“Here’s finally here.. Hello baby! Meet Oliver Paul Lucas. Born last night at 5.50pm, a very healthy 3.87kg. Mum and Dad are completely in [love],” the new mum wrote.
Talitha welcomed little Oliver with her husband of two and a half years, Ben Lucas, co-founder of Flow Athletic, who also shared a few cute pictures of his new son.
“Our little mate Oliver Paul Lucas has arrived. Our little blessing entered the world it 550pm last night weighing 3.9kg and 50cm long. @talithacummins is doing phenomenal and @wilburthespaniel the pumped to meet his little bro,” he captioned this one.
He posted this snap with the cheeky caption, “Oli getting ready for the next #flowafterdark #yogasilentdisco.”
Talitha announced her pregnancy news in February with a image of her sonogram. “Hey baby! #Regram of what’s happening in my womb right now. [Ben] and I are expecting a baby yahoo!!!! Such exciting news and feeling very proud and happy. Been trying to hide the bump on Weekend [Sunrise] for a few weeks now!! And a special thanks to the Sunrise peeps who have already guessed it. In [love]”.
Certain health conditions are well-publicised, but some seem to get swept under the rug and turn into silent epidemics that it’s become taboo to talk about. Well, not anymore. We’re putting these seven women’s health issues where they belong, front and centre, because the very fact that we’re women means we’re at risk.
Heart disease
The leading cause of death in Australian women over the age of 45 is coronary heart disease (CHD), but only 29% of us are aware of that. It’s caused by a cholesterol build-up which narrows your arteries, meaning your heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body. Many women can live with it for years without any direct symptoms, but it can ultimately be fatal. You’re at risk of developing CHD if you smoke, have high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure or diabetes.
Diabetes
A new case of diabetes is diagnosed every five minutes. Whilst men have a slightly higher chance of developing Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes is becoming more common amongst pregnant women. You’re more at risk if there’s a family history of Type 2, if you’re overweight, have PCOS or are an Indigenous Australian. Good news: you can easily assess your risk of developing diabetes by testing your blood glucose levels at your local Amcal pharmacy.
Dementia
Dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australian women. Whilst there are several different types of dementia – such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and vascular – they all affect the brain’s ability to function. Typically it affects those aged 65 or over, which can make it tricky to diagnose as forgetfulness is a natural part of ageing. A recent study highlighted that people with diabetes are at a 65% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis sufferers have uterus tissue growing outside of the womb which causes excruciating pain and, in some cases, reduced fertility. Just as harrowing as it sounds, unfortunately the source of the condition remains unknown. However retrograde menstruation – where the womb lining flows back through the fallopian tubes instead of leaving the body as a period – and genetics are thought to play a part. One of the main symptoms is very painful periods, so see your GP if you’re concerned. Don’t suffer in silence.
Stroke
The third leading cause of death in Aussie women is cerebrovascular disease. The medical term describes conditions that affect the blood supply to the brain, like a stroke. Factors such as smoking, being overweight, a poor diet and lack of exercise put you at a higher risk. A stroke requires urgent medical assistance so familiarise yourself with FAST diagnosis: the Face may drop, they may not be able to lift their Arms, their Speech may be slurred and Time is of the essence so call triple zero.
Osteoporosis
Over 1 million Aussies have osteoporosis. The common condition causes brittle bones leading to a higher risk of breaks or fractures in people over 50. The musculoskeletal disease is particularly prevalent in women post-menopause as lower oestrogen levels cause bones to lose calcium faster. Low vitamin D levels and coeliac disease put you at a higher risk of developing it, but you should also request a bone density scan if you’ve ever been on any medications that affect bone strength.
Depression
Women are more likely to experience depression and anxiety. Major life events such as pregnancy and menopause are thought to be key contributors with 1 in 10 women developing mental health issues during pregnancy and 16% of Aussie women suffering from postnatal depression. If you’re tired all of the time, feeling withdrawn and have been sad for a prolonged period, speak to your GP. The beyondblue online checklist can also help you measure your mood and work out the next steps.
