We’ve endured blistering heat this summer, which has made it pretty much impossible to do anything other than walk to the end of your road.

My gym has been impossibly busy, thanks to the fact it has both an air con and a pool. It’s no wonder that, as temperatures climb, people are flocking towards anywhere that’s cold.

It’s even seeped into our travel habits: instead of travel to another scorching hot country (that’s probably not dissimilar in clime to the UK, let’s be real) people are increasingly going on ‘coolcations’ to places where they won’t have to plan what they do around the heat.

As winter approaches, research by SportsCover Direct shows that searches for ‘coolcations’ have risen a whopping 74% year-on-year, with 65% of holidayers saying they’d rather avoid travelling during the hottest time of year. Fair.

If you’ve given in to the allure of bathing in a natural bath while surrounded by ice caps, or can think of no better excuse to get off your phone than to be surrounded by the great outdoors, you’ll want to make sure you’ve packed the right thing.

It goes without saying, but what you shove in your suitcase undoubtedly needs to be different from what you wear on the beach.

While you might have conquered the shorts and vest look for hiking in hot weather, you’ll need to prepare more for hiking or cycling in the winter, explains Natalie Wolfenden, author and hiking enthusiast at GO Outdoors.

“A change in weather shouldn’t signal an end to your outdoor plans,” she says. “Some of the most enjoyable days in the hills can come when conditions are cooler, and the trails are quieter.

“The key is being properly prepared, with the right clothing, equipment and a clear understanding of how conditions can change throughout the day.”

To save you time, we’ve asked Wolfenden to round up her ultimate packing guide for a coolcation.

Keep reading for our recommendations.

I love brushing my teeth. There, I said it. Thus, my toothbrush is probably the most important part of my day.

It wasn’t until I switched to the SURI Pro, though, that I realised I’d been using an amateur electric toothbrush for far too long.

While I was a big fan of the brand’s award-winning brush (read my full review here) there’s one thing that kept niggling at me: it costs £105. That’s a lot for a toothbrush.

I would argue that, yes, it’s totally worth it – you can choose from a range of colours and a UV-cleaning travel case that also charges it, plus the charge lasts for over a month – not everyone is at home with splashing out that much on something so banal and quotidien as a tool for keeping your gnashers clean.

That’s probably why nearly half of the UK population still uses a manual toothbrush. That, or they prefer manual.

If, like me, you’ve been sucked in by SURI’s applaudable sustainability efforts (it uses plant-based heads and an aluminium body that can both be recycled) and pastel marketing, good news: you can finally get your hands on one of its brushes for less.

We’re not talking about a sale – although the brand does excellent Amazon discounts around Prime day and Black Friday, so look out for those – but a whole new brush, designed for people who are entering the electric toothbrush realm for the first time.

SURI has now launched the Core 1.0, which will set you back £40 less than the Pro.

Having loved the Pro so much, I was keen to see how they compared. Immediately, the Core 1.0 feels pretty much the same as the Pro.

It’s the same shape, but the main visual difference is that the brush heads are white, rather than the same colour as the body.

There are also fewer colours to choose from – four, instead of six. Like I said, the Core is designed to be an entry-level toothbrush, so that’s reflected in slightly less power: 28,000 sonic vibrations per minute instead of 30,000, and a battery life that lasts up to a month, rather than over a month.

It also doesn’t come with a UV cleaning storage charging case, which definitely comes in handy when travelling with the Pro, and it’s not compatible with it if you already happen to have one.

Instead, SURI has included a cap to keep your bristles clean if you chuck it in your bag, so naturally it’s slightly less heavy, making it kind of more ideal to travel with than the original.

Apart from that, it has basically the same functions as the Pro: a haptic pressure sensor that means it adjusts the intensity to your brushing, wireless USB-C charging, and a long-lasting battery life.

To me, the 2,000 fewer sonic vibrations per minute are barely noticeable, and the brush has essentially the same mouthfeel as the Pro.

