The Saffron Experiment · Gut Health
WOMEN'S HEALTH / MIDLIFE
The Question.
Can a film really change the way we talk about menopause?
I thought I knew plenty about menopause before watching a new film ahead of its UK cinema release. What surprised me wasn't the information. It was hearing women talk so openly about brain fog, anxiety, sleep, work and the things we still don't say out loud.
HANDPICKED / WORTH YOUR TIME
The Edit.
A handpicked mix of stories, questions and discoveries worth your time right now.
MIDLIFE / MONEY & FAMILY
We're saving for retirement, but what if we never live to enjoy it?
At nearly 51, with a mortgage, school fees and a ten-year-old to raise, I'm wondering how we're supposed to save for the future without missing out on the present.
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BEAUTY & AGEING
My 50th birthday Botox disaster and how to avoid the same mistake
I wanted a subtle refresh for my 50th birthday year. What followed was a rather less subtle lesson in Botox, expectations and knowing exactly what you are signing up for.
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WELLBEING / PERSIAN LIFE
Can a few strands of saffron in tea really make a difference to your mood?
I started drinking saffron tea as a small daily ritual. But was the saffron actually doing anything, or was simply stopping for ten minutes the part that mattered?
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FITNESS & REAL LIFE
Should I give up the gym?
The gym became part exercise, part routine and part community. So why did I suddenly find myself wondering whether it was time to walk away?
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PREGNANCY & BIRTH
Giving birth at 40: my induction and forceps birth story
I had the birth plan, the birthing pool and every episode of One Born Every Minute behind me. Then came the induction, epidural, forceps and a Persian clay cooking pot.
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FOOD / FAMILY / NEWCASTLE
Craving proper Persian food in Newcastle? This place deserves a visit
Saffron chicken, warm bread, kebabs and cardamom tea. We went looking for a taste of Persian family life in Newcastle and found something unexpectedly familiar.
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CULTURE / FAMILY / IDENTITY
East Meets West.
Two cultures, one family. Persian traditions, British habits and the everyday business of raising a child between two worlds.
PERSIAN CULTURE / NOWRUZ
Why was my husband beating a Persian rug in our garden for Nowruz?
Persian spring cleaning is rather more involved than a quick tidy-up. In our British-Persian household, it means carpets, clouds of dust and a husband determined to shake the house before the Persian New Year.
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EAST MEETS WEST / HALLOWEEN
The Halloween when Persian hospitality baffled British trick-or-treaters
Forget sweets. In our house, Halloween came with a Persian fruit bowl.
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PERSIAN NEW YEAR / FAMILY LIFE
We bought two goldfish for Persian New Year, but seven years later Dad’s tablespoon caused a family drama
What began as a Persian New Year tradition turned into a family story involving two goldfish, seven years and Dad’s tablespoon.
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PERSIAN HISTORY / IDENTITY
When Cyrus met Cyrus: A six-year-old’s encounter with Persian history at the British Museum
A young boy discovers the ancient Persian ruler behind his name, and a remarkable piece of history.
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OBSERVATIONS / REAL LIFE
Life, actually.
Health headlines worth questioning, numbers that
don’t tell the whole story, and the things that look
rather different from this side of 50, from childhood
stories to the family moments modern life has a habit
of squeezing out.
MIDLIFE & REINVENTION
At 50, I finally understand the film ‘Labyrinth’
I thought it was about finding Prince Charming.
At 50, I see a story about getting lost, finding
yourself and realising you had more power than
you thought.
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MARRIAGE
I married my Persian prince in a castle, but it took me 15 years to understand the fairytale
I wanted a Persian prince, a castle and Sarah’s
hair from Labyrinth. Years later, I
realise the fairytale wasn’t finding the prince.
It was everything that came after the castle.
THE BODY
Biological age in midlife: why your BMI doesn’t tell the whole story
We measure our bodies constantly. The more useful
question may be what they can actually do.
PARENTING & MODERN LIFE
When does saying no start to feel like parental failure?
A school ski trip, an expensive decision and the
uncomfortable question of what giving our children
“more” actually means.
VOICES / INTERVIEWS
The Conversation.
Interviews and conversations with women doing interesting
things, thinking differently, challenging assumptions or
just having something worth saying.
MATERNITY CARE / WOMEN'S HEALTH
“I wouldn’t trust me to look after a cactus”
The hidden pressure on midwives
We hear plenty about women’s experiences of maternity care. Less often do we hear from the people providing it. One midwife describes the staffing pressures, exhaustion and emotional strain behind the delivery-room door.
