Live well

October is all about embracing life, whether it’s booking a break, ageing positively or being breast aware, says Fiona Adams

Healthy holidays

Now is the time to book a restful break over the winter period. There are plenty of wellbeing options on offer and you don’t even have to travel far to enjoy them. 

Champneys (Try Forest Mere, Liphook or Henlow, Buckinghamshire) for a stress-free Christmas or Twixmas (the period between Christmas and New Year to you and me). Forget festive stress and enjoy instead beautiful surroundings, fine food and relaxing treatments. 

Grayshott Spa in Hindhead has two offers available. The Autumn MOT is a two-night break to reassess your health and to set some new sustainable goals. Includes accommodation, meals, health consultation, body composition analysis and personal training. From £229 Alternatively, wait until Christmas and choose from a 3 or 4 or 8-night stay and thoroughly recharge your batteries before the New Year. This break includes accommodation, full board, treatments and a gift. 

Coworth Park in Berkshire offers couples a digital detox in their Spa and Stay offer, where you can enjoy Swedish massage, prescription facials and private relaxation rooms. And yes, you really can surrender your mobiles for the duration of your stay.

Age amazing

Want to grow old disgracefully (but to the best of your ability)? Then you need to check out rejuvage.com, set up by Surrey’s Louise Proddow (second right), as a ‘pro-ageing destination’ designed to encourage middle-aged men and women to embrace getting older and ‘age amazing’. Louise was inspired by a friend who always managed to look glamorous despite battling cancer and is joined in the business by hair entrepreneur Tracey Leslie, former magazine beauty editor Adele Mitchell and fitness coach Colette Pienaar. Rejuvage.com offers advice on multifarious subjects, from botox to nutrition, mindfulness to moisturisers, men’s treatments to surgery. There are also countless ‘magazine’ articles, including over-50s start-ups, six post-50 superpowers and unusual later-life career choices.

Wear it pink

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and October 20 is Wear It Pink Day. Ditch all those autumnal navies, blacks and browns and dig out your brightest pink, rose and fuchsia togs to help raise money for Breast Cancer Now’s research projects. You don’t have to run or walk or train for anything, simply turn up at school or work adorned in something pink (a wig, sunglasses, head-to-toe onesy?) and collect the donations. A few cakes or buns might come in handy, though, to loosen the purse strings.

Boobs and moobs

In the UK around 50,000 women and 350 men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. To have a better chance of beating it, early diagnosis is key. Watch out for the following symptoms:

Lumps: Can you feel a lump in the breast, upper chest or armpit? Is there a lumpy area or unusual pain? Men: have you found a lump near or behind the nipple or in the armpit?

Skin texture/appearance: Have you noticed any change in size or shape or colour. Is one of your breasts red or inflamed? Can you see any puckering or dimpling?

Has your nipple changed in appearance? Has one become inverted? Men: take note here too!

Nipple discharge: Have you noticed anything from one or both nipples

Rash or crusting: Have you seen either of these things around the nipple? Men: do you have any sores or ulcers?

Try to check your breasts regularly and be aware of the symptoms: Touch, Look, Check. Touch to feel anything unusual; Look for changes; Check anything unusual with your GP

Check out our Health/Beauty Section for more cracking health pieces

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates on all our latest articles

Sign up to our Weekly Newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and stories

Looking to advertise your business in Surrey or SW London? Check out our 11 different lifestyle magazines with a combined monthly distribution of over 210,000 AB1 homes

Tags

nvt brochure

fabulously festive

sjsbs

zeitoun claygate

claremont