Most importantly (for me) it still comes with all the extras, too, including a wireless stand and an adhesive mirror mount, so it won’t take up space in your bathroom.

If you send the heads back to SURI, they’ll recycle them for you. You can even sign up for a new head subscription, so you get them every six months without having to think about it.

Personally, that’s huge for me, because I can never remember to change my brush head without being prompted by a concerned onlooker (usually my mother when I go to stay with her) that my bristles are looking a little worse for wear.

Considering the brush is £40 cheaper, it’s not lost much of its functionality, and I’d happily spend that on a brush from a company that champions sustainability, and also looks nice in your bathroom.

Whether you’re only just entering the electric toothbrush market, or looking for a prettier alternative to some of the clunkier models out ther, the Core is a great electric toothbrush to go with.

Thinking ahead to Christmas, it would also make a great present for any teens or health-conscious family members.

Jamie Foxx is reflecting on surviving a life-threatening brain bleed that led to a stroke in April 2023, suggesting he had some questions for God at the time.

“I was talking to him,” said the Oscar winner, 58, gesturing toward the sky on a recent episode of “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer.” “This is me, bro. I put the smiles on people’s faces. Why me? Look at all these bad people out here.”

Foxx said that after his medical emergency, when he asked his loved ones what had happened to him, he was astonished to find out he had suffered a stroke.

“[I said,] ‘What are you talking about?’ I couldn’t make sense of it,’” he shared during the Aug. 25 podcast episode. The actor called rehab “frustrating,” saying people told him, “You got a second chance.”

“I said, ‘Fuck the second chance! What was wrong with my first chance?’” Foxx recalled. “This doesn’t happen to anybody. How does it happen to me?”

The “Django Unchained” star then cracked that his health care team couldn’t do wellness checks on him because he was constantly telling jokes, noting that he “only had comedy to lean on” during the challenging time.

“So, I was just funny. I was always joking all the time. So, when they [would] come and say, ‘Who are you today, sir?’ I was somebody different [everyday]. ‘Who are you today?’” Foxx recalled before doing an impression of fellow comedian Dave Chappelle.

The actor’s daughter, Corinne Foxx, also appeared in the interview and told Palmer that her dad had imitated Denzel Washington when he was first admitted to the hospital.

“Not because he didn’t know who he was, but because he was making a joke,” she clarified before her dad interjected to say that his impersonations were “the only way I could find myself.”

Foxx also revealed that one nurse told him that his survival was a miracle.

“I said, ‘What you mean?’ She said, ‘Less than 3% of people that come in with what you have walk out of here. We usually put them in a box.’”

In April 2023, Foxx was hospitalized after he suffered what was then vaguely described as a “medical complication.”

Foxx told a group of people in downtown Phoenix in summer 2024 that his health issues began with a “bad headache.”

“Look, April 11 last year, bad headache, asked my boy for an Advil. I was gone for 20 days,” he said in a clip shared on X. “I don’t remember anything. I’m in Atlanta, they told me … my sister and my daughter took me to the first doctor. They gave me a cortisone shot.”

“The next doctor said, ‘There’s something going on up there,’” the actor added while pointing to his head.

Watch Foxx’s appearance on the “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer” podcast below. Skip to the 1:11:41 mark to hear his comments.

Miley Cyrus knows how to drum up attention.

The 33-year-old teased that something big was on the way on Instagram Monday, when she appeared to drop the “Cyrus” from her handle.

She posted two photos in red and black, captioning one of her face just “MILEY” – the same as her Instagram bio.

The change prompted speculation from media outlets and fans alike, though the singer didn’t make people wait long.

Cyrus revealed her big news on Tuesday, saying she is dropping a new album later this month.

“My tenth studio album, BASS PERSUADES, is yours September 18th. Music takes hold of us,” she wrote.

“We feel it, sing it, sometimes dance to it, let it out and carry on. It is powerful, vulnerable, sweet and strong. Heart full, heartache, every part of life in between,” Cyrus added. “That’s what the title means to me. Thank you for being a part of making my wildest dreams come true. I sincerely hope you love this album. ❤️ Miley.”