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Have a story to share?
If you’re doing something interesting, thinking
differently, challenging assumptions or just have
something worth saying, I’d love to hear from you.
WORK WITH ME →
THE SAFFRON EXPERIMENT
I wondered what
would happen if…
so I tried it.
Products, health claims, trends and ideas. I try them, look at the evidence and work out what’s useful, what isn’t and what probably wasn’t worth the bother.
EXPLORE THE EXPERIMENT →
BEHIND THE WORDS
Meet Saffron.
Saffron is a former newspaper journalist and PR professional writing about midlife, women’s health, fitness and the things she tests for herself through The Saffron Experiment.
MORE ABOUT ME →TRIED · TESTED · REAL LIFE
The Saffron Experiment.
From Persian beauty rituals to fitness and wellbeing trends, I put ideas to the test and report what actually happens. Some earn a place in everyday life. Others turn out to be more trouble than they're worth.
Wellbeing experiments
The cayenne pepper, Celtic salt and lemon water experiment
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Persian beauty
I tried an ancient Persian beauty ritual and then accidentally exfoliated my face with washing powder
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Fitness & midlife
I tried proper boxing at 46. It wasn’t quite Million Dollar Baby
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Beauty meets fitness
Can got2b Glued survive a Body Combat workout?
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Product review
I put magnesium salts in my bath for six weeks. I wasn’t expecting this to be the result
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Menopause & fitness
Can five-minute menopause workouts make a difference?
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TRAVEL & PLACES
Places we’ve been.
Family escapes, hotels and the places that leave us with something worth talking about when we get home.
CRETE, GREECE
Celebrating 50 in Crete
Nine days at the Mitsis Royal Mare, with family beach days, moussaka, cats and a little midlife indulgence.
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STRATHYRE, SCOTLAND
A family escape to the woods
A log cabin, Loch Lubnaig, canoeing, cycling, Persian barbecue and an unreasonable number of wasps.
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RHODES, GREECE
Atrium Prestige, Rhodes
A family stay in Rhodes, looking beyond the glossy photographs to see what a hotel actually feels like with a child.
READ THE REVIEW →
FOR TRAVEL PRs & TOURISM TEAMS
Planning your next travel campaign?
I’m interested in thoughtful family travel, hotels, destinations and experiences that give readers something worth talking about.
WORK WITH ME →
HOTELS / FOOD / FAMILY DAYS OUT / PRODUCTS
The Review.
From boutique hotels and family restaurants to toys and days out, we try them, test them and tell you what we think. No fuss, just our experiences.
HOTEL REVIEW / YORKSHIRE
The Burgoyne: can luxury and a toddler really go together?
A boutique hotel, gourmet dining and a small child with his own ideas about fine food.
Press collaboration
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RESTAURANT REVIEW / NEWCASTLE
Sachins Newcastle: dinner with a very small food critic
Punjabi cooking, a welcoming restaurant and the challenge of eating out with a toddler.
Gifted meal
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FAMILY DAYS OUT / LEGOLAND WINDSOR
We took our LEGO-obsessed Cyrus to Legoland Windsor, and here’s what we really thought
A weekend in Windsor, a colourful world of LEGO and one very excited young master builder. Here's how our family adventure went.
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TOY REVIEW / FAMILY FUN
ZipString review: the flying string that surprised the whole family
A flying string that seems to defy gravity. We put ZipString to the family test to see whether the novelty would last.
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TOY REVIEW / EARLY YEARS
Bunny Hutch Playset review, a toddler-friendly toy that teaches gentle care
A little rabbit home designed for imaginative play, with opportunities for young children to explore kindness and caring for animals.
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FAMILY EXPERIENCE / GOSFORTH
Canny Crafty: paint, pottery and a very messy afternoon
We took our little artist pottery painting in Gosforth. The results weren't entirely predictable.
Gifted experience
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RESTAURANT REVIEW / SOUTH SHIELDS
Zeera: can you enjoy a curry with a toddler in tow?
An Indian restaurant, plenty of poppadoms and one young diner with a healthy appetite.
Gifted review
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RESTAURANT REVIEW / NEWCASTLE
Persian Delight: a taste of Persia in Newcastle
We explore Persian food and family dining closer to home.
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I tried lemon water with cayenne and Celtic salt for …
Can lemon water with cayenne pepper and Celtic salt really improve your mornings? I put the much-discussed wellness drink to the test for seven days, with a little encouragement from H. From hydration and energy to claims about belly fat, here’s what actually happened in my kitchen, and why I might keep drinking it.