The champion swimmer has a new bub, a new outlook on life – and an incredible new body and look to match.
Marathon swimmer Susie Maroney knows all about feeling exhausted – after all, she’s swum the English Channel twice, crossed from Cuba to Florida and thinks nothing of training for up to six hours in the pool. But all that pales into insignificance with the utterance of just four little words: three kids under three.
“Yes, I now have three children,” Susie says, laughing. “I’ve got Paris, who is three, Capri who is 19 months and now little River, who is nearly 12 weeks. I’m breastfeeding one, another is watching TV and I have another one asleep beside me!”
To say things are hectic in Susie’s house right now would be an understatement. And when you add to that the fact the 37-year-old is doing it all as a single mother, to find a spare moment for anything is something of a miracle. But last week Susie called on her devoted mum, Pauline, to babysit her two eldest and, with River in tow, took some precious time out for a much deserved “mummy makeover”.
And, as our photos show – she looks incredible. “I absolutely love it!” declares Susie, after a marathon eight-hour grooming session. “I like being blonde – when I’m dark, I look tired and that’s depressing. “I’ve been doing my own hair for 15 years and this is the best colour I’ve ever had. And I’ve never had hair this length before. I feel like a new person.”
Read more about Susie’s incredible makeover in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale Monday June 4, 2012.
The Aussie supermodel is “loved-up” with another handsome high-flyer.
Elle Macpherson has no trouble attracting men from all walks of life. But if her latest love is anything to go by, it seems the supermodel sticks with a particular type – dapper, successful businessmen with very big bank accounts!
The 48-year-old has gone public with her new relationship with British financier Roger Jenkins, 56, who’s said to be worth close to $480 million.
“They’ve been dating some time now, but it has all been very below the radar. They’re not an obvious match, but they get along very well,” a source close to the pair tells the UK’s The Mail On Sunday newspaper. “Roger is very charming, and very tall and athletic, which suits Elle. He’s a big presence.”
But it’s not as if Elle can’t hold her own with the finance powerhouse – she is worth a reported $63 million, thanks to her 30-year modelling career and lingerie and skincare lines. In fact, she’s always been drawn to major business players.
Read more about Elle’s new romance in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale Monday June 4, 2012.
Katie and Suri make their escape from “the madness” of Scientology.
Clutching hands last week, Katie Holmes and little Suri were, as always, two peas in a pod. But not for the first time in recent months, there was one noticeable absentee – dad Tom Cruise. And while the couple are quick to blame conflicting film schedules as reason for their increasingly separate lives, close friends tell Woman’s Day that something far more serious is afoot – and they lay the blame on an “ongoing conflict” between Tom, 49, and Katie, 33, over their six-year-old daughter’s involvement with the Church of Scientology.
One impeccably placed source explains that the tension is so bad, Katie can’t bear to live full time under the glare of Scientology. “I’d call Tom and Katie semi-detached rather than separated, but there’s no question Katie’s been moving away from the religion for the past couple of years,” says the insider.
“Katie doesn’t like to stay in the Cruise compound all the time because it’s totally dominated by Scientology. It can create an oppressive atmosphere, so she uses a second home a few miles away where she and Suri can escape from the madness.”
Katie’s reluctance to immerse herself in Tom’s controversial religion – of which he’s the proud poster boy – is a far cry from when she married him. “In the early days she made a lot of sacrifices for Tom – not least, joining the church herself,” explains the source. “She comes from a strong Catholic background, but she wanted to show how serious she was about the relationship.”
Read more about Tom and Katie in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale Monday June 4, 2012.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s next official royal duty is… parenthood!
It’s the news royal watchers around the world have been waiting to hear ever since Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot, and now the official word is in – they’re starting a family!
The palace is abuzz with excitement after Wills, 29, confirmed the happy news during a special TV interview with US ABC journalist Katie Couric. His announcement has made world headlines and set the internet alight with the news that the royal family is set to expand.
