Health & Fitness: Healthy Hotlist

Walk This Way

Bravo to the Barre brigade and high five to the HIIT crew, but if you’re struggling to fit an exercise class into your week, don’t despair; recent studies show the simple act of walking is fantastic for fitness.

Researchers found that people aged 45 to 75, who walked an extra 15 to 30 minutes a day, five days a week, seriously cut their risk of a stroke. Besides burning calories and building muscle, a brisk walk through the autumn leaves will boost self-esteem, lift a low mood and flood your body with feel-good chemicals dopamine and serotonin. What are you waiting for?

Tea time!

Most situations look a lot brighter once you’ve had a rejuvenating cuppa! That’s certainly the case with Nipper & Co organic herbal infusions, an award-winning selection of teas crafted for health and wellbeing, made with mums in mind.

The brainchild of mum-of-two Marina Persoglio, Nipper & Co comprises seven blends – including one safe enough for babies from two weeks old – inspired by Marina’s parenthood woes, including pregnancy issues, colicky babies and breastfeeding difficulties.

Originally from Croatia, where there’s a strong herbal tea tradition, Maria has an MSc in Medicinal Plants, so utilised her agronomy knowhow to create powerful botanical blends.

The Nipper & Co assortment includes best-selling Organic Mum’s Milk, a caffeine-free fusion of thyme, aniseed, fennel and caraway to aid breastfeeding; Green Supreme, to supercharge mind, body and soul; sleep-inducing Sip ‘n’ Snore, infused with linden blossom, valerian and lavender; and the Wake Up Brew, a rich Indian Assam and Sri Lankan black tea to boost energy and bolster immunity.

As well as being kind to you, they’re kind to the environment, packaged in biodegradable bags. Get the kettle on!

Find out more at nipperandco.co.uk

Well Nourished

You’ve heard of wearing your heart on your sleeve. . . but how about wearing your weekly shop across your chest? Suffolk-based fashion designer Annabel Brocks has launched her ‘Nourish’ collection of adult and children’s T-shirts and sweatshirts, each emblazoned with food-related slogans (specifically ingredients which helped in her battle back to health from breast cancer). Thirty per cent of the profits from the sale of the stylish tops, made using organic cotton & non-toxic inks, will be donated to Children with Cancer UK (children’s range) Breast Cancer Care (adults) and Macmillan Cancer Support (adults). The children’s range starts from age 3 and the adult range is aimed at all ages and genders.

Get shopping at annabelbrocks.com

Swing Out Sister

The Links Golf Club in Newmarket is doing a sterling job of discovering and fostering new talent, with its junior section proving a formidable force. Unbeaten since April 2018, the young golfers have just won the League yet again, and are now on the lookout for more female members. They recently held a Festival of Junior Golf weekend, which featured ‘The Future is Female – Sip and Chip Day’, to give lady golfers a taster at the tees.

There are now more than 100 juniors at the club, with a pathway in place to move the youngsters through to the playing squad once ready.

Find out more at linksgolfclub.co.uk or contact coach Jonny Sharkey on jonny@linksgolflab.com

Lunch Date

Support the next generation of athletes – and be inspired by one of Great Britain’s leading track sprint cyclists at the SportsAid Lunch Club in Bury. Olympian Jess Varnish – famed for her sheer speed and power on two wheels - will be the star speaker, regaling the audience with tales of her epic career, which saw her famously paired with Victoria Pendleton for the majority of GB’s reign in the Team Sprint. Part of Our Bury St Edmunds Festival of Sport, the lunch on October 18 will raise money for SportsAid, the National Charity For Sport, which supports over 2000 young sports people each year.

The SportsAid Lunch Club is at The Athenaeum, Angel Hill, Bury. Find out more at ourburystedmunds.com

Ask The Expert

If you’ve got a niggling ache or pain that’s been worrying you, here’s a great opportunity to talk to some medical professionals. Nuffield Health Cambridge Hospital has recently announced six free public events where leading specialists will be on hand to address health and wellbeing concerns. Subjects range from common urological conditions (Oct 3) and breast cancer care (Nov 2) to hip and knee surgery (Oct 8) and cataracts (Oct 15). To book your place call (01223) 370922 and find out more at nuffieldhealth.com