Circadian solutions for better sleep

Restorative sleep has never been more important – or more elusive, as anxiety around Covid-19 has us tossing and turning. But have we been searching for ZZZs in all the wrong places? Forget milky drinks and weighted blankets – research now suggests what we need most is to support our circadian health.

choosing DISTRACTION

Pandemic lockdowns, mass unemployment, murder hornets… now that we’re living in an episode of Black Mirror, is it any wonder we’re cocooning in our homes, watching endless repeats of low-stakes ’90s sitcoms and baking banana bread? Now’s the time for some well-deployed mindlessness.

Not Just A Fleabag

Whether in front of the camera, up on stage or behind the scenes writing and producing, Phoebe Waller-Bridge turns everything she touches to gold. We can’t get enough of TV’s most daring new darling.

Island In The Sun

Mark Twain said, ‘Mauritius was made first and then heaven, heaven being copied after Mauritius.’ He was onto something: my idea of heaven definitely includes a well-stocked beach bar, white sandy beaches, warm waters, crystal-clear pools and delicious food.

6 Podcasts We're Bingeing Right Now

Now more than ever, podcasts are changing the way we entertain ourselves. Here are the ones you need to add to your favourites.

Optimal Immunity In The Time Of Covid -19

We know the basics: wash your hands, don’t touch your face, keep your distance. But what exactly are zoonotic diseases? Why do some people bounce back while others succumb? And are there supplements we should be taking or lifestyle changes we could make to boost our immunity?

WELLBEING

WELLBEING

Think big, start small

Do you want to secure your children’s education, or perhaps retire near the sea? In her book, Make Your Money Work for You: Think Big, Start Small, Anthea Gardner offers advice on saving and investing your money.

NATURAL high

Miraculously the rain has stopped when we step outside wearing swimming costumes, feet squelching in the mud. Slowly we circle the 530-litre chest freezer, incongruous next to a Victorian slipper bath. Both are brimful of ice blocks. The air is cold; even the girls in bikinis look blotchy, like they need a blanket, or a hug. Alex Vliege, our instructor, goes into a semi-squat, the ‘horse stance’. He presses his hands together, takes a deep breath, then leads us into a moving meditation, extending one arm past the chest with a ‘hoo’, then the other arm, ‘ha’. We build up a rhythmic momentum… ‘Hoo-ha, hoo-HA, HOO-HA.’ It is not inconceivable that the Cape Point baboons roaming the hillocks behind stop in their tracks. I’m trying to empty my mind, trying to focus, but I keep circling back to this: how the hell did I come to be here, grunting in the mud with strangers?

MIRACLE INGREDIENT

An ex-attorney and a former beauty editor reveal how their beauty brands came to life, thanks to the power of rock star natural ingredients.

HOW I MET MY Mother

I’d known I was adopted ever since a primary school friend told me his mother had said he should feel sorry for me because of it. Then one day I woke up with my biological parents in mind – worried I would never meet them.

fire starter

The diminutive blonde that is Reese Witherspoon enters the Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills on four-inch heels, in a Stella McCartney royal purple dress, her blonde hair parted to the side, dimples on display. Physically, she is everything Hollywood boxes and sells as fluff: easy on the eye, easily dismissed. But, with talent, brains and grit, Reese has challenged the label others may have given her, and demonstrated that she is a force to be reckoned with.

big talent tiny art

When it comes to art, big and bold is usually what captures our imagination. Monet’s Water Lilies series stretches across endless canvases; Michelangelo’s 5m-high David towers over visitors. But size is not always an indication of skill. These artists create mind-blowing pieces that can easily fit into the palm of your hand – no canvas or clay required.

Starting A Conversation

When it comes to certain topics, the generation gap seems insurmountable – finding a 20-something and a 50-something with the same taste in music is like finding a unicorn. But how about a contentious topic like transgender athletes, for example? We tested it out – can you tell the age of these women based on the opinions they hold on this controversial issue?