“I’m just very keen to have a family and both Catherine and I are looking forward to [it],” William explains, with a smile spreading across his face. Proving a baby is very much at the forefront of William’s mind is his landmark declaration that he’s giving up his career in the air force to be a father. When asked whether he plans to continue flying as a search and rescue helicopter pilot for the Royal Air Force, William replied, “I’m still trying to decide. It’s a really difficult one because I really enjoy my time in the air force.
“But the pressures of my other life are building. And fighting them off or balancing the two of them is proving quite difficult. “More importantly, I would rather like to have children – so that’s the key thing.”
Read more about Wills and Kate’s baby plans in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale Monday June 4, 2012.
A 36-year-old US man has labelled himself the world’s first ‘donorsexual’ after he revealed he has devoted his life to being a sperm donor.
Trent Arsenault, who has never kissed a woman but is the father of 16 children, says the term ‘donorsexual’ means 100 per cent of his sexual energy is put towards producing sperm for childless couples and he takes the role very seriously.
He has even overhauled his lifestyle in order to deliver his clients optimum sperm.
He recently moved to California’s San Joaquin Valley because it is “one of the most fertile places in America” and has created a strict diet and exercise regime to ensure he delivers healthy sperm.
This involves drinking “fertility smoothies” that consist of berries, natural sugars and nuts, doing “fertility exercises”, including jogging and weights, wearing non–restrictive clothing to keep his testicles cool, avoiding the sun and wearing protective clothing when he does go outside. He also limits donations to one per day, avoids car fumes and electrical equipment near his genitals and has vowed to remain celibate to avoid STDs.
“I used to long to have a wife and children of my own. But the more I donate, the less I feel that need. So I decided not to fall in love or have children as that would restrict my ability to be a donor,” Arsenault told UK newspaper The Sun.
“I still refuse to have sex because I don’t want to risk catching a sexually transmitted disease. If I caught an STD that would be the end of my days as a donor.”
Arsenault, who works in IT, has committed to offering sperm to more than 100 families and says his healthy diet will ultimately affect the health of the child he helps to conceive.
“I want to keep doing this for as long as I am healthy. I have never been in better shape and my sperm count is about 125 million per millilitre, around four times the national average,” he said.
“I don’t think I’m taking this too seriously. The ultimate reason for all this is to ensure the health of a mother and her baby. And I would argue it’s difficult not to be overly concerned about the health of a person you are helping.”
Arsenault, who doesn’t charge for his services, says he has helped all types of couples. And although he has met some of his children, he has no intention to help raise them. Each of his clients must sign a contract waiving his paternal responsibilities.
“It was amazing to see my children — up there with some of the most unforgettable experiences in my life. Tears came into my eyes,” he said.
“Some of the mothers were crying too. I’ll never forget meeting them.
“But I cannot have children of my own as that would lower my fertility. And giving other people children is the most important thing to me in the world.”
Queen Elizabeth II has worn some outstanding headpieces throughout her 60 years on the throne. In fact, she has worn more than 5000 hats during her reign.
One of the queen’s milliners, Freddy Fox, says he has made hundreds of her hats.
“She wears what she feels comfortable in and she looks good in. It’s, after all, a working uniform for a very, very energetic, working lady,” Fox told ABC News in the US.
And despite having so many hats, she often wears her favourites up to 20 or 30 times.
Flick through our favourite hats worn by the Queen here!
In 1981 the Queen rugged up in a mink coat and a beret style hat.
It’s hard to miss the Queen in this green patterned number!
In a simple styled coat, the Queen’s hat is the stand out piece of her outfit.
In one of her brighter styled hats, the Queen wears this yellow and blue combination.
The Queen in 1973 wearing a green and white hat by milliner Simone Mirman.
The Queen wearing a turban style hat during a visit to New Zealand in 1977.
The Queen wears a colourful headpiece during a trip to Fiji in 1977.
The Queen at the opening of the third session of the Scottish Parliament in 2007.
During a two day visit to Wales the Queen wore this matching hat and jacket.
The Queen wears at blue and black number in 2009.
