfly, you made a mistake walking in front of me.” “But I wanna…

WHEN MOTORING JOURNALIST MARKUS STIER was in his 20s, he started experiencing burning pain in his chest about twice a month. He suffered for years without seeking medical advice. A girlfriend who worked in a pharmacy recommended antacids, and although they helped somewhat, Stier was initially doubtful that she’d pinpointed his problem. “She suspected it was the stomach, which sounded weird to me, because the pain always came from higher up,” says Stier, now 51. “Sometimes the cramps were so extreme that I had the feeling my chest would implode.” About 15 years ago, Stier finally saw a doctor. He had accepted the idea that his pain might be stomach-related, so he was surprised to be diagnosed with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), or inflammation of the oesophagus, the tube that…

NOSE OUT OF JOINT Nursing can be a dirty business, as I discovered while helping my grumpy patient change his colostomy bag. You can imagine the smell. Still, I soldiered on, telling myself to think about the patient’s feelings and not let my queasiness show. That all changed when he turned to me, scrunched his nose, and said, “God, you’ve got bad breath!” An anonymous nurse, on businessinsider.com CAREER MINDED Haven’t you heard there are no dumb questions in business? From these HR queries, that truism is clearly not true. I falsified my résumé. Now that I’m working here, can I change it? Can my supervisor require me to have specific working hours? Can I have my salary deferred until next year so I don’t have to pay taxes this…

A double batch of my homemade washing powder costs around $3.90. It works in both top and front-loader washing machines and lasts six to eight months. You only need a tablespoon per load. You’ll need: 1 bar ‘pure’ soap 2 cups bicarbonate of soda 1 cup of washing soda 10 drops of eucalyptus or lavender oil 1. Grate soap. 2. Add bicarbonate and washing soda and blitz in a food processor until fine. 3. Add oil and blitz for another minute or two. 4. Store in an air tight container.…

Rocketman (Bio, Musical, Drama) This is the story of how mousy Reginald Dwight transformed into the flamboyant show business genius Elton John (Taron Egerton). Born in Middlesex, England and raised in a council house, this musical prodigy has transfixed the world with his outrageous style and vocal genius for the past 50 years. It’s a wild ride which delves into his early turbulent personal life, along with battles with addiction and his longstanding songwriting relationship with Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell). Expect a musical extravaganza with heart, well worth seeing on the big screen and a stand-out performance from Egerton who sings pop and rock hits such as ‘Crocodile Rock’, ‘Bennie and the Jets’ and ‘Tiny Dancer’. Red Joan (Drama, History, Bio) Judi Dench plays Joan Stanley (inspired by the life…

Hug it Out Thank you for the beautiful pictorial ‘Come, Give Me a Hug’ (April 2019). I am an animal lover and these images touched my heart. My four-year-old granddaughter loves them, too. I babysit her regularly and since I showed her the pictures and read her the article, she now asks for the animal cuddle story in Nana’s book before she goes to sleep. This will be a memory she takes through life. ANN SIMON Brotherly Love The article ‘My Greatest Olympic Prize’ (Lessons of Friendship, May) reminds me of my brother Bruno, an Austrian who was forcibly enlisted as a parachutist by the SS at age 17. He was as handsome as Luz Long, the 1936 German sportsman from your story. However, my brother was at the front…

Mini Architect SHAMSUN NISHA I believe spiders are one of nature’s most skilled architects. Just looking at their webs, spun to perfection, makes me smile. One morning, after I had been hanging the washing out to dry, something glistened in front of me. With the morning sun shining in my eyes, I squinted to find the most glorious masterpiece in our garden. The mini architect had meticulously spun its web across the path, from the roof to the fence. I stared in awe at the fine artistry of our garden resident. Spanning about two metres, it was truly a magical sight. The web gently danced in the morning breeze, reflecting light from the sun. It was as if the spider had spun a fine web from rays of sunlight itself.…

WHAT IS EYE TWITCHING? Despite the name, your eye isn’t actually moving at all. It’s that pesky eyelid. Eyelid twitching is pretty common and usually nothing to worry about, according to Dr Ming Wang, a corneal refractive specialist and surgeon. The condition of temporary or long-term eye twitching is called eyelid myokymia and is the result of an involuntary misfiring of the neurons that stimulate your eyelid muscles. WHAT CAUSES EYE TWITCHING? There are several common reasons why your eyelids may twitch. • Stress • Excess caffeine • Dehydration • Fatigue • Eye strain • Alcohol • Dry eye • Nutrition problems • Allergies “Very rarely, eye twitching can be a sign of certain brain and nerve disorders,” says Dr Hardik Soni, an emergency medicine specialist. “But then the twitch is accompanied by other signs and symptoms. Look for…