In the black-and-white photo accompanying the announcement, the singer has a flower in her mouth – which could be a reference to her hit single “Flowers.”

In addition to the singer’s new music, she also revealed that she’ll be performing two shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in October.

While Cyrus is headed back onstage, it’ll be interesting to see if she wants to tour again.

In an interview with “Good Morning America” last year, the “Hannah Montana” star explained what’s keeping her off the road.

“I do have the physical ability and I have the opportunities to tour. I wish I had the desire, but I don’t,” she said at the time.

“There’s artists like Prince that are not here today that lived such a high-intensity lifestyle out on the road,” she added. “And it’s really hard to maintain sobriety when you’re on the road, which is a really important, kind of, pillar of stability in my life.”

Kelly Clarkson said goodbye for good from “The Kelly Clarkson Show” on Monday – and she made the moment count. (Watch the video below.)

As she closed out her seven-year run, the daytime host welcomed her son, Remington, 10, and daughter, River, 12, onstage one last time and gave helpful advice to her audience.

It came therapist-approved – from the singer’s own mental health professional, apparently.

“For seven years, I’ve ended each episode by saying, ‘Have a great day. And if it’s not, change it,’” Clarkson began. “I say that because, while we have to accept that life is totally out of our control, each moment, though, truly depends on how we choose to respond and react to it. ‘You don’t have to attend the negative party you were invited to,’ I’ve been told by a therapist. So there ya go.”

Clarkson reinforced her point as she savored the waning moments of her show.

“If you remind yourself once a day that you have that choice to respond [with] how you really want to be and who you really are inside, I promise that habit is gonna become a part of you, and your life will respond to you in return.”

Then it was truly time to say goodbye.

“I loved being in your homes each day,” Clarkson said, eventually pivoting to her signature ending one last time.

“Have a great day, and if it’s not – change it!” she said as audience members joined in.

Thanks for the rec, Kelly.

Clarkson announced the end of her show in February after a tumultuous 2025 in which Brandon Blackstock, her ex-husband and the father of River and Remington, died of cancer at 48.

The former “American Idol” champ can still be seen on TV as a coach on NBC’s “The Voice” starting Sept. 21.

Once your parents, grandparents or other older adults in your life reach a certain age, it’s natural to become hypervigilant about their changing health, wanting to catch any potential issues as soon as possible. (Not to mention, it makes you more self-aware about your own signs of aging.) Certainly, that includes being aware of the early signs of dementia.

Though there is no cure for dementia (which is an umbrella term describing multiple forms of cognitive impairment, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common type), there are treatments that can slow progression so those who have it can have a better quality of life for longer. While memory problems are the hallmark symptom of dementia that many people focus on, it’s not the only early sign of dementia. Certain changes in eating habits and mealtime can also be signs of dementia.

“As a neurologist who has spent decades studying brain health and memory, one of the most common questions I get from families is this: ‘My mother has started eating strangely. Does that mean she has Alzheimer’s?’” Dr. Majid Fotuhi, a neurologist, adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University’s Mind/Brain Institute, and author of “The Invincible Brain,” told HuffPost.

Fotuhi explained that the answer is more nuanced than a simple yes-or-no, but there are specific changes that often serve as a tell. Below are five changes in eating habits that can be signs of dementia, according to neurologists.

Futuhi emphasised that if someone you love develops new and unusual eating habits but their memory, judgment and daily functioning otherwise seem fine, that alone should not make you worry about Alzheimer’s. He explained that the changes could be an indication of something else, such as depression, anxiety, a side effect from medication or dental problems.

“This is exactly why a distinct and lasting change in eating behaviour deserves a proper medical evaluation rather than a guess,” Fotuhi said, adding that any changes in eating habits should be evaluated by a medical professional. With that in mind, below are five changes in eating habits to be on the lookout for.