The Queen arrives to unveil a memorial to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 2009.
In one of her slightly unusual hats in 2011.
The Queen in Barbados during the Silver Jubilee year in 1977.
Sticking to a more neutral tone, the queen wears a soft pink hat in 1980.
She is all smiles in this royal blue and black hat.
The Queen arrives in an open-top carriage in this simple pink hat.
On her most recent trip to Australia the Queen wore this matching hat and dress.
Terran Echegoyen-McCabe and Christina Luna breastfeeding their children while in uniform.
A photo of two military servicewomen breastfeeding their babies while in uniform has sparked outrage in the US because it is “disrespectful” to the armed forces.
The professionally shot photo shows Air Force employees Terran Echegoyen-McCabe and Christina Luna breastfeeding their children on a military base.
The image was used in a promotional campaign for Breastfeeding Awareness Month and quickly went viral, attracting a hailstorm of criticism.
The image has been widely condemned as an attack on the “respectability and professionalism” of the armed forces.
“As a former Marine, Active Duty, I am appalled by the notion that any service woman would feel it is appropriate to breastfeed a child while in uniform,” reads one comment.
“I believe it is an utter disgrace to all women before us who made many sacrifices for the roles we have today. I believe those who chose to breastfeed in uniform are only making a joke of the hard work and dedication of service women in the past.
“You wanted to participate in a career that is slightly more demanding than that of say a receptionist, housewife, lawyer, doctor, writer, so you should adhere to a more professional standard and take your job more seriously.”
Another comment reads: “I feel very strongly that respect for both the uniform and for women would be compromised should women breastfeed in uniform in public. Professional women do not breastfeed in public, and female soldiers, who are professionals, should not either.”
Echegoyen McCabe has defended her decision to breastfeed in uniform. She says she feeds her 10-month-old twin daughters everywhere and doesn’t think her uniform should stop her.
“I have breastfed in our lobby, in my car, in the park,” she told US TV show Today. “I’m proud to be wearing a uniform while breastfeeding.
“I’m proud of the photo and I hope it encourages other women to know they can breastfeed whether they’re active duty, guard or civilian.
“If you don’t want to breastfeed in your uniform, you don’t have to. But you should have respect for those who do.”
There are 11 things US military personnel are not allowed to do in uniform, including eating, talking on a mobile phone while walking, chewing gum, putting their hands in the their pockets, holding hands, kissing or hugging. Breastfeeding is not on the list.
Your say: Have you ever been asked to stop breastfeeding in public? Email your story to [email protected]
The quickest way to lose weight is to cut out starchy carbs, right? Maybe not, says dietitian Susie Burrell.
Carbohydrate-based foods, such as pasta, bread and even starchy vegetables, have been deemed taboo on many a weight-loss diet.
The theory is that if you cut out carbs (the primary energy source used by the body), you’ll burn fat instead and weight will literally fall off you. Unfortunately, like so many things in life, it’s not that simple.
Let me explain. Plant-based foods, including bread, rice, grains, fruit, starchy vegetables, as well as sugars, are primarily made up of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrate, one of the four energy-giving nutrients along with protein, fat and alcohol, provides 17kJ or 4 calories per gram.
Once one of these foods is eaten, it is broken down into glucose. This glucose is then used as fuel. Any glucose that is not used as fuel will be stored for later use.
Put simply, if you eat less carbohydrates, you’ll store less. However, over time, the body will simply reduce its metabolic rate in order to ensure the glucose that is available is used more efficiently.
Bottom line — you’ll need to eat less in order to burn the same number of calories.
The problem with low-carb diets
Have a chat to anyone who has ever gone on a low-carb diet and see how they fared.
Chances are they lost large amounts of weight, only to put it back on again when they allowed carbs back into their lives.
Since most people enjoy their carbs, cutting them out is generally not sustainable.
What would make more sense is to be smart about the type of carbohydrates you choose to tuck into, exactly how much you knock back and at what time you do so.
