Winter swimming is popular. Partly due to the closure of swimming pools and gyms, more people are looking for cold water. In the section Healthy or not health journalist Tijn Elferink delves into a subject about which there is confusion. This time: cold. “Cold is not fun”, says GP Monique Tjon-A-Tsien. “As soon as it…
We have now been working from home en masse for a year. There are some disadvantages to this, but we are still stuck with it. How do we stay focused, healthy and happy? With the right posture and equipment, we work as ergonomically responsible as possible. And the necessary movement should compensate a little for…
Every week we ask a health question to a medical expert. This week a question in the context of the International Day of Sleep to be held worldwide on Friday: why is sleep so important for health? General practitioner and lifestyle expert Jacqui van Kemenade: “Sleep deprivation makes heavy and sick.” Why is sleep healthy?…
The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) warns Tuesday against food supplements and tea with St. John’s wort. New research shows that the herbal preparation can have harmful effects on health, the RIVM reports. For example, people use herbal preparations containing St. John’s wort to help them sleep better. It is unknown…
Giving and receiving a compliment is healthy. Three experts explain why we need compliments now more than ever and why at the same time we are getting worse at giving a compliment that gives a healthy boost. Hans Poortvliet is a ‘valuation expert’ and creator of the National Compliment Day, which is every year on…
Everyone prefers to wake up rested in the morning. Does sleeping with an open window or not affect your night’s sleep? According to sleep therapist and somnologist Ingrid Verbeek, the ideal bedroom temperature is between 15 and 20 degrees. “To have a good night’s sleep, you especially have to be comfortable with the temperature. If…
The taboo on loneliness seems to be wearing off slowly. More is being written about it and recently even Meghan Markle spoke to Oprah Winfrey about her lonely period as a royal. Does it help to make it negotiable, and how do you climb out of that dark valley? The numbers about loneliness don’t lie….
Snuggling up in front of the television with a plate after a long day: it can be very tempting. But what does sitting on the couch do to your digestive system? “The place where you eat is important,” says nutritionist and dietician Marianne Rook of the Maag Lever Bowel Foundation. “A place where you can…
Joining a family constellation is increasingly popular. This method tries to uncover how patterns that you learned as a child can cause problems in your adult life. This can provide valuable insights, say participants. There is also criticism. “In a family constellation, all kinds of things are just filled in for the absent family members.”…
NU.nl checks messages for reliability. Claim: “It’s dangerous to clean your ears with a cotton swab.” Verdict: true Various websites, such as Faqt, write that cleaning your ears with a cotton swab is dangerous. But why is using a cotton swab not a good idea, and is it necessary to clean your ears at all?…