“One of the earliest changes families might describe is that their loved one who cooked elaborate meals for decades starts making simpler dishes, then stops cooking altogether,” said Dr. Joel Salinas, a clinical associate professor of neurology at New York University Langone Health and chief medical officer at Isaac Health. Salinas pointed out that complex meals require planning and sequencing, skills that dementia affects. Dr. Adam Mednick, a neurologist and the author of “Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: From Diagnosis to Treatment,” added that having trouble planning, shopping for and preparing meals can be early signs of dementia.

Just because someone stops cooking elaborate meals doesn’t mean they have dementia. But when accompanied by the other signs shared here, it’s something to be mindful of.

All three neurologists shared that losing interest in food is a common symptom of dementia, and there are several reasons why it happens. Fotuhi told HuffPost that changes in the brain can lead to loss of smell, which reduces the pleasure of eating, since much of what we experience as taste actually comes from smell. Salinas said this too, explaining, “Reduced smell strips much of the pleasure from food. Someone with dementia may describe meals as bland or flat.”

People with dementia are also at higher risk of experiencing depression, which Fotuhi said can blunt interest in activities, including mealtime. On top of that, all three experts point out that mealtime requires using utensils and maintaining conversations at the same time, which can feel stressful to someone with dementia. “A noisy, overstimulating, or unappealing setting makes this worse by making it harder to focus and engage,” Mednick added.

Since dementia impacts memory, all three neurologists say that it can lead to forgetting to eat or forgetting that they’ve already eaten. Part of what makes this even more likely is that dementia impacts the body’s hunger and fullness cues.

“Dementia makes it difficult to interpret the body’s internal signals for hunger and fullness and to connect them to external cues, such as the time of day or the sight of food,” Mednick said. He explained that damage to the brain regions that regulate appetite can blunt the drive to eat, while memory loss can cause someone to forget to eat, forget they just ate, or no longer recognise or communicate that they are hungry. “The result can go either way, leading to eating too little or, in some cases, overeating,” he said.

Even for someone without dementia, answering the whole “what’s for dinner?” question can be challenging. As the doctors explained earlier, mealtime requires planning, shopping and preparation. This, they shared, is why it’s common for people with dementia to eat the same meals or foods repeatedly.

“When thinking becomes effortful, every decision has a cost, and eating the same meal removes one decision from the day. Familiar foods are also predictable, which can feel safer when so much else feels uncertain,” Salinas said.

Fotuhi agreed, explaining that the same rigidity often shows up in other areas of life at the same time, such as insisting on the same daily schedule or the same clothing.

“A shift toward sweets is by far the most consistently reported change,” Mednick said, explaining that this change likely stems from damage to the brain’s reward and impulse-control circuits.

Fotuhi said that a newly developed sweet tooth is most common in those with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which is a distinct group of brain disorders that damage the frontal and temporal lobes. “The frontal lobe normally helps us regulate impulses and food choices. When it is damaged, that regulation weakens, and a strong pull toward sweet and starchy foods often emerges, sometimes dramatically,” he explained.

If you are a caregiver or loved one to someone with dementia who is experiencing these changes in eating habits, confronting these new hurdles can feel overwhelming. But there are ways you can make mealtime less stressful and more enjoyable for everyone.

Instead of pressuring your loved one to eat, Alison Neov, a registered dietitian specialising in geriatric nutrition, told HuffPost that it’s more effective to focus on creating a positive mealtime environment. You can do this by keeping meals on a consistent schedule and serving foods you know they like.

Neov said she finds it helpful to offer smaller meals and avoid overcrowding the plate with food. “A large meal can be overwhelming when your appetite is low,” she said. If using utensils is a struggle, Neov and Salinas both said that serving finger foods, like sliced chicken with a dipping sauce or a sandwich cut into fours, can be helpful.

If possible, Neov recommends eating meals together. “Sometimes a person with dementia may struggle with a familiar task like eating, and seeing someone else pick up a fork and start eating can remind them to do the same,” she said.