White bread, rice, processed cakes, biscuits, lollies, fruit juices, soft drinks and potato chips tend to be the type of carbohydrate foods most commonly chosen, but these types of processed carbohydrate are also digested rapidly and offer little nutritionally.
All in all, not such great choices. You see, rapidly digested carbohydrates or high GI carbs result in a relatively large amount of the hormone insulin being secreted.
Over time, this large amount of insulin will cause weight gain. And here’s where it gets really ugly.
Your body will then store fat, which will further reduce the ability of insulin to do its job and, suddenly, you’re looking at a cycle of weight gain and more insulin being released to compensate for it.
So, what to do?
First, let’s look at where we are today. The average Australian consumes a predominately high GI, carbohydrate-based diet.
Processed breakfast cereal and white bread toast are common breakfast choices, along with fruit and yogurt.
We then snack on fruit, crackers and muesli bars, followed by a lunch based around bread or rice.
Follow this with a pasta, rice or potato-based meal at night and your dietary intake sits at 50 to 60 percent total carbohydrate.
Now, these choices may be “healthy” and even “low fat”, but are proportionally too high in carbohydrate to support glucose and weight control long term.
The solution? Ensure the carbohydrate- rich foods you enjoy are the best quality, low GI carbohydrates available.
Everyone’s different, but teaming a carbohydrate-rich food with a protein-rich food at each meal is a good start.
It’s also a good idea to keep your intake of heavier carbohydrate foods, such as pasta and rice, lower at night when you tend to be less active.
A one-off treat or carbohydrate-based meal is not what makes us gain weight. It is our choice of breads, grains and snacks on a daily basis that determines our weight and health long term.
Read more of this story in the June issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.
Buried up to their necks in sand while the family dog looks on, Charles and Anne look like any other children on holiday — but the dog is a royal corgi and they are second and third in line to the throne.
Some 50 years later, Prince Charles has released clips from his favourite home movies to celebrate his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.
The videos, all shot by the queen and Prince Philip in the summer of 1957, show Prince Charles, aged eight, and a six-year-old Princess Anne enjoying their annual holidays at Sandringham in Norfolk.
The above clip shows the queen, Prince Philip, Charles and Anne lolling about on the lawn at Sandringham, while another shows the family messing around at nearby Holkham Beach.
Philip has buried his two young children up to their necks in sand, leaving them giggling and shouting with joy.
Charles personally chose the clips for a BBC documentary, A Jubilee Tribute to The Queen by The Prince of Wales, which is due to air in the UK tonight.
Charles offers many personal memories from his mother’s 60-year reign in the TV special.
She is famous for guzzling her go go juice and sprouting such lines as “a dollar makes me holler” on the controversial TLC series Toddlers & Tiaras. Now, Honey Boo Boo Child has landed her own reality TV show.
The six-year-old, whose real name is Alana, will star in the show called Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, which will move away from the beauty pageant stage and detail her life at home with her family.
Alana and her mother, June, became famous in an episode of Toddlers & Tiaras after June revealed that when 15 bags of the candy Pixy Stix didn’t boost Alana’s energy levels, she created her daughter her own “go go juice”, which contains a mixture of Mountain Dew and Red Bull.
The results of the juice certainly made Alana stand out with her instantly odd behavior, including swinging her arms in the air and rolling around on the floor, after taking “two big gulps” of juice.
The new show, which will include six episodes, has been described by the network as showing the family “doing what they do best” and includes “four-wheeling through mud pits and picking up road kill for the family cookout” at their home in rural McIntyre, Georgia.
The show, due to premiere in August, will star June, better known as the coupon queen after she revealed she purchases grocery items in bulk through coupons to pay for her daughter’s beauty pageant outfits and fees; Alana’s dad Sugar Bear; and sisters Lauryn, 12, known as “Pumpkin”; Jessica, 15, nicknamed “Chubbs”; and pregnant Anna, 17, known as “Chickadee”.
Your say: Would you watch Honey Boo Boo’s reality show?
.png?resize=380%2C285)
