#ageing well

Some of you may or may not know that in the Chinese calendar if you are born in a certain year you are believed to have the characteristics of the animal in that year - similar to the star sign horoscopes. Find out your animal...

With Christmas becoming a distant memory, the fridge is less and less full of leftovers you may feel that the worst of winter is over and spring is on it's way. Whilst that indeed may be the case, January to March can be some of the coldest months Britain endures, looking back at our track history of The Beast from the East, things aren't looking too promising. Keeping warm and well fed in winter is incredibly important; the cold makes us tired and lethargic, less energised to get up and move about, let alone work away in the kitchen. This leads to malnourishment and other cold related ailments; a saddening number of people died due to avoidable causes

Curry, curry, curry - it's one of those pick me up dinners when you fancy something satisfying and full of flavour. Although curries may not have originated from the UK, they have certainly become a huge part of our culture. Perhaps we wouldn't have had the 'flavour experience' of different cultural food including curry we do now if it wasn't for the Great British Empire spanning from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean. Maybe we wouldn't of had the vast range of consumable diversity that we take for granted today!

This is a large, mainly unspoken about topic; it is estimated that it affects 1 in 10 people over the age of 65 in the UK. Malnutrition defines both under and over eating, however the majority of cases in older generations is the former. This is commonly due to being too tired, not being able to go and get shopping, or having no interested in food in general.

Summer's finally here and we’re dreaming of sparkling blue seas, olive groves and a table set with delicious Mediterranean food. Renowned as one of the healthiest diets in the world, there couldn’t be a better time to give it a try. From juicy, sun ripened tomatoes and salad drizzled in olive oil to succulent seafood, traditional dishes enjoyed in southern France, Spain, Italy and Greece are full of the nutrients needed for healthy ageing. In fact, people who follow a Mediterranean diet tend to have a lower risk of developing age-related health problems including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and even Alzheimer’s.

For many of us, healthy eating is about keeping our bodies strong and feeling good – especially as we age. What’s more, enjoying a balanced diet can actually help us look and feel younger, too. Whether by giving us the energy we need to get out and about, or by keeping our skin in tip-top condition, a healthy diet packed full of nutrient-rich ingredients can help keep us young – inside and out. Even making small changes to your day-to-day diet can give your health and energy levels a boost, and help take care of your appearance.

Chocolate is the ultimate comfort food, stress-reliever and aphrodisiac – here are 10 fabulous reasons why tucking into your favourite treat this Easter could be good for you after all. It’s rich in minerals Dark chocolate is high in beneficial minerals like potassium, zinc and selenium, and a 100g bar of dark chocolate (70 per cent or more) provides 67 per cent of an adult’s recommended daily intake of iron. Cough relief One study showed that chocolate helped to relieve coughs almost as well as codeine – and with none of the side effects.

As we age it is important to look after our bones and our joints, as we can be more prone to problems like osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. The most common type of arthritis in the UK, osteoarthritis affects the cartilage between our joints and is most likely to occur in the knees, hips and small joints in the hand. Your weight can have an impact on the osteoarthritis of the hips and knees as it increases the pressure on them. If you are watching your weight why not try smaller portions with our popular Mini Meals range? This range has some of our favourite dishes but in a smaller portion so you don't feel like you are missing out on your usual tasty meals from Oakhouse!

Winter is here, the nights are drawing in and the heaters are on! Although it is comforting to settle down in front of the TV with a blanket and a cup of warming cocoa it is still important to keep fit and well in the winter months. Eating healthy will keep you alert, energised and help protect

Whether because of natural changes in our health or side effects of medication, many of us find it more difficult to get to sleep as we age. But there are some simple things you can do to drift off more easily – including enjoying a relaxing meal. To get to sleep, our bodies rely on a hormone called melatonin, which controls our sleeping and waking cycles. For example, during daylight hours, our body clock cuts down how much melatonin we produce to help us feel awake. Production of melatonin increases into the evening as we prepare to rest, and reaches its highest levels at night to keep us asleep until morning.