Find fabulous new habits in your forties

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When you get to your forties you may well find that the habits you have formed have been with you for years, but the reality is they might not be doing your mind or body very much good. No one is perfect, including us, so we’ve looked at easy ways to get happier and healthier as you sail through your forties.

Drop the vices
We all know that smoking and drinking isn’t good for us at any age, but this really is the time to try and get things under control. Binge drinking, midnight snacks, gambling excessively and lighting up one cigarette after another will be taking a toll on your health, and wallet. So look at what’s going on and make a decision to stop, and find something better to do with your time, and money.

Have health checks
Diabetes, high cholesterol, certain cancers and heart disease are all conditions that can be detected early through routine GP visits, so book in and get a clear bill of health. If things aren’t 100% good, it’s best to know what’s happening and trying to get it fixed because if you hide you head in the sand, things could get worse and then it could be too late. You might also want to keep a watch on the menopause at this stage in your life.

Get to bed
Sleep is so important and if you don’t get enough, you can feel irritable, miserable and life can quickly get you down. You might however be finding that as you move through your forties, the ease at which you get to sleep, and the amount of time you actually sleep, will change. We would suggest you still aim to get at least seven hours of snoozing a night as this will enhance your immune system, reduce stress levels, and generally help you to cope with life better.

No tech at bedtime
Talking about sleep, the one thing we do suggest is that you don’t take your phones or devices to bed. Yes, they can help you keep connected with the world, but night time is when you need to switch off, so power down and leave those light emitting screens downstairs.

Keep sun damage away
We need to do this all of our lives, but it is critical in your forties to look after your skin if you want to keep your melanoma risks down, as these increase with age. The sun’s UV rays is one of the biggest risk factors you can control, so find a moisturiser that has sunscreen in it, and if you want to go one step further to both protect yourself from skin cancer and keep wrinkles at bay, use an SPF stand alone too!

Look after your eyes
Yes, celebrities wear sunnies all the time, but they are so much more than a fashion statement; they are a good habit to get into. So take Victoria Beckham’s lead (she’s in her forties and wearing it well) and put your sunglasses on not just in the summer, but every time you go outside, and keep your eyes safe.

Smile
Life can be hard in your forties as your kids move away and your parents fall ill, but getting into the habit of smiling and laughing during your day, can be a really good for you. Laughter boosts your mood, reduces stress, and smiling at a stranger could be the lift they also need in their day.

So, what new habits are you going to make, and which badies are you going to ditch to make your forties fabulous?

Team Pure Beauty

Easter treats

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With Easter just around the corner and the long bank holiday ahead of us, you just know people will be popping by for a cuppa and catch up.

Rather than being caught on the hop (see what we did there) and having to dig out a packet of dodgy digestives, what not make some Easter goodies at home and you will be ready for anything?

Easter isn’t Easter without hot cross buns and they taste better than ever if you make your own.

To make eight tasty treats, add the following ingredients to your shopping basket:

• 500g strong white
bread flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 heaped teaspoons of mixed spice
• 50g caster sugar
• 50g salted butter
• 200ml full fat milk
• 200g mixed dried fruit
• 2 medium free range eggs
• 7g sachet easy-blend dried yeast
• Honey

To make the buns, first pre-heat your oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas.

Sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the mixed spice, salt and sugar then rub in the butter with your fingertips. Add the dried fruit, then sprinkle over the yeast and stir in. Gently warm the milk then beat with the eggs and pour in the dried ingredients. Using a blunt knife, mix the ingredients to a moist dough, then leave to settled for 20 minutes.

Cut the dough into eight equal pieces and shaped these into buns. Space apart on a baking sheet, cover loosely with cling film and leave in a warm place until for around 45 minutes until they are half the size again. Mix a little flour with two tablespoons of water to make a paste, pour into a plastic food bag and make a tiny hole in one of the corners. Pipe crosses on top of each bun, put them in the oven and cook for 15 minutes until risen and golden. Trim the excess cross mixture from the buns, then brush with the honey and enjoy warm with butter and jam.

A plate of beautiful biscuits will impress your guests. This recipe is super easy to make and you can be as creative as you like with the decorations. For one batch, you will need:

• 125g butter, softened
• 125g caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp. extra
• One free range egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g plain flour
• Icing sugar
• Bottles of food colouring
• Sprinkles and mini eggs

To get things started, pre-heat the oven to gas 5, 190°C, fan 170°C and line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Cream together the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy then add the egg and vanilla extract. Gradually fold in the flour then create a ball of dough and wrapped this in cling film and chill in the fridge for an hour.

Take the dough out and roll out to the thickness of a £2 coin, then cut the dough into oval shapes; if you can find bunny or oval cutters, these are perfect.

Chill for another 30 minutes before baking for 15 minutes and then leave to cool on a rack.

Make up the icing according to pack instructions and add food colouring to make your designs really stand out. Ice, add sprinkles and mini eggs then leave to dry before eating with a cup of tea!

Now all that is left to do is hide those eggs and let the Easter fun begin.

Team Pure Beauty