Pick Me Up! 12-Nov-2020

Back and forth to the doctor’s surgery, I wanted answers. For nearly 13 years, I’d been suffering with back pain and struggled to do daily tasks. As a result, I’d piled on the pounds and doctors dismissed my concerns. However, in 2013, I was referred to a physiotherapist, who recommended I have a thyroid test. After years of being told my weight and age were the reason for my back pain, I was then diagnosed with hypothyroidism. ‘I want you to come off the pain killers and try this chilli cream instead,’ the physiotherapist told me. As an intense heat cream, it relaxed my muscles, but also stopped any pain signals making their way to my brain. It meant that finally, I could get out of the house. Just by…

We’re loving this! A firm favourite with us since her appearance on The Great British Bake Off, Kim-Joy is here to make our festive season extra special with her latest cookbook, titled Christmas with Kim-Joy. There is plenty of seasonally edible cuteness packed into the beautifully illustrated pages. Find Christmas favours, as well as non-traditional recipes, for baking novices and seasonal bakers alike. You’ll spot marshmallow seals and mice living in stollen, arctic foxes and choux snowmen. Each creation is full of fun, magic and personality – just like Kim-Joy herself. Christmas with Kim-Joy, available for £10.99 on Amazon, would make a great gift or a perfect addition to your festive coffee table! Good deed of the week With worries of a wave of homelessness on the horizon, Tesco Mobile…

Peering in the mirror, I looked for any signs that I was ageing. ‘I can’t believe I’m 30,’ I laughed to my daughter Ella, then 12. ‘You don’t look it, Mum!’ she smiled back at me. ‘Everyone says so.’ Shortly after my celebratory night out, I got a Facebook message from someone called Luke Patrice, now 32. I didn’t know Luke very well, but I’d seen him a few times before in the pub He was confident and always the centre of attention – with everyone laughing at his jokes and wanting to be around him. Do you fancy going on a date with me? he asked. I did find him charming and attractive, so I agreed to meet him for a drink. The following evening, he met me at…

When Mum opened her door and saw the state of me, she burst into tears. ‘What has he done to you?’ she cried, knowing immediately it was Luke who had caused the damage. Walking in, Ella, now 16, took one look at me and burst into tears. ‘Oh, Mum,’ she sobbed, wrapping her arms tight around me. She and Mum spent ages gently wiping my face with baby wipes, desperate to help me in any way they could. ‘You need to call the police,’ Mum said. I knew she was right, and as she held my hand, I bravely dialled 999 and told an officer everything Luke had done to me. ‘I’m so proud of you,’ Mum said to me once it was all over. ‘You’ve done the right thing.’…

MasterChef’s Dean Edwards returns with over 90 mouth-wateringly fresh and delicious recipes in Cook Slow: Light and Healthy. He shows you just how versatile your slow cooker can be with effortless, nourishing recipes inspired by dishes from around the world. Don’t own a slow cooker? Don’t panic! The recipes can also be cooked either conventionally in the oven. (£16.99, Amazon) Clodagh’s Weeknight Kitchen (£20, Amazon) is by Irish chef Clodagh McKenna and has 100 interesting, simple recipes from meat-free meals to quick-fix dishes and store cupboard suppers to answer all your weeknight dinner dilemmas. With her trademark twists, Clodagh’s inspirational but achievable dishes elevate the simple to something special. Includes recipes on the table in 30 minutes and one-dish wonders. One Tin Bakes by Edd Kimbar showcases 70 savoury and…

Breathing is the greatest pleasure in life. One that many of us take for granted. For over a decade, I was unable to take a healthy, deep breath, and feel the fresh air on my lungs. I have suffered with short breath my entire life. In 2009, at 30 years old, I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension as a result of a gene mutation. The condition causes high pressure in the blood’s vessels connecting the heart and lungs, which puts increased strain on the organs. I have severe breathlessness, palpitations and fatigue. And overtime, my symptoms worsened. ‘Feel this,’ I said to my husband Malcom, 47. My heart was working so hard that you could feel it beating under my armpit. Doctors said my heart had grown four times the…