Laurel Ives

My Recent Work

The Telegraph •

The weird experiences taking over English vineyards, from ice baths to a hobbit house

When it comes to a mini-break from the general gloom and doom of the news, many of us are turning to the booming UK vineyard scene for some much-needed fun and fizz.According to the first wine tourism report from the industry association Wines of Great Britain, 1.5 million people visited UK vineyards in 2023, a 55 per cent increase from 2022. Vineyards represent a bright spark of economic news, with over 1030 vineyards listed in 2023, a rise of 9.2 per cent in a year.Climate change is shifting t...
The Telegraph •

What alcohol does to your gut health

We all know that a healthy gut is vital for everything from fighting off colds and flu to conditions such as anxiety, depression, irritable bowel syndrome and more. We also know that eating a wide variety of plants, fermented foods and fibre will improve and maintain our gut health.Yet, unfortunately, even if we’re maxing out the kefir and kombucha, much of the good work is undone by a boozy dinner party or a few beers in the pub. Alcohol is uniquely harmful to our gut microbiome.“Consuming alco...
The Telegraph •

What alcohol does to your gut health

We all know that a healthy gut is vital for everything from fighting off colds and flu to conditions such as anxiety, depression, irritable bowel syndrome and more. We also know that eating a wide variety of plants, fermented foods and fibre will improve and maintain our gut health.Yet, unfortunately, even if we’re maxing out the kefir and kombucha, much of the good work is undone by a boozy dinner party or a few beers in the pub. Alcohol is uniquely harmful to our gut microbiome.“Consuming alco...
The Telegraph •

The British octogenarians swapping ‘dreary’ care homes for Thai luxury

Arriving at the Chiang Mai Care Resort in northern Thailand, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re at a standard-issue, luxury Thai resort. A series of low-roof bungalows separated by palm trees and lush tropical plants are dotted around a peaceful lake. At one end are two swimming pools offering a respite from the heat, at another, an outdoor restaurant has views across the distant mountains.It’s only the sight of a nurse in uniform or a resident being gently pushed in a wheelchair that hints t...
The Telegraph •

Mood swings, anger and ADHD – separating fact from fiction

For people with ADHD, emotional dysregulation is often expressed as irritability, rude, snappy behaviour, or overreaction to certain triggers. These triggers might be noise, light or touch, as well as being over-sensitive to criticism and rejection, changes to their routine, and feeling overwhelmed by their difficulties with organisation and time management. “I’d get tired and stressed, and I’d then overthink things and sleep badly as a result. That would in turn make me more likely to react ang...
The Telegraph •

Why medicating people with ADHD isn’t always the answer

For Becky Stevenson, taking ADHD medication has been life-changing. “Before medication, it was like I had 30 TVs going on in my head at the same time. After the medication, it just stopped. Suddenly, I could think clearly and cope with all the challenges of being a mum and running a business,” says the 42-year-old business consultant.As the number of people being diagnosed with ADHD has soared, Stevenson’s experience is increasingly common. Since 2015, the number of prescribed drugs for ADHD has...
The Sunday Times •

I was a high-flying GP, before burnout. Here’s how I bounced back

‘My head was in my hands and I was shaking uncontrollably,” says Dr Claire Ashley, recalling an appointment in her GP surgery. “A patient had been very verbally abusive because they weren’t eligible for a sick note. After they left I started crying and I couldn’t stop. My next appointment was with a patient who I believed had a particularly nasty cancer and deserved the best from me, but I felt completely overwhelmed. I needed a break but instead I pulled myself together and pushed on.” It was 2...
The Telegraph •

The worst foods to eat if you have ADHD

“People with ADHD need to prioritise care and maintenance of their bodies. The dysregulation inherent to ADHD predisposes them to disordered eating, such as overeating, bingeing and missed meals. This is why those with ADHD have much higher rates of obesity and binge-eating disorder,” Dr Kustow explains.Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) make up 56.8 per cent of the average UK diet. These are heavily packaged foods with long ingredient lists featuring artificial additives such as emulsifiers and stabi...
The Times •

How the doctor cured her own broken heart

Dr Emilia Vuorisalmi was still reeling from her divorce from her husband of five years — the man she had “thought to be the love of my life”, who was the father of her six-year-old daughter — when she returned to her native Helsinki from the home they shared in LA and threw herself straight into another relationship. When that swiftly bit the dust, it wasn’t just the agony of another break-up she had to contend with. She found herself beset by strange physical symptoms — panic attacks, insomnia...
The Telegraph •