Step aside Francis Bacon. A sow rescued from an abattoir as a piglet and brought to an animal sanctuary in South Africa’s Western Cape region in 2016, has been making her mark in the art world. Brandishing a paintbrush in her snout, Pigcasso enthusiastically tosses her head to create bright, bold strokes across a canvas propped up in her sty. She began her career as an artist when her owners noticed her love of colour and paint brushes. Her paintings now sell for almost $4,000, with the proceeds going to animal welfare. REUTERS…

LIKE MOST PEOPLE, WHAT I FIND IRRITATING IN OTHERS ARE MY OWN FAULTS. JOOLS HOLLAND, musician If somebody asks, “What are you doing in five years?” and you have an answer, I think there’s a good chance you aren’t going to get there. If you pick one thing, then you’ve neglected all other opportunities. DARLA MOORE, philanthropist People always ask me, “You have so much confidence. Where did that come from?” It came from me. One day I decided that I was beautiful, and so I carried out my life as if I was a beautiful girl. GABOUREY SIDIBE, actor I avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward. CHARLOTTE BRONTË, novelist The central idea of love is not even a relationship commitment. The first thing is…

1 It protects you “If you’re not at all concerned there could be danger, you’re not going to take precautions,” says Buhr. That voice of worry can remind you to put on your seat belt or check that you turned off the stove. It keeps you safe. 2 It motivates you Whether you have a speech to deliver or a home renovation to tackle, thinking about what could go wrong can spur you to get to work. “A little bit of worry lets you know what’s important and might actually move you to prepare,” says Buhr. 3 It promotes problem solving A 2006 study published in the journal Anxiety, Stress & Coping tracked the worries of university students in Australia and found that they were often solving problems while they…

A man in Pennsylvania plagued by opossums in his yard set fire to a pile of leaves, hoping to scare off the marsupials. We don’t know whether it worked, but he did succeed in nearly burning down his home, causing US$5O,OOO worth of damage. Source: cbsnews.com A woman won US$25, OOO after entering a sweepstakes at a casino in Illinois. Good for her, except that she happens to be a prominent anti-gambling crusader, having gone after casinos, a raffle in aid of war veterans, and even the parent company of the casino where she won. Still, she insists she’s not a hypocrite: her winnings are a result of her crusade. “It’s God showing his grace on me.” Source: Chicago Tribune A man was arrested after Florida police mistook the glaze…

ECONOMICS Researchers in Canada and the US for investigating whether it is effective for employees to use voodoo dolls to retaliate against abusive bosses. (Their finding: it is!) BIOLOGY Researchers in Sweden, Colombia and Germany for demonstrating that wine experts can reliably identify, by smell, the presence of a single fly in a glass of wine. CHEMISTRY Three Portuguese researchers for measuring the degree to which human saliva is a good cleaning agent for dirty surfaces. NUTRITION A lecturer at England’s University of Brighton for calculating that the caloric intake from a human-cannibalism diet is significantly lower than the caloric intake from most other traditional meat diets.…

Run Away Harlan Coben PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE Dan Brown has called Coben, “the modern master of the hook and the twist”. This thriller portrays a shattered family dealing with the loss of their daughter, Paige, to drugs and her boyfriend Aaron. Simon, her father, is plunged into a seedy underworld when he spots his daughter, looking afraid, busking in a park. Willing to do anything to save her, Simon quickly finds himself in a fight with Aaron and ends up beaten, face down on the road – with police officers reading him his rights. Then things get really bad… Cape May Chip Cheek HACHETTE At first, this fabulous debut novel set in 1957, is a look at young honeymooners, Henry and Effie. The small-town newlyweds from Georgia quickly find there’s…

ARITHME-PICK EASY Place one of the four basic arithmetic operations (+, –, ×, ÷) in each box to make a correct equation. Symbols may be repeated, and you don’t have to use all four. All operations are performed from left to right, ignoring the mathematical order of operations. The result at each step must be a positive whole number. What is the equation? FOREST FOR THE TREES MODERATELY DIFFICULT A spanning tree (or just a tree, for short) is a diagram made of dots and straight lines, where every line goes between two dots, where all the dots are connected and where there are no paths that go around in a loop. Here are some examples: A drawing that has several spanning trees is called a forest. If a forest…