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Victoria Beckham reveals her diet secrets

Victoria Beckham reveals her diet secrets

Victoria Beckham has always been slim, and now she has revealed the meal plan she follows to maintain her figure.

The 38-year-old is a fan of Natasha Corrett’s diet and cookbook Honestly Healthy, which encourages healthy weight loss through alkaline eating and allowing usual diet no-nos such as wine and pizza.

“Love this healthy eating cookbook,” Victoria tweeted last month alongside an image of the book.

Not surprisingly, the book and diet’s popularity have soared, thanks to her endorsement.

Natasha, who owns the Honestly Healthy company and is the stepsister of Sienna Miller, has a number of other celebrity fans including Robbie Williams and Natalie Imbruglia, who use her home-cooked alkaline meal service.

Throughout her book, she offers alkaline alternative recipes for pizza, brownies and risotto.

Natasha says she struggled with “every single diet there is” for years before discovering the key to healthy and happy eating.

“The thing we really want to stress as much as possible is that this is not a diet – it’s a healthy way of eating,” Natasha told the UK’s Dailymail.

“The whole reason for creating it was to get out of faddy diets. The alkaline eating plan is about getting your body into the optimum state it can be in – and alkaline is healthier than acidic. When your body is alkaline you have clear skin, greater concentration, shiny hair – all the things you want, with the bonus of weight loss.”

The Honestly Healthy cooking plan involves removing refined sugars and replacing them with alternatives such as honey, agave and coconut palm sugar. The recipes make sure that 70 percent of food is raw and uncooked and drinking hot water with lemon every morning to bring alkaline levels up.

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Ellen gives Aussie brothers $25,000

Ellen gives Aussie brothers $25,000

It was surprising enough for Sydney brothers Julian and Dailius Wilson to win their way to Los Angeles to meet their idol Ellen DeGeneres, but the surprise she had in store for them surpassed their expectations.

The brothers, who were flown to LA to watch a live taping of The Ellen DeGeneris Show in LA, were presented with a $25,000 cheque to help their sick father.

The boys’ dad Mark Wilson has been battling a brain tumour for the past year-and-a-half and their family has been struggling with the sad news ever since.

During the show, Ellen revealed she had been touched by their family’s battle as the clearly emotional brothers spoke about their “strong” mother who has kept their family together.

“We have stuck together as a family and it’s gotten us through it,” Julian explained.

Ellen told the boys she had something to cheer them up and brought out T-shirts like the ones the boys wore that got them on her show – but with the words reversed. They read: Ellen (hearts) Julian” and “Ellen (hearts) Dailius.

Ellen then presented the brothers with a donation, thanks to Swisse Wellness, to help with their father’s medical bills.

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Chrissie Swan admits to smoking while pregnant

Chrissie Swan welcomes third child

Chrissie Swan has opened her own can of worms after admitting to smoking while seven months’ pregnant.

The radio host and mother-of-two said she tried to quit the habit when she found out she was pregnant with her third child but found it too hard to go “cold turkey”.

The 39-year-old said the stress of her professional life, which includes her two radio shows and TV commitments, along with her personal life, were too much for her to handle so she decided to have a “sneaky cigarette” a few times a week.

“I made a deal. I would go easy with myself and smoke a few a week – only when absolutely necessary, after work alone in the car, and I figured it couldn’t do any damage and it would let me deal with properly quitting when I wasn’t so busy later on,” she said in a radio interview.

Chrissie admits she kept her sneaky smoking a secret, not even telling her family.

“I knew it was wrong but there is so much terrible judgment that only awful people and bad parents and idiots and bogans smoke during pregnancy, and I didn’t feel like I belonged in any of those categories so I kept it all under wraps and dealt with it how I could.”

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Meet Shakira’s son Milan

Meet Shakira's son Milan

Shakira has shared the first beautiful baby photo of her son Milan via twitter.

The 36-year-old first time mum posted the image of Milan, who was born on January 22 in Barcelona, alongside her partner Gerard Pique, with the tagline: ‘My two angels’.

The image shows Milan fast asleep while his soccer-star dad plants a kiss on his forehead.

The Colombian singer also announced that the picture could be seen on the UNICEF website, and urged fans to donate to a baby shower on behalf of needy children helped by the UN children’s agency.