Fact: diabetes can often go left untreated, flying dangerously under the radar. And considering more than 1.7million Australians have some form of the condition, this is a worrying realisation.
Similarly, these stars feel the same. At various points in their lives, they’ve been diagnosed with the health condition – be it pre-diabetes, Type 1, Type 2 or gestational diabetes – and now they’re turning their diagnosis into a conversation starter, raising awareness as they go.
This National Diabetes Week, scroll through this list of A-listers who are flying the flag for diabetes and using their star power to raise awareness for the condition.
Halle Berry was 19 when she fell into a diabetic coma that culminated in a type-2 diabetes diagnosis. It initially caught the actress off-guard, but she now takes daily insulin injections and sticks to a clean, healthy diet, telling the LA Times that she opts for “lots of vegetables; no breads… and lots of water.”
When Mariah Carey was pregnant with twins Monroe and Moroccan, now four, she was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes. Mariah recalls that it was “a really difficult pregnancy” and has openly said that she won’t be expanding her brood. Only time – or Mariah’s World – will tell.
Tom Hanks takes full responsibility for his Type 2 diabetes. He told the Radio Times: “I’m part of the lazy American generation… I was heavy. You’ve seen me in movies, you know what I looked like. I was a total idiot.” The actor is now working towards a target weight set by his doctor so he can reduce the risk of complications linked to diabetes.
Delta Goodrem’s ex, Nick Jonas, found out that he had Type 1 diabetes as a teenager. He co-founded Beyond Type 1, a non-profit charity that offers support, shared stories and information to those affected by the disease. He’s vocal about living healthily, even when your lifestyle is hectic.
Rob Kardashian was rushed to hospital late last year and diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. When big sis Khloe appeared on Good Morning America, she confirmed that he was taking the diagnosis seriously and said it had given him a reason to “jumpstart his health journey”.
Marcia Hines has lived with Type 1 diabetes for almost 30 years. The Aussie music icon manages it with regular exercise, a healthy diet and the occasional treat. In 2010, she starred in Sweet Talk – My Life with Diabetes in a bid to build awareness and education around the common health condition.
Salma Hayek had gestational diabetes whilst pregnant with her daughter Valentina, now eight. Not that she knew it at first: “I didn’t know whether I was feeling bad because I was pregnant or whether something was seriously wrong. I was nauseated for nine months, which can be one of the symptoms,” she told American Baby.
TV tradie Rob Palmer found out that he had Type 1 diabetes when he was just seven-years-old. The super-smiley chippie is typically upbeat about his health, saying speaking up about the condition is the best thing you can do. Despite taking home the title on Dancing with the Stars in 2010, he admits that the show was challenging for him: “I checked my blood glucose levels more than usual, required more insulin and ate less food.”
Cathy Freeman’s pre-diabetes turned into Type 2 after the birth of her daughter, Ruby, now five. Despite a family history of the disease, the diagnosis came as a shock to the Olympic gold medallist who believed she would be safe from “lifestyle” diabetes. Cathy’s since been committed to raising awareness that Indigenous Australians are three times more likely to develop the disease.
In more ‘science is a bit behind when it comes to women’s bodies’ news, it seems that the mystery of the female orgasm has finally been cracked. Well, sort of.
Women’s orgasms have long baffled scientists. Men need to orgasm in order to release sperm and further the human race. However, modern women do not need to orgasm in order to be impregnated by them. The female orgasm has no obvious purpose, other than pleasure of course, and so science has struggled to understand why the exist at all.
However, no researchers in the United States think they have worked out where they come from and why we have them, which is quite a claim.
So…why do we have orgasms? Drum roll please…
Apparently it’s all rooted in evolution. The authors of a new study, published in the Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B Molecular and Developmental Evolution, think orgasms developed to cause hormonal surges which would make reproduction possible.
Mihaela Pavličev, who co-authored the study, said ‘it’s important to stress that it didn’t look like the female orgasm looks now.’ It’s all about the ‘hormonal surge’ that, the study concluded, may have been ‘modified further in humans’ since.
