One Step Ahead of Osteoarthritis, Hammersmith Health Books
Getting a diagnosis of osteoarthritis can concern people as they get older as they think they will lose their mobility and independence. There is plenty of advice on how to stay mobile and active including what exercise is best, specific exercises and diagrams for hips, knees and hands, the foods to eat and those to avoid, complementary therapies that help, practical measures such as wearing supportive shoes and wearing a rucksack instead of carrying heavy handbags.
The forewords are written by Professor Sir Sam Everington, GP in Tower Hamlets, Chair of NHS Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group and a board member of NHS Clinical Commissioners; and Barbara Cousins, nutritionist and author of Easy. Tasty. Healthy.
Available at Waterstones and Amazon
Give and Take with a Capital G & T – Life stories of 20th century marriage
How much has marriage changed since the mid-20th century? These fascinating interviews of women (and some men) of over 75, many of whom were married in World War 2, cover both -heartening stories of long marriages with ups and downs and horror stories as well.
One woman stood up in court and admitted adultery but it was her husband who had gone off with someone else. She wanted to protect his career in the army. Divorce was very difficult for a woman – she could lose her children and be left penniless. It was also frowned upon, whoever was at fault, and some women found that they were shunned by society. One was told ‘We can’t possibly babysit for you, you’re divorced’.
Many felt that they were happier in their day when roles were more defined and the man tended to be the breadwinner and the one in charge, but the women wouldn’t turn the clock back on equality. Almost all felt that equality for women was ‘only right’, ‘deserved’ and ‘a good thing’. And almost without exception they were scathing about relationships today – ‘People get fed up with each other after five minutes and they’re off!’ They all felt that the remedy for a good marriage was ‘give and take’.
Give and Take with a Capital G & T is available at Amazon.
Please Don’t Die Yet – I’m Not Ready
“People sometimes think they can predict how they will feel when their parents die….To rationalise about feelings which will come when you are strong and feeling secure is entirely different from experiencing them for real when you are very vulnerable.”
Losing a parent is something most of us will face at some time in our lives, yet we are rarely prepared for the traumatic effect it can have on us, particularly if we are quite young.
Death has always been a taboo subject for the British but times are at last changing. Frances Ive was 26 when her father died in the 1970s and she felt completely lost and didn’t know how to cope.
Her book, Please Don’t Die Yet – I’m Not Ready illustrates how repressed grief can lead to ill health and can have a long-lasting effect on the person’s life. However, while there are no quick fixes for dealing with the death of a parent, it does give us the opportunity to grow and develop maturity.
“At first it seems impossible that we will ever recover because the pain is so great. But eventually we achieve this growth. I am who I am now because of the pain and sorrow in my life, as well as the good times.”
The revised version is available as an e-book on www.amazon.co.uk as well as the original print version.