August 2026 Newsletter
What the Body Is Telling Us
August gave us one of those rare moments when people across the country paused and looked upwards. During the partial solar eclipse on 12 August, around 90% of the Sun was covered in London, our most substantial eclipse since 1999.
Even when we knew exactly what was happening, the changing light made familiar surroundings feel briefly different. It reminded us that our health can be similar: sometimes it takes a change in circumstances before we notice what has quietly been present all along.
As summer begins to give way to autumn, routines are changing again. Children are returning to school, adults are coming back from holidays, and many of us are moving from a more flexible pace into busier working days. This is a useful time to notice what the body may be communicating before discomfort becomes something we simply learn to tolerate.
This Month’s Health Thought: Making Real Food More Realistic
One initiative that caught my attention this month was The Real Food Show, a new online cooking series hosted by US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The programme invites chefs to prepare affordable meals using familiar whole-food ingredients and ordinary kitchen equipment. Recipes are designed to be family-friendly and, where possible, budget friendly per serving.
Our interest is in the practical principle rather than the politics: eating well does not always require expensive supplements, specialist products or complicated recipes. A few basic ingredients, prepared simply and eaten regularly, can provide a much stronger foundation than constantly searching for the latest “perfect” diet.
A realistic approach might begin with one meal each day. That could mean adding eggs, yoghurt or another protein source to breakfast; preparing enough vegetables and protein at dinner to use again the following day; or replacing one highly processed snack with fruit, nuts or something made from recognisable ingredients.
The objective is not dietary perfection. It is to make the healthier option easier to repeat.
This Month’s Article: When Back-to-School Stress Shows Up in the Body
The end of the summer holidays brings a sudden change of pace. Later mornings and flexible days are replaced by early alarms, crowded journeys, school bags, lessons, homework and organised sport.
Most children adapt well. Others begin experiencing headaches, tummy aches, neck or back discomfort, poor sleep, tiredness or an unexpected reluctance to attend school.
These symptoms should not automatically be blamed on “poor posture”, but neither should they be dismissed as attention-seeking or an inevitable part of growing up. A child may be responding to several demands at once: prolonged sitting, reduced freedom to move, academic expectations, friendship concerns, busy sporting schedules and insufficient recovery.
The central idea in this month’s article is the balance between load and recovery.
Load is not only physical. Alongside carrying bags and sitting in lessons, children manage visual concentration, busy environments, social relationships and emotional pressure. Symptoms may appear when these combined demands increase more quickly than their ability to adapt.
The article explains how parents can look for patterns without trying to diagnose the cause themselves. It also offers a practical seven-day reset involving sleep, calmer mornings, school-bag adjustments, movement breaks, hydration, regular meals and conversations that go beyond simply asking, “How was school?”
Most importantly, it discusses when persistent symptoms may benefit from an integrated assessment and when medical or other professional input is more appropriate.
Positive News from London: Children’s Lungs Can Recover
A particularly encouraging piece of research was published this month by the Children’s Health in London and Luton study.
Researchers followed more than 3,400 children aged six to nine from 84 primary schools over five years. Before London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone was introduced, the London group had greater exposure to traffic-related pollution and lower average lung function than the comparison group in Luton.
As nitrogen-dioxide exposure fell following the introduction of ULEZ, lung growth among the London children accelerated. By the end of the study, an important measure of lung function had caught up with the Luton group. The proportion of London children classified as having clinically impaired lung function also fell from 14% to 9%.
The findings show a strong association between improved air quality and healthier lung growth, although researchers rightly note that environmental studies are complex and other influences must still be considered.
What makes the result so hopeful is the evidence that childhood lung growth previously affected by pollution may improve when exposure is reduced. It is a reminder that the body is not merely shaped by what has already happened; given better conditions, it often retains a meaningful capacity for recovery.
Remembering Dolly Parton: A Legacy of Generosity
This month also brought the sad news of Dolly Parton’s passing. Many people will naturally remember her music, humour and unmistakable personality, but the affection expressed since her death has also revealed how deeply people valued her generosity and kindness.
Her Imagination Library, inspired by her father’s inability to read, has sent hundreds of millions of free books to young children. She also supported education, children’s hospitals, disaster relief and health research, often responding to complicated problems with direct, practical acts of help.
There is something worth remembering in that. A meaningful life is not measured only by talent or achievement, but by how people felt in our presence and what became possible because we chose to help.
Her legacy is a gentle reminder that generosity does not always need to be grand. Kindness offered consistently, in a family, workplace or community, can travel much further than we ever see.
Clinic Update
Following Harvey’s recent marriage, you may begin to notice his new family name, Wolmark-Young, appearing across the website and clinic communications. The practice itself and the care available remain unchanged.
Appointments continue to be available across our Central London locations. Depending on your individual needs, care may include full spine Activator Methods® chiropractic treatment, clinical photobiomodulation therapy, functional movement rehabilitation, postural and breathing guidance, or mindfulness-based support.
If you or your child are experiencing persistent pain, uncertainty about symptoms, difficulty returning to activity or would simply value a thorough assessment, please get in touch. We take time to understand the whole person, not only the area that hurts, and help determine the most appropriate next steps.
Contact us to ask a question or arrange an appointment
Thank you, as always, for reading and for continuing to be part of the practice community.