Along with her co-author, Günter Wagner from the University of Yale, Pavličev looked at the anatomy and behaviour of other mammals in an attempt to solve the mystery of the female orgasm.
They found that hormonal surges occur during sex amongst cats and rabbits, letting the female’s ovaries know that it’s time to release some eggs. They call this ‘male-induced ovulation’.
However, humans don’t function in this way. As we know all too well, we ovulate at a specific and individual time once a month. This is otherwise known as ‘spontaneous ovulation’.
Pavličev and Wagner looked at this phenomenon throughout the evolution of various species and concluded that ‘male-induced ovulation’ came before ‘spontaneous ovulation’ which, they think, came about around 75 million years ago.
This lead them to conclude that human female orgasms could be rooted in this mechanism, by which eggs are released during sex but became redundant as we evolved beyond it and developed ‘spontaneous ovulation’, releasing an egg once a month.
The researchers also compared the genitalia across the ‘placental mammalian species’ by which they mean animals like us, primates, cats and rodents who have uteruses in which their young grow and feed off a placenta during pregnancy. They concluded that the position of the human female clitoris has also changed over time. It was once located in the ‘copulatory canal’ (the bit that the penis is inserted into), but over time, as we evolved to ovulate ‘spontaneously’ it moved further away. This, they think, confirms their theory that the orgasm was once needed cause a hormonal surge which would release an egg during sex.
As to whether or not this finally explains the purpose of the female orgasm Pavličev said ‘there is a lot of discussion about whether it could have any functions like in bonding behaviour and things like that – so we cannot exclude that it actually has co-opted some other function after it lost its function in reproduction’.
So, there you have it, this might be the evolutionary reason for the female orgasm but, it might not. Women’s bodies are, as ever, still a bit of a mystery to science.
This article was originally published on The Debrief.
Most people sell old furniture and cars on Gumtree.
But someone in Australia recently tried to sell two miniature ponies on the site. The ponies were in a terrible state; their hooves were overgrown and they could hardly walk.
It seemed to be a last minute ditch of the gorgeous animals. They were too much hassle and clearly, getting treatment for them was going to cost too much money.
So, where do the animals who no longer have a home actually go?
It’s probably something you’ve never thought of – from retired animals in entertainment industries to the greyhounds who will no longer be racing. Where do they go?
Well, that’s where Zambi Wildlife Retreat comes in.
Zambi provides homes and rehabilitation for retired animals and one fully operational, will be the only facility of its kind in Australia.
Donna and Kibulu
And what makes this non-for-profit organisation so special and unique is that they not only look after exotic animals, but farm animals and domestic animals, too. It becomes a sanctuary for animals of all shapes and sizes, to live out a quiet, happy life.
Located in Sydney’s west, Zambi cares for over 100 animals, including lions, tigers, dingoes, reptiles, birds, horses and monkeys, with the hope to bring in more.
The retreat is the brainchild of Donna Wilson, Traci Griffiths and Silke Bader, who formed the non-profit animal welfare charity in 2012. Their testimony is to help, rehabilitate, re-home and give shelter to misplaced, abused, injured, aged or homeless animals.
“My dream was to have a sanctuary for retired zoo and circus animals,” says Donna, who has worked with exotic animals for over 20 years.
Traci and monkey Lewy
Silke, who had known Donna for years, brought the idea to life. “She said to me: ‘Remember that dream of yours, I’m about to make it happen for you’,” remembers Donna when Silke called her and told her of her plan.
From there, the three women teamed up and began Zambi.
Donna is the operations manager, taking care of the animals and managing the facility, Silke is the business brains and Traci is on the creative side.
“Our goal is for the animals to come, retreat and live the rest of their lives in retirement – happily and peacefully,” Donna says.
Silke
Some of the animals need constant care which Zambi provides, and others are brought to the retreat after being mistreated by their owners.
As Zambi has grown such a name for itself for the incredible work they do, people in (or out of) the area approach them to provide a new home for animals that need it.
The three women have seen animals in awful conditions but, as Traci puts it: “we don’t care how big or small they are, all animals lives matter.’’
