Did you see Horizon on BBC2 on Tuesday night? It was called 'How to Live to 101'. I have to admit, that's the kind of title that gets me watching programmes. Not just because I write this newsletter, but because it's very hard not to be curious to know what the 'secret' is. Also, it allowed me to deter Lara from yet another cable TV property-based show. (A winner on all counts, then.) In the programme filmmakers travelled to Okinawa in Jap ..

More ...

First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you had a great festive break, and that 2008 brings you good health, wealth and happiness (perhaps with a little help from The Good Life Letter). In fact, if you really want to improve ALL aspects of your life this year, then you could do a lot worse than read these... Two late Christmas presentsThe first The Rich Life Letter is written by my good friend Lewis Geary, and if you haven't tried it yet, I really ..

More ...

Lara came into the living room as I blinked at the World Cup Rugby qualifiers on the TV. 'Is there some kind of squirrel on the loose in here?' she said. I was momentarily confused. See, if you make statements like that out of the blue, my brain will briefly assume that there possibly COULD be a squirrel in my living room. My hunter-gatherer reflex action is to tense my muscles and scan the room for a squirrel. No couch potato, I am ALWA ..

More ...

A week last Friday I wrote to you about 'The Threat of Zombie Eating.' If you didn't get that email, no I didn't mean that it's dangerous to eat Zombies. That much is obvious. The Undead are not advised as a main meal, or even a snack. Unless, of course, you wish to become one of them... No, my letter was about the struggle to stop yourself automatically reaching for the snacks that give you instant gratification... white bread, biscuits, b ..

More ...

All right, I admit it... You caught me red-handed. Last week I mentioned I was reading my morning paper whilst happily working my way through a mouthful of cornflakes. Not a fresh fruit salad, or eggs and bacon (poached eggs and bacon are an excellent way to start the day), or organic, mueseli, but cornflakes. Honey Nut cornflakes to be precise. That's right - me, Ray Collins, Officer in Charge of Moaning About Refined Food, was munching hi ..

More ...

Before I get on with today's letter, packed with the best reader tips from my email inbox… I urge you to look out for Sunday's Good Life Letter, as I'll reveal details of an exciting new service. I've been sitting on this news for a while, and to be honest I'm dying to tell you right now… But NO. I don't want to tell you until it's actually 100% ready to go. All I can say it that it's a vital extra service to add to your Good Life Letter ex ..

More ...

Sometimes I think scientists decide to conduct a study specifically with me in mind… Really. Some of their research seems so bizarre, you'd think there were hundreds of scientists sitting around all day, scratching their eggshaped heads, wondering what to study next... 'Hey, have we tested the effects of a wind tunnel on a chicken before?' 'Yeah, we did that one back in '97. The results were inconclusive.' 'Hmmmm... how about side effects of ..

More ...

It wasn't the cold that was turning the air blue last Sunday... It was my language. You may remember I was going to have a go at putting some shelves up to house my growing health library and stop the kids getting lost under a mountain of arthritis reports for days at a time... Well I did indeed 'have a go'. And all I have to say is, if you ever want a miniature ski slope built for your pet hamster, then I'm your man. I suppose it works t ..

More ...

I bought a bicycle last week. It wasn't planned.... it wasn't a New Year's Resolution... it was an impulse buy. Usually my impulse buys involve a bottle of malt whisky, an expensive steak or a slab of dark chocolate. (Come on now, don't tut. You know how GREAT life is when you treat yourself to this stuff!) But I this time I surprised myself with a healthy impulse. I was in the shop because Lara wanted to get a bike so she could cycle to wo ..

More ...

Last weekend I went to a friend's 60th birthday party in Wales, in a beautiful place called St. Brides Castle. It was a three hour drive from Bristol…well, four if you add on a wrong turning that took us 50 miles off track. I'm too chivalrous to blame anyone, so I won't name names. But to give you a clue it begins with an L. And ends in 'ara'. Anyway, by the time we arrived it was time for a quick tidy up, a cup of tea, then off to dinner. ..

More ...