Category: Features

It’s barely dawn and I’m bleary-eyed and carrying a yoga mat towards the ocean. The 6.15am wake-up call suddenly feels less brutal, however, when minutes later, I’m breathing through a sun salutation with rolling waves as the live soundtrack. “Listen to the ocean and feel the sunbeams on your face,” our yoga instructor Jordan says… Continue reading California dreaming

Preparing to start university for the first time is exciting for teenagers, but can be extremely nerve-racking for their parents. Not only may mums and dads be worried about how their child will cope living away from home, but they may be equally concerned about themselves, and how they’ll cope without seeing their child every… Continue reading Moving on when the kids move out

Life doesn’t get much sweeter than biting into a warm honey cake, fresh from the oven. But in this kitchen, there’s no refined sugar – nor gluten or dairy, for that matter – in sight. This is Livia’s – aka Olivia Wollenberg’s – kitchen, and she’s made her name by baking with more gut-friendly alternatives… Continue reading 'Don't limit yourself with things you love'

Most of us are well aware that high blood pressure is a major risk factor for some of the most common killers, such as stroke and coronary heart disease. But are you aware just how big a role salt consumption can play in developing high blood pressure in the first place? Even if you are… Continue reading Five salt myths that could be damaging your health

If you should ever have any doubts over the power of prep, speak to green-eating guru – and Honestly Healthy founder – Natasha Corrett. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail,” she muses proudly. “It’s as simple as that. And I have the famous [Benjamin Franklin ] quote at the front of my… Continue reading Honestly Healthy In A Hurry – how to plan your meals effectively

Some love the rhythm and solitude of a long Sunday morning run, others get their kicks from the squeals of rubber soles and balls whizzing high-speed around a squash court, while clipping a lead on the dog and braving whatever elements for a stroll on the beach does it for many. When it comes to… Continue reading 5 reasons to take up Pilates

There are few things more evocative of spring than drifts of snowdrops or bluebells in dappled shade, or daffodils casting a yellow haze over fresh new grass. In late winter, pink and white cyclamen provide a carpet of colour along slopes and rocky banks, while the first snowdrops often appear with blue crocus, and camassias… Continue reading Drift away with bulbs – if you want that natural effect, start planting now

Finance and freshers don’t always make an A-grade combination. As many students leave Ireland to continue their studies in the UK, for some it will be their first real taste of financial independence, with important decisions about money matters to be made.

Those of us who yearn to ditch the blue pellets and quick-fix chemical sprays in favour of more eco-friendly garden pest controls, should perhaps be taking a biological approach. Many of us incorporate a variety of plants in our garden to attract beneficial predators such as ladybirds which will gobble up aphid eggs, or hedgehogs,… Continue reading Biological warfare against pests

Breathe easy – Windcatcher AirPad 2+ Unless you’re truly hardy, an air bed’s a must if you want to enjoy sleeping beneath canvas. The pain is blowing the bed up. You either have to sweat it out using a pump or almost pass out through pure lung power. Step forward the Windcatcher Airpad 2+, which… Continue reading Six of the best: Camping gadgets