Life Style

Bill Gates has claimed he would be diagnosed with autism if he were a child today.Gates has said that he believes his obsessive and socially awkward behaviour as a child would have been labelled as a sign of neurodivergence if he grew up in today’s society.The Microsoft founder and tech billionaire reflects on his “neurodivergent” behaviour as a young boy in his new autobiography, Source Code.Gates, 69, said as a child he would miss social cues, often “rock in place” and was able to focus intensely on certain subjects.Speaking to the Times, he said he would today be considered “on the autism spectrum”, adding: “My parents had no guideposts or textbooks to help them grasp why their son became so obsessed with certain projects, missed social cues and could be rude or inappropriate without se...

Many men remain undiagnosed, partly because of a lack of knowledge and a reticence to discuss hormonal issues. “Women are happier to talk about their menopause or sexual health with each other or their doctor, but hormones are not something men discuss,” says Hackett.Testosterone levels have been declining globally by about 1% per year since the late 1980s. Photo / 123rfGPs might diagnose depression, but fail to check testosterone firstAnother obstacle is that many GPs lack specialist knowledge about testosterone. Dr Channa Jayasena, a specialist in reproductive endocrinology at Imperial College London, believes that while many healthy men seek unnecessary testosterone treatment, some men with genuine hormonal deficiencies struggle to get diagnosed.One major long-term challenge for GPs is ...

There is no “normal” when it comes to libido. It varies greatly from person to person and within individuals over a lifetime. If you’ve been experiencing a recent drop, it may simply be part of a natural cycle and you might find yourself in a sexual spring or even summer again soon. Or perhaps you’ve been in a long winter, feeling frozen and disconnected from your eroticism.If so, let’s begin the process of thawing, warming things up gently and mindfully. This isn’t about fixing anything – because you’re most certainly not a problem to be solved – it’s about bringing curiosity, attention and care to your experience, allowing your unique expression of desire to emerge.There are five common low libido stumbles. All can be turned into more useful approaches, guiding you into your next season ...

This rare form of dementia, often occurring in people under 65, accounts for around 12 out of every 100 cases of young-onset dementia.For those from minority ethnic backgrounds, the risks of developing a form of dementia are heightened: Black and South Asian people in the UK are more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age and die earlier from dementia. It’s not fully understood why this is, but certain cultural and social factors, as well as a higher risk of other health conditions like diabetes and stroke, may play a role.“I didn’t know anything about dementia, but I had to learn quickly,” Larrieux admits. “Three years later, my father, Mohammad, was diagnosed with vascular dementia at 75, and then my life changed in every way possible.”AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.By the time Larrie...

However, a while later, she received an anonymous message “Kate, check Tinder – your husband is on there and I think you should know”.She did and found her husband’s profile. She confronted him and he admitted he’d used the app for an ego boost. He said he was down and wanted the attention. He claimed he wasn’t going to act on it. The matches he got just made him feel wanted. Things went downhill from there, and they split.But is it really cheating to look at pictures of other women or men when you are in a relationship? Where is the line?Married for nearly two decades, one woman’s life changed after spotting her husband’s profile on a dating app. Photo / 123RFIf you message a woman on a dating app too far? Probably. But what if you talk to someone on the street or at work that you find at...

But what is it that makes cleaning an oven, in particular, so challenging? I had an inkling that stubborn oven messes had something to do with polymerisation, a chemical process in which small molecules join, forming more complex structures called polymers. In the kitchen, you know polymerisation by the more colloquial name “seasoning,” which refers the process of heating thin layers of fat to give cast iron cookware a non-stick coating. I floated this theory by Daniel Gritzer, the editorial director of Serious Eats, who has long been my go-to expert on all things cast iron, to ask if I was onto something.“I think you’re right,” he said. “The problem is fat splatter can polymerise on the surface of the oven and, essentially, it’s like you’re seasoning the interior of your oven like you wou...

Is it worth “waiting” for this guy? I often feel I’d be better off without him, but then he tells me how much he needs me. He’ll be pleasant for a day, and I get comfortable and lulled into complacency again, and I don’t leave. One of the things that stops me from leaving is fear of being alone in my old age.How can I break this pattern of his frequent outbursts and my accommodation of it? This seems like a pattern of abuse to me. What should I do?- PatternAdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.A. You can’t change S or make him more accommodating, but you can change how accommodating you are of him.Right now, S can’t imagine losing you and is doing the bare minimum to keep you around, but he’s also not having to deal with any consequences if he doesn’t do more. Just because he is aware he is “di...

Switching to this more optimal diet could lead to noticeable improvements in your sleep in as little as two weeks, said Marie-Pierre St-Onge, an associate professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep and Circadian Research.St-Onge has conducted dozens of clinical trials and other studies over the years examining the relationship between food and sleep. Her research has shown that what we eat influences how we sleep and that how we sleep in turn influences what we decide to eat the next day.Meat, poultry and seafood contain a lot of tryptophan, especially salmon, chicken breast, turkey, beef, pork, clams, tuna, eggs and yogurt. Photo / 123RFPoor diet may lead to poor sleepEating the wrong foods can disr...

Rather more authoritatively, a recent Telegraph report revealed that diet drinks like mine can be just as bad for our health, despite being the sugar-free option. Experts suggest artificial sweeteners could disrupt the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut, creating sugar cravings. Further reports stated that the artificial sweeteners used in soft drinks, such as aspartame and sucralose, may also, in some cases, prompt insulin resistance over time and, according to a recent study, are associated with one in 10 type 2 diabetes cases.My own medical advice has piled up recently. It was actually my GP’s and dentist’s advice to switch to water, two months ago. When I complained how thirsty I was, my GP booked me for blood tests for diabetes, which came back as negative. Expert advice to “drink...

Over in the Waikato, Raglan’s reputation precedes it. One of Aotearoa’s most renowned surf spots, the laidback coastal township is built on surfing culture. According to online sources (who are far more qualified to speak on surfing than us), Raglan can be enjoyed by both beginners and aquatic superheroes alike: neighbouring Ngarunui Beach is said to be more entry-level, while advanced surfers can hit the swells at Whale or Manu Bay.READ MORE: The Gold Coast surf towns that are reviving the glory days of holidayingRaglan is known as a bustling surf town. Photo / 123rfIn the Coromandel, holiday hotspot Whangamatā also boasts a solid surfing reputation. Regarded as one of the best surf destinations in New Zealand, it is hailed online as a good beach break with several peaks, producing both l...