Shame On You, Shame On Me

Public shaming is nothing new, really. In the old days you would have been locked in the town square stocks for minor transgressions like swearing or drunkenness, or been made to don a dunce cap for acting out at school. (Those were still around in some parts of the US as recently as the 1950s, believe it or not.) But the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the ’90s kickstarted a new form of online vigilantism that has only gathered strength with the advent of social media. In the two decades that have passed since her affair went viral, a culture of shaming and public humiliation has woven itself into the fabric of society, creating what Monica describes as ‘a mob of virtual stone throwers’.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

‘The first thing I did? I went to DionWired and bought a tumble dryer.’ Kristen Peterssen woke up a multimillionaire at the age of 26, and had to grow up very fast. Here’s how she handled the pressures of suddenly coming into money.

WILD @ heart

She was born into the industry, but Laura Dern’s route to the top had much more to do with her passionate love of her craft and her indie spirit than her famous parents. Whether she’s outrunning a raptor, taking a baseball bat to her husband’s toy collection (you go, Renata!) or exploring the nuances of a quiet conversation, this Oscar winner has us mesmerised.

Home at last

With her 70th birthday on the horizon, Bafta award-winning screenwriter Shawn Slovo decided it was time to come home to SA – after 56 years in Britain. She called on architect Carl Jacobsz to help create a unique eco-home under the African sky she had so longed for.

Out for lunch

Having your lunch ‘al desko’ – again? You are not alone. Most of us don’t take our lunch break, or any breaks during the day for that matter, bar a quick dash to the loo. Here’s why you need to change that.

ACTIVE DUTY

If you’ve had it with going nowhere on the treadmill or feeling frumpy in your saggy old leggings, these two entrepreneurs will have you inspired to sweat it out in no time.

Guiltily Ever After

Infidelity is a curious thing. You can spend years condemning it, years feeling shocked by the latest gossip or indiscretion, years promising yourself with absolute confidence that you would never be ‘one of them’. And then something changes – it may be your relationship, your state of mind, work pressure... and you find yourself being the one person you never wanted to be, suspended in a web of lies.

Can You Blame Your Weight On Your Genes?

We’ve heard it all before: if you just eat x and work out by doing x, you’ll lose x amount of weight in x amount of time. But what happens if none of that works for you? More and more people are turning to genetic testing for the answer.

TRUE ORIGINALS

The aesthetics may be steeped in history, but there’s nothing old-fashioned about these classics. Designers have given trench coats, fisherman sweaters and tweeds a fresh, modern feel.

THE SWEET SPOT

An authentic French crêpe, served up in style? Or a scoop of ice cream in just about any flavour imaginable? We know just the place!

Prue believer

Prue Leith is a novelist, chef, Michelin-starred restaurateur, businesswoman, cookery writer, entrepreneur, Bake-Off judge, campaigner – and total one-off.

Odd jobs

Working a ho-hum desk job and making chit-chat around the water cooler isn’t for everyone. These women have the kind of job titles that you don’t often see printed on a business card – ranging from cool to downright crazy.

IN POLE POSITION

Former London lawyer Kathy Lee helps people get into shape and take control of their own lives through pole-dancing. She’s all about turning the stereotype on its head.

CHEERS!

How about a little something?

CHARLIZE OUR BOMBSHELL

Charlize Theron has found longevity in variety, juggling producing with acting and taking on roles in everything from rom-coms and action flicks to acclaimed dramas. In fact, she was instrumental in getting Bombshell made – for which she snagged a best actress Oscar nomination earlier this year – saving the project by restructuring the finances when an investor pulled out. Margaret Gardiner chatted to the actress about the prescience of Bombshell, motherhood and living life on her own terms.

Carnaween House

It is the light that is so arresting. Both silver and gold, it glances like burnished steel, bathing the Narin-Portnoo beach in an angelic glow.