Penned by Jen

I've just been listening to this fascinating podcast that a good friend shared, in which Dr Rangan Chatterjee talks about intermittent fasting for women and the impact on our bodies.  It's no secret that I am facing a huge uphill struggle when it comes to menopause. It all began as early as 40 and we now understand that my bipolar has been triggered by it and I've had several years of mood swings, intense anxiety and weight gain.  So I've been searching for answers, falling through the gap between gynaecology and psychiatry but slowly but surely things are finally starting to ease.  I've tried surgery, medication, HRT and vitamins and now I'm also adding intermittent fasting to the mix. I first discovered this thanks to Pauline Cox and her fantastic books especially Hungry Woman . I've been fortunate enough to meet Pauline, who has a wonderful shop in Clevedon, Sow and Arrow , where you can buy all sorts of keto-friendly foods.  Keto helped me lose some wei...

     I recently came across this story on Facebook and it brought tears to my eyes. But then I looked into it and discovered that it's probably an AI-generated story and the story, and the image, may not be real. That hurt more as I had been so moved and had shared it in the hope that it would inspire others to see there is still good in this dark world we live in.  AI has revolutionised some parts of our lives, such as through it's use in healthcare, but I can't help feeling cheated by it - the internet is drowning in a sea of misinformation and in a world where fake news dominates, trust breaks down too.  So maybe this story isn't real, but it still makes a good story so I'm keeping my faith in humanity (rather than any AI bot). "My name’s Morris. I’m 78. Live alone since my Edna passed five years back. Every Tuesday, I catch the 10:15 bus to the library. Same seat. Same walk. For years, it was quiet. Just me, the pigeons, and that old green bench at Oak Stre...