However, like many not-for-profit organisations, funding is an issue. They rely on donations, with 100 per cent of proceeds going to maintaining and developing the retreat.
The retreat is run with the help of volunteers and they’re always looking for tradespeople to volunteer their services at the property – like electricians, plumbers, builders and welders. To help out, click here.
Some of Zambi’s volunteers
Currently, Zambi is not open to the public, but Donna is trying to change that. They’re constructing an exhibition on the property, and hope to turn the grounds into a training facility for students to learn the ins and outs of caring for animals.
They’re soon opening up facilities on the property for international and interstate students to come and stay for two to four week blocks.
“Education is a big thing, especially for the captive care industry,” says Donna. “There’s always going to be animals in zoos and captivity so you want the best people looking after them. The students will come here and meet the lions and see how beautiful they are.”
Traci, an animal activist, hopes that seeing the majestic creatures up close will encourage people to become more aware about animals and the dark futures they face. “They might think twice about that fur coat and canned hunting,” she says.
There are currently 24 big cats that Zambi care for, some of which Donna has hand-raised. Naturally, she loves them like they’re her own children.
Children with mighty big claws and teeth, that is…
“I’ve worked with big cats for so long and I know them so well, so I don’t really have a fear. I’ve been put in hospital because of tigers. I know what it feels like to be bitten, so I don’t have a fear of that. It’s that fear of not knowing and being scared of the bite. Yes, it bloody hurts but that’s ok,” Donna laughs.
The one exhibit you might not see anytime soon at Zambi? Spiders.
“I’m scared of spiders. Not snakes and reptiles, they’re fine, but I can’t do creepy crawlies,” says Donna.
Fair call, Donna!
If you’d like to donate, volunteer or sponsor one of the beautiful animals at Zambi, head to their website here.
The Sweaty Betty founder revealed her cancer diagnosis in July, just three weeks after her husband Oliver Curtis was sentenced to a year in jail, for conspiring to commit insider trading in 2007 and 2008.
This week, he celebrated his first birthday behind bars.
To mark the somewhat tainted occasion, the 36-year-old shared a video of her two little ones wishing their daddy well.
“Unlikely you will get this but you might hear about it,” she captioned beside the video, which you can see for yourself in the player below.
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Over the weekend the blonde beauty, who is now the sole carer for the couple’s two children Pixie, four, and Hunter, two, was spotted at Sydney’s iconic Taronga Zoo, accompanied by Nine Network’s 60 Minutes camera crew.
The upcoming episode is expected to focus on the young family’s tough start to 2016, giving viewers a rare, candid look into the couple’s seemingly glamourous life.
And while it’s no doubt been a rocky few months, the brave businesswoman is getting through the storm with the help of her mother, who battled her own breast cancer a decade ago.
“Having my mum by my side who has suffered breast cancer and a mastectomy and come through fighting fit also makes things easier,” she admitted to The Daily Mail.
“Fear isn’t an option, I have my Pixie and Hunter to look after so a clear mind and a proper plan of attack to get over this is the only thing that I think about.”
This article was originally published on Woman’s Day.
The older brother of the slain beauty queen is set to give his first ever interview.
It’s one of the most notorious murder mysteries of the Nineties after six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was found dead in a bloody pool in the basement of her Colorado home on Boxing Day, 1996.
And now, almost 20 years after JonBenet’s untimely passing, her 29-year-old brother Burke Ramsey is breaking his silence.
Burke has never publicly addressed the tragic event – until now.
His three-part interview with Dr Phil promises to “reveal what he knows about his sister’s mysterious murder” and reflect upon the deep impact it’s had on him and his family.
The beautiful blonde beauty queen was discovered by her father John, beaten and strangled with a cord around her neck. It was later confirmed that she was sexually assaulted.
In a terrible turn of events, the focus soon shifted to JonBenet’s parents Patsy and John.
While there was never enough evidence to charge them, that didn’t stop the tide of public opinion turning against them. Reports also alleged Burke murdered his sister.
Patsy and John were finally cleared of any involvement from her death in 2008.