Inject some fun into 2025 with these 12 exciting activities

When it’s grey and cold outside and Christmas is over, it helps to get some future fun in the diary to look forward to. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, organising a hen party, hosting a family gathering, or catching up with friends, we’ve curated a list of unique experiences with a difference.From vibrant festivals and milestone anniversaries to groundbreaking art shows, hands-on cooking classes, immersive adventures, and scenic train trips – there’s something for everyone. Read on to dis...
The Telegraph •

The health resolutions that are actually worth it (and what not to bother with)

It’s that time of year again: we’re overfed, over-partied and likely to be a bit heavier than we were. Yet, even though January is a good moment to reset and embark on healthy new year’s resolutions, most of us start with over-ambitious goals only to jack them in three weeks later.Experts recommend looking at your life and choosing one resolution in an area where you will feel tangible results. “If you’re giving up smoking, for example, I give people permission to put diet and exercise on the ba...
The Telegraph •

The ‘popcorn brain’ symptoms that could signal ADHD

“People with ADHD can be very successful, and often it’s their neurodiversity that has helped them achieve that success,” says Dr Kumaran Thevan, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist. “If their brains were average they may not have excelled in those professions. Of course, in other settings, like school, it is not so useful.”The popcorn brain also thrives on stress, using adrenaline as a way to focus wandering minds – which is why people with ADHD can succeed in high-pressure environme...
The Telegraph •

How a healthy diet can help treat ADHD

In recent years our awareness of the importance of a healthy gut has dramatically expanded, and at the same time, there’s been an explosion in the number of people being diagnosed with ADHD.Now scientists are beginning to link these two much talked about issues for the first time.At the recent 2024 Gut Symposium, where leading experts in gut health from around the world came together to share research, the room was packed for the session on brain health.Prof Alejandro Arias Vásquez, the head of...
The Sunday Times •

What to eat to avoid a cold: the winter immunity diet

The season of sniffles, colds, Covid and flu is here. And just as we prepare for chilly weather by getting out our jumpers, it is important to limber up the immune system too, nourishing and strengthening it with healthy foods to help fend off an onslaught of viruses.Our immunity thrives on a nutrient-packed, plant-rich diet. “When key nutrients are lacking, it weakens our immune function and reduces our body’s ability to fight infections,” explains Dr Emily Leeming, a dietician and the author o...
The Telegraph •

Why so many people have both autism and ADHD

Yet sometimes the two conditions can help and complement each other – for example, the ADHD traits can make a person with autism more sociable and the autistic traits can help the ADHD person concentrate and focus.“The way I describe it is that autism can be like a parent to ADHD, as it does not let it become too anarchic or disorganised,” says Dr Sadiq. Whereas “ADHD is like a friend to autism and does not let it be too reclusive.”How are autism and ADHD connected?Autism and ADHD are both neuro...
The Telegraph •

Nine secrets of people who manage to keep the weight off

Losing weight may be hard, but keeping it off can be even harder. Studies show that dieters regain more than half of their lost weight in just two years and by five years they’ve gained back more than 80 per cent. Some people even end up heavier than they were before. It’s a similar story for those who use weight loss drugs. Once they stop taking the pills research shows they regain about two-thirds of their lost weight in just one year. “There are many reasons why we regain the weight we lose....
The Telegraph •

The five most common reasons friends fall out – and what to do about it

Jessica and Claire have been best friends for over 30 years since they met at college. Now they live on other sides of the United States, but once a year they meet up for a girl’s weekend with Emily, the third member of their close-knit friendship group from student days. “It’s generally the only time we see each other, but for the last few years, Claire and I have been nitpicking at each other over dumb stuff,  which then blows up into an argument. Last weekend, it got to the point where both o...
The Telegraph •

Fruit yogurt – and five other foods that cause inflammation

In recent years, as the number of people with chronic diseases has rocketed, the role of inflammation has become a hot topic. Inflammation is our body’s natural response to an injury, infection or toxin, like the redness of a wound or the swelling caused by a virus. Yet Western diets can cause our bodies to become chronically inflamed. This has been tied to a number of diseases, including heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and even premature ageing.“The immune system responds...
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