After years failed relationships and lukewarm career choices, Dannii Minogue’s luck is finally looking up.
The petite X-factor judge now has her dream role in the US and a rugby player turned model to boot.
The other Minogue sister had a ringside seat as her boyfriend Kris Smith took to the catwalk for the Myer fashion show in Sydney recently, having flown in just hours earlier from Britain to surprise him for the evening.
Looking hopelessly smitten, Dannii sipped champagne, clapped and smiled as her new love strutted his stuff. The singer couldn’t contain her excitement as she told friends at the show ‘I just may run onto the stage and jump him’.
Reports say the two are heading for an early engagement, with Dannii confessing on Twitter this was her year for ‘nesting… know what I mean?’
Meanwhile the stunning brunette has raised eyebrows in the US for her choice of clothing and her new cropped haircut – which bare a striking similarly to American Idol judge Victoria Beckham.
Ricky Martin is proving to be every bit the doting dad, happily showing off pictures of his twin boys via Twitter, just in time for their first birthday.
Ricky posted photos of Valentino and Matteo, born through a surrogate mother last year, playing on the beach and snuggled in their dad’s arms.
The sexy singer also revealed details of his sons’ blossoming personalities and their family life.
“Valentino loves to sleep. I call him ‘Mr. Peace and Love’ because he’s so chill and serene. Matteo is more alert and active.”
The proud father has taken a break from touring in order to look after his boys, but is rumoured to be working on a new album due out next year.
Ricky says his main priority is still his kids: “I don’t have a nanny. I’m doing this on my own because I don’t want to miss a moment. I’m the one who changes the diapers, the one that feeds them, the one that bathes them, the one that puts them to sleep.”
Ricky’s decision to raise the boys alone and via a surrogate has further fuelled speculation about his sexuality, but has continued to dodge questions on the matter.
“I am a modern man, live a full life, do not feel any barriers inside myself,” he has previously said on the subject.
The term "luxury" is subjective depending on your personal style, taste and monetary means, but more and more people are finding ways to save on everyday things.
“Personal luxuries, holidays and restaurant meals are off the menu as Australian families look to tighten their purse strings,” according to research by ING Direct. So what are some luxuries we can all afford on a budget?
Many of my girlfriends (as a former model myself, they’re mostly ex-models) have recently either returned to their natural hair colour, so they only need the hairdresser every three months, or do their own at home.
One particular group of industrious friends in Los Angeles has started organising their own “beauty days”, where they do each others’ nails, facials and hair colour after buying the products from discounted hair-care and beauty supply stores. Think about it: shopping, beauty and budgeting. It sounds pretty good to me!
Also they buy scented candles and bubble bath (for the foot spa) to complete the ambiance and every now and then they get a good fake-tan product which they can all share. They also take turns having it at each others’ places.
Another couple I recently read about gave away all their worldly possessions so they could travel with their baby around Australia. The only puzzling thing is they also gave away their money and their car; I am not sure how they’re going to pay for transport for their “social experiment” around Australia. I think they might have taken the “time” luxury a little far. Still, maybe that’s luxury to them. Good luck to them!
For birthday dinners, people are reportedly choosing cheaper restaurants or opting for home-cooked meals. I have to say I am split on this one. I love home cooking but I am also a sucker for cheap Thai.
A recent finding relating to lifestyle risk is the association between lack of sleep and Type 2 diabetes.
Humans, it seems, were designed to get around seven to eight hours sleep a night and they did, until Thomas Edison came along and invented the light bulb. Since then and with the advent of night-time entertainment and liberal amounts of money to spend, today, we are twice as likely to get less than seven hours a night than those living a generation ago.
So what does this mean? According to a new study from the National Institutes of Health in the US, those who sleep less than six hours a night have almost a 400 per cent increased risk of diabetes compared to those who sleep from six to eight hours a night.
There seems to be no effect of sleep longer than eight hours, although previous studies have also shown a mild increase in risk with this group.
What is your risk? Try this Sleepiness Test. The reason for the increased effect is not known. It’s possible, of course, that short sleepers have bad lifestyles – poor diet, inactivity, smoking etc. – which may account for the effect.
Yet even where these factors are accounted for statistically, the effect remains. Hormonal changes are the other possible causative factor and researchers are now focusing on this.
Still, the words of Bon Jovi – “I’ll live while I’m alive and sleep while I’m dead” – could be ringing in scientists’ ears