Over the last few days I seem to have become a magician... My act doesn't involve sawing a lady in half or pulling a rabbit from a hat... No no... it's far subtler than that. You see, in the blink of an eye I seem to have transferred several pounds from my wallet to my belly. All right, that was an awful gag. But really, I feel HUGE. If it wasn't roast turkey it was turkey sandwiches, turkey and chips (which is our annual Boxing Day treat) ..

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Boxing Day is drawing to a close, the kids are finally in bed, and I'm exhausted... There's nothing as wonderful as a family Christmas, but it doesn't half take it out of me. Drugged by good food and wine, I've been lolloping after the kids like a big old dog, clearing up bits of wrapping paper, discarded instruction pamphlets and bits of mince pie. I've watched so many kids' films on DVD, and played so many board games, that my head is still ..

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If you've been stressed with all that Christmas shopping this year... then here's something that might make you feel better. Remember I told you that story about my late grandmother waving at her own reflection in a department store mirror? Well, there's an even more bizarre story I've been saving up. I tell it only to ease the burden of your stress in the last two shopping days before Christmas... -------------------------------------- An aw ..

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At Christmas, my grandfather was his own worst enemy. He used the festive season as an excuse to polish off all the cheap whisky in the house, (especially if it wasn't HIS house.) What's more, he couldn't resist a single treat offered to him. Nuts, cake, turkey sandwiches heavily laden with sauces and pickles... you name it, he washed it down. And it would be entirely OUR fault. 'Ooh,' he'd angrily exclaim, swaying to his feet at the end of ..

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They say Christmas is a time of good cheer don't they? 'Tis the season to be jolly and all that...? Well one giant drugs company Merck seems to have had its Christmas present about 4 weeks early. And it's a present worth millions and millions of pounds. Ahhhhh... isn't that nice? No, it's not. Not when it's left over 200 people emptyhanded... -------------------------------- Had a heart attack...? Hard luck! ------------------------------- ..

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If the health police had their way, caffeine would be classified as a class A drug. Kitchen doors would be kicked down and users like me would be hauled in for questioning... ...and Lara would be facing 14 years in jail for possession every time she left Tesco's with two jars of Nescafe. Honestly, the reaction to caffeine is so strong I worry about people sometimes. I remember an American lady I met a few years back who practically threw Holy ..

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I don't know if this is a sign of things to come... But I've been staring blankly at the screen for the past hour trying to get today's letter started. Lara's even hoovered round me like I'm a piece of old furniture. 'Maybe you should just take me to the junk shop down the road,' I said, 'You might get a fiver for me.' 'Yes,' she agreed, 'but that's only because you have £4.50 in your pocket.' Anyway, to kickstart my brain, I've just followe ..

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If you saw me today, you'd be pretty shocked... My hair's sticking out at strange angles... there are bags under my eyes... my shirt is covered in sweat...and bits of furniture are lying all over the place. Yes, a hurricane struck the Collins household last night and it was tough going for all of us. Its name was 'Ruth', my overworked, underpaid, targetobsessed sisterinlaw. By the time she arrived for dinner, an hour late, she was stressed fr ..

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In The Good Life Letter, I often like to take a stroll off the beaten track of conventional thought. I mean, if you wanted me to advise 8 glasses of water and bed rest for every ailment, you could just pick up the health pages of your daily tabloid, couldn't you? There'd be no need for me or my strange facts! So I hope you don't mind me taking you on a brief journey into a subject that makes sceptical scientists weep. And yet many people beli ..

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I knew there would be a flood of emails about this... The Honey Garlic and Vinegar capsules I mentioned in last Tuesday's Good Life Letter kicked up some interest. All three ingredients are well known as natural medicines... But all three combined? To lose weight? Most of you found this fascinating. Except for my old mate Alan, who also subscribes to my letter. He wrote an email from Hong Kong to say: 'Capsules for weight loss? Are you tryi ..

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