A set table indicates that it’s time to eat. To avoid confusion, Neov told HuffPost that it’s best to keep the table set only at mealtime, something she said is especially helpful if someone is eating too frequently. Between mealtimes, keep the table cleared to signal that it’s not time to eat.

When it is time to eat, Neov recommends eliminating other distractions, such as having the TV on.

As the neurologists explained earlier, one of the eating changes that often happens with dementia is a craving for sweet, carb-dense foods. “It’s also OK if your loved one is not eating perfectly. The emphasis at this time is on making sure that they are eating enough calories and maintaining their weight. If they are only willing to eat a few different foods, I would rather see them eating enough than worry about whether every food choice is perfectly nutritious,” Neov said.

Instead of taking away the foods they seem to be interested in Neov shared that it can be more effective to find ways to enhance them. “For example, you can make a delicious smoothie with nutrient-dense ingredients that tastes like a milkshake. My favourite combination is yogurt, frozen fruit, banana, nut butter, and a splash of milk or water,” she said.

Neov shared that pairing not-so-healthy foods with healthier options (like fruit, vegetables, and nuts) is another way to add nutritional value to snacks that are nutritionally lacking.

Navigating changes in eating habits can be challenging, so don’t be afraid to reach out for help, either to your loved one’s healthcare provider or a registered dietitian specialising in geriatrics. “They can provide you with strategies to help keep mealtimes stress-free and also as nourishing as possible,” Neov said.

Changes in eating habits don’t mean that someone definitely has dementia, but they do deserve a medical evaluation. Before jumping to conclusions, the first step is making an appointment with a healthcare provider. That way, you’ll truly know how you can offer your support.

Vladimir Putin is trying to “get Britain stressing” over the possibility Russia could target the UK, according to a BBC expert.

It comes after Germany confirmed Russia was responsible for last month’s drone attack at Leipzig airport in a worrying sign that Putin’s war in Ukraine was reaching into other countries.

The BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg suggested the Kremlin leader was now deliberately using “psychological pressure” to intimidate the UK over its support for Kyiv, too.

When asked by a journalist if military industrial facilities in the UK could become Russian targets – as Putin’s ally Andrei Fedorov said last week – Putin told the media on Tuesday: “That is classified. A military secret.”

Rosenberg told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he could not say with “100%” accuracy what the Russian autocrat meant by those words.

But he added: “My impression is the aim of that short sentence was psychological pressure, to keep Britain guessing, to get Britain stressing, stressing out about Russia’s intentions, and maybe to encourage Britain to think twice before being such a staunch supporter of Ukraine.”

He pointed out that a Russian newspaper recently claimed Andy Burnham should see Putin not in his dreams but “in his nightmares”.

“It doesn’t mean that Russian missiles are about to come raining down on UK defence facilities,” Rosenberg said. “But having said that, yesterday we did hear Germany’s interior minister talking about the well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe.

“There may well be concern in the UK that Russia could step up hybrid activity in Britain [like] hybrid attacks, sabotage, or covert operations.”

However, he noted: “Over the last four and a half years we have heard from Moscow to the west many warnings, many threats.

“We’ve witnessed much saber-rattling here.”

He added that Putin was even issuing threats to foreign nations on the day he invaded Ukraine, warning they would face intense consequences if they supported Kyiv.

So far, UK prime minister Burnham has shrugged off the heightened rhetoric coming from the Kremlin.

Moscow accused Burnham of adding “fuel to the fire” of the Ukraine war last week over the PM’s decision to give Kyiv key missile blueprints.

The PM replied: “Who started the fire? That’s the question, isn’t it.”

Putin has also deflected any blame over the drone attack at Germany’s Leipzig airport, claiming Berlin had planted evidence to blame Moscow.

He had no proof to back up his claim.

Rosenberg said: “Russia’s reaction is as you might expect: denial, and prolific finger-pointing the other way. In other words, Russia accusing the accuser.”

“We’ve seen this kind of reaction many times before whenever Russia is accused by something by western governments,” the specialist noted, pointing to Moscow’s reaction when accused over the Salisbury poisonings.

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