Watch John talk about trying to protect his son in the aftermath of JonBenét’s death in the player below. Post continues after the video…
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Last year, John admitted in an interview with Barbara Walters that he desperately tried to shield Burke from the salacious reports which linked him to his little sister’s murder.
“We tried to shield him from that. Friends would ask us, ‘what can we do to help.’ We’d say, next time you go in the supermarket, call the manger over when you see our child on the front cover and ask him to remove it. A lot of them did that,” John explained.
In April, a report from In Touch claimed JonBenet was killed by the hands of 26-year-old Michael Helgoth, whose family ran a junkyard near JonBenet’s hometown in Boulder, Colorado.
Burke and John share a hug at Patsy’s funeral in 2006. Patsy was buried next to JonBenet.
While this would be a huge breakthrough for the Ramseys, Michael Helgoth took his own life in 1997.
The Ramsey family were dealt another devastating blow when Patsy passed away from ovarian cancer in 2006, just two years before authorities officially exonerated her from the murder of her daughter.
Burke’s tell all is set to air from Monday, September 12.
The studio is rebooting Splash and it’s with a marvellous twist… They’re gender swapping the roles!
1984 cult classic originally starred Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah, catapulting them both into international stardom.
Remind yourself of the magic and check out the original trailer… Post continues after!
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Magic Mike himself will be stepping in Daryl’s beloved role of Madison the mermaid (or is it merman now!?)
Joining him will be Hollywood’s rising comedienne Jillian Bell, with the 32-year-old portraying Tom’s iconic role of Allen. According to Deadline, the whole concept was her idea!
While some fans haven’t been completely on board with gender-reversed reboots (ahem, look how well it worked in Ghostbusters), Twitter has spoken… And everyone is raising their tails for Channing the merman.
Jillian with Channing’s wife Jenna.
The duo have become fast friends and have even performed a rap battle together! Watch it below…
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“Things to make your Monday more OK: Channing Tatum is playing a mermaid That’s all you need,” on user tweeted.
Channing, 36, is no stranger to remakes, bedazzling us with his re-imagining of TV’s 21 Jump Street. The former stripper transformed the show into two hit flicks, which coincidentally is where he met Jillian.
Daryl, now 55, and Tom, now 60, starred in the fantasy over 20 years ago.
Late last year, Tom recalled the nerve-wracking audition during a chat with BuzzFeed.
“We had a read-through of it and I was very nervous. I was trying to score with all my lines and trying to get a big reaction or a laugh because that’s all I had done on TV is sell a script on Mondays and shoot it on Thursdays.”
“And afterward, Ron took me to the side and he said, ‘I know what you’re doing. You’re trying to get laughs, but your job is not to get laughs. Your job is to love that girl.’”
If making the girl fall for you is the task at hand, Channing is your man! Watch his tap his heart out in the player below! Post continues…*
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Splash is a modern take on Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale The Little Mermaid, in which a young man falls in love with a mermaid who has temporarily lost her fish tail to walk on dry land.
No doubt the magic will be recreated, thanks to classic’s original director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer both reportedly on-board for the remake.
Channing, who recently player a sailor in Hail, Caesar!, will have one fan in three-year-old daughter Everly.
Everly surely has given her dad the seal of approval!
We think Channing can get some mermaid tips from another ridiculously good looking person, Derek Zoolander.
Plus Channing already knows how to roll… surely that is an advantage when under the water?
No word on when the film will splash onto the big screen.
But if Magic Mike taught us anything, we know Channing can shake his tail feather… And now he’s gonna splash it.
We’re loving how much women are smashing Hollywood’s glass ceiling! Check out Melissa McCarthy slay it at her Ghostbuster’s reboot premiere in the gallery below!
An Asian elephant born at Melbourne zoo has died on Monday night after a rare condition made it difficult for her to stand.
Since her birth on June 15, six-week-old has Willow suffered from a condition called condition called Congenital Carpal Flexure, meaning her feet curled backwards and she was unable to get up to feed from her mum , Num-Oi.
The calf reportedly died in the Elephant Barn enclosure.
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