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Well, actually

Living a good life in a complex world

Well Actually

  • a cow is milked

    Trends
    Wellness influencers love bovine colostrum – but what is it?

  • person holds cheek with hand in an expression of pain

    Does your jaw click? Do you grind your teeth? It could be this little-known condition

    About 10-15% of adults have temporomandibular disorder, a condition connected with TMJ – here’s what to know
  • two women hug as others cry

    ‘Don’t burn out’: nine activists and therapists on coping with post-election overwhelm

    We spoke to activists and therapists across the US about how they were dealing with the news of Trump’s win and how they plan to take action
  • A before and after shot of a watermelon (with eyes and mouth painted on it) in a hydraulic press.

    Trends
    ‘There’s so much you can crush’: why hydraulic press videos are so popular and so satisfying

  • illustration of a woman looking one way and a younger version of her pulling her the other way

    Why am I like this?
    Can my ‘inner child’ help me navigate life as an adult?

  • A woman touches her face as she looks in the mirror

    Well actually
    Cortisol face, raw milk and skincare for kids: the biggest wellness trends of 2024

  • cars with bright headlights on a road at night

    Headlights are too bright! But US experts say they’re not bright enough

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Reclaim your brain

The toolkit

  • A sunscreen’s SPF, or sun protection factor, indicates how much protection a product offers.

    Sun season
    What is SPF and how much sunscreen do you really need? Experts answer

  • a person smokes cannabis

    California sober
    What does it mean and is it good for you?

  • Colourful flat lay view of different types of sliced fruits and vegetables on a pink background.

    The 30-plant challenge
    Experts say we need to eat 30 plants a week. This is how I fared

  • Black cup of coffee on the black and brown table among spilled roasted coffee beans.

    Coffee
    How much coffee is OK for me to drink in a day? I asked the experts

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Columns

  • DEF LR Guardian Mammo LeonieBos

    Halfway there: a column about midlife
    My friend’s cancer turned mammograms from a routine into something ominous

  • Graphic illustration of woman looking at doorway that has light streaming through it.

    Why am I like this?
    Is being a cynic bad for you? Here’s what I learned

  • An illustration of a woman slightly frowning. Her hair appears to be turning white and there are bolts of lightning over it

    Ask Ugly
    All of the ‘iffy’ comments about my gray hair bother me. Should I start dyeing it again?

  • An illustration of a young child hugging her mother

    Halfway there: a column about midlife
    Oily skin, body parts misbehaving: how perimenopause feels like puberty

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Health & wellbeing

  • Phil Daoust practices front tuck variations with coach Matteo

    Is 61 too old to take up gymnastics? Not if you’re planning on living to 100

  • Dave Strachan illustration

    Nine hours and 52 minutes: did Dave Strachan’s ambulance wait cost him his life?

    • Riding into the sunset …

      The missing midlife crisis: why 81% of millennials say they can’t afford one

    • Group of women running together at park<br>Posed by models GettyImages-1305666313

      The creatine conundrum: can it really help your muscles and your brain?

    • Illustration showing a large person toying with the head of a much smaller, vulnerable person.

      ‘Narcissists – only more devious’: the truth about dark empaths

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Relationships

  • The couple in 1998

    The moment I knew: the day after our first date I told my mother I’d met the man I was going to marry

  • Daphne and Louis

    This is how we do it: ‘We haven’t even tried to have sex for three years’

  • 16 Nov Blind Date for web - Sarah Max

    Blind date: ‘10 out of 10, I felt positively giddy on the train ride home’

  • 'Judgement of Paris' (1645-1646). Artist: Claude Lorrain<br>A4J0RH 'Judgement of Paris' (1645-1646). Artist: Claude Lorrain

    ‘My boyfriend’s Instagram searches tap into my insecurities. I’m scared I’ll never be his type. How do I proceed?’

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Food

  • Winter warmer: slices of potato and swede come together in a delicious dish.

    Nigel Slater’s recipes for baked swede and potatoes, and autumn vegetables with aubergine cream

  • Meera Sodha's sayur lemak with tempeh aubergine and spinach.

    Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for coconut vegetable curry, or sayur lemak

  • Yotam Ottolenghi's beetroot ferment with garam masala.

    Ask Ottolenghi: what are the easiest homemade ferments?

  • Yotam Ottolenghi's festive beetroot chaat with mini poppadoms.

    Beet and orange chaat, boozy fruit topping: Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for festive snacks

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Puzzles

  • many crosswords

    Crossword blog
    Devious humour and painful puns: will the cryptic crossword remain the last thing AI can’t conquer?

  • Cryptic crosswords
    Cryptic crossword No 29,543

    • Quick crosswords
      Quick crossword No 17,016

    • Sudoku
      Sudoku 6,694 easy

    • Prize crosswords
      Prize crossword No 29,542

    • Killer sudoku
      Observer killer sudoku

    • Thomas Eaton
      Cindy Ngamba is the first medallist for which Olympic team? The Saturday quiz

    • Alex Bellos's Monday puzzle
      Did you solve it? The knotty problem of Paddington in Peru

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