This isn’t the first time Shakira has spoken out for UNICEF. As the charity’s goodwill ambassador, she has previously asked fans to make donations to provide polio vaccinations and other aid.

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Women more likely to get pregnant if they live near their mothers

Women more likely to get pregnant if they live near their mothers

Women who are trying to get pregnant are more likely to conceive if they live near their mother, a new study has found.

Researchers at the University of Essex studied the records of 2000 women of the same age, income, fertility and social class who were trying to start a family of their own.

They were stunned to discover that those living close to their mum or other close relatives were “significantly” more likely to get pregnant than those with family living further afield.

Researchers had theorised that having family — aka potential childcare — nearby would make women more relaxed, making her more likely to conceive, but they were shocked by the strength of the link.

“We were surprised that we actually found a significant effect,” study leader Dr Paul Matthews said.

“We thought that maybe there might be a relationship, but we were surprised that the relationship remained even after we controlled for a whole myriad of social and economic background factors.

“Comparing two young women who have effectively the same income, education, religion, ethnicity, the young woman who is closer to her family still seems to find it significantly easier to have children.”

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Just who is shopping at Sydney’s new Dior superstore?

Just who is shopping at Sydney's new Dior superstore?

Sydney's new Dior boutique.

Sydney’s fashion elite were out in force last week at the opening of the exquisite new Dior store, the first flagship store in the Southern hemisphere for the famed Paris fashion house.

Dior has a lovely historic connection to Sydney: in 1947, Christian Dior sent seventeen of his preferred, ultra Parisienne “mannequins” to model his ‘New Look’ collection at David Jones.

The fashion house has of course seen many changes since, the most controversial in recent times being the abrupt departure of flamboyant and controversial head designer John Galliano in 2011.

Galliano was replaced by former Jil Sander designer Raf Simons, and the change in the design philosophy was immediately evident.

His more pared-down aesthetic is driven by a desire to, in his words “change the psychology of people who are interested in couture … to make it more dynamic, appeal to a person who has a different energy. A younger person, in mind, not necessarily in age.”

So who is the Dior customer in Australia, and just how many clients are ready and waiting to purchase the new signature “Bar” bag, (the name of which is based on the original signature “Bar” couture jacket) at a price which hovers around $4000?

The company is most certainly looking to engage a local well-heeled clientele, given the CBD location, as most tourists tend to shop closer to the Rocks.

The Dior store carries a comprehensive Ready-to-Rear women’s line, the Dior Homme menswear collection, accessories and fine jewellery and can certainly be counted as one of Sydney finest luxury stores, after its mammoth and precise renovation.

According to sources, the feedback from clientele just three days after the doors opened was hugely positive.

Simons’ fresh take on Dior has produced what look like some early classics, such as beautiful, sleek tuxedo suits with gentle hourglass silhouettes (a new look on the New Look) and discreet handbags that are less logo driven, a ‘stealth wealth’ idea that may resonate more with customers, mindful of ostentatious flashing of cash in the current GFC climate.

Is the Dior customer going to mix up pieces with a bit of H&M, or Topshop? Not really.

It’s for someone who wants the best, and is willing and able to pay for the best. When you stand amidst of the hushed glamour of the new Sydney Dior store, it’s not difficult to understand the temptation.

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Like mother, like son: Prince Harry heading to Africa

Like mother, like son: Prince Harry heading to Africa to help HIV orphans

Princess Diana with an AIDS orphan in 1996, and Harry in Africa in 2010.

His mother was known as the Princess of Hearts and Harry looks set to follow in her charitable footsteps, announcing a trip to Africa later this month.

The 28-year-old prince will visit Lesotho and South Africa from February 25 to 28 to pledge his support for the fight against HIV and AIDS.

He will spend the first two days of the visit travelling privately with his close friend Prince Seeiso, who co-founded Harry’s charity Sentebale.

Sentebale recently launched a campaign to support children affected by HIV/AIDS and Harry will travel the tiny kingdom learning more about the initiative.

He will then fly to Johannesburg in South Africa to attend a gala dinner which will raise funds to build Lesotho’s first permanent centre for children suffering from the disease.

Harry met Seeiso in 2006 when his gap year travels took him to Lesotho.

The pair set up Sentebale — which means “forget me not” in the country’s native language Sesotho — the same year. The name was chosen to pay tribute to Harry’s mother Diana who devoted much of her time to raising money for AIDS research.

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In review: Revenge, Silver Linings Playbook and more!

In review: Revenge, Silver Linings Playbook and more!
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Are you doing enough for your bones?

Are you doing enough for your bones?

You may think you’re doing enough to keep your bones healthy, but how can you ensure they stay strong for a lifetime?

A new study has found that Australians need to do more to keep their bones healthy for a lifetime – focusing on their care and strength over the long term, not just the present.

The study by, Osteoporosis Australia published this week in the Medical Journal of Australia, pinpoints key areas of concern and proposes ways in which people can tackle osteoporosis – the bone disease affecting up to 1.2 million Australians today.

Lead author Professor Peter Ebeling from the University of Melbourne said that bone care needs to start as early as childhood – and remain a primary focus all the way through life.

“When we look at optimising bone health, we must look at the whole life cycle and extensive research gives us clear directions on what is required at different stages,” he said.

“The strategy focus is on simple interventions to ensure people have adequate levels of calcium intakes, levels of vitamin D and appropriate physical activity throughout their lives.”

Ebeling, who is also a Councillor of The American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, revealed that both general practitioners and their patients often overlook bone health and as a result, osteoporosis is often not diagnosed until fractures in the bones have occurred.

“A lifelong approach to building and maintaining a healthy skeleton is paramount,” he said.

It is estimated that 6.3 million Australians have low bone density, with up to one third of adults having low vitamin D.

Those at greatest risk of not meeting daily calcium requirements are teenagers, who tend to replace milk with carbonated beverages. Also pregnant women and darker skinned people need additional vitamin D.

How can you improve the health of your bones?

Exercise and nutrition are key to maintaining bone health.

Adequate calcium intake, together with normal levels of vitamin D (which helps the body absorb calcium) are essential for maintaining strong bones.

Good sources of calcium include: milk, yoghurt, cheese (low fat options contain similar levels of calcium), canned salmon or sardines, tofu, broccoli, bok choy, almonds, dried figs and dried apricots.

Most Australians absorb vitamin D through exposure to the sun, and food alone is not an adequate source. Certain foods such as mackerel and herring, eggs and liver provide small quantities but it’s advised that in winter, or for those with limited exposure to the sun, supplements are taken to increase levels of vitamin D.

Regular physical activity and exercise play an essential role in maintaining bone health. Jogging, walking, or stair-climbing three times per week can help us achieve a higher bone mass, and delay degeneration.

3 facts about bone health

  • Peak Bone Mass – the point at which our bones are at their highest density – is achieved by our early 20s, and nearly 40 per cent of Peak Bone Mass is acquired during puberty. This is why adequate calcium is essential for children and teenagers.

  • Adults generally require 1,000 mg of calcium per day in order to maintain their bone strength.

  • As we get older, our bodies absorb calcium less effectively – with more being lost through the kidneys. Both men and women therefore need to up their levels of calcium intake in later life – to over 1,300 mg per day.

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Victoria Beckham confesses “I miss LA!”

Victoria Beckham confesses "I miss LA!"

Life is on the move once again for Victoria Beckham, and it seems change is bringing mixed feelings for the busy fashion designer and mum of four.

Signing a new contract this week with French football team Paris St Germain, Victoria’s soccer-star husband David Beckham sealed the deal on a new life for his family back in Europe – meaning a move back to London and new schools for their three boys.

Victoria, who was taking part in a live Facebook chat on Monday for Elle magazine, revealed: “I miss LA! I love America and am very excited to be in New York for Fashion Week, but I’m enjoying spending time in London.

“The boys are loving their new schools and we’re all very excited about also spending some time in Paris over the next few months!”

According to the UK’s Daily Mail, the A-list couple have already enrolled their three sons in a $23,000-a-year London school and are currently house hunting in South-West London.

“The thing they are most concerned about is giving the children stability,” revealed a source close to the family. “What is nice about being back in the UK is that they would be near to both their families again.”

The 38-year-old fashion designer responded to questions from fans, not only on the big move but also the pressures of juggling motherhood with a hectic work schedule.

She said: “Every mother struggles with balancing work and a family. I focus and plan really thoroughly.”

Victoria is currently in the US with her 19-month-old daughter Harper, and gearing up to unveil her latest collection at New York Fashion Week.

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