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.
READ THE STORY →
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.
READ THE STORY →
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?
READ THE STORY →
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?
READ THE STORY →
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.
READ THE STORY →
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.
READ THE STORY →
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.
READ THE STORY →
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.
READ THE STORY →
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
Read the story →
Persian beauty
I tried an ancient Persian beauty ritual and then accidentally exfoliated my face with washing powder
Read the story →
Fitness & midlife
I tried proper boxing at 46. It wasn’t quite Million Dollar Baby
Read the story →
Beauty meets fitness
Can got2b Glued survive a Body Combat workout?
Read the story →
Product review
I put magnesium salts in my bath for six weeks. I wasn’t expecting this to be the result
Read the story →
Menopause & fitness
Can five-minute menopause workouts make a difference?
Read the story →
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.
READ THE STORY →
STRATHYRE, SCOTLAND
A family escape to the woods
A log cabin, Loch Lubnaig, canoeing, cycling, Persian barbecue and an unreasonable number of wasps.
READ THE STORY →
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 →
How can I tell the difference between a gym I’…
At 50, I’ve started wondering whether I should give up the gym. Between winter motivation, changing classes, school fees and the cost of membership, there are plenty of reasons to leave. But I’ve also realised I wouldn’t just be leaving a gym. I’d be leaving the people who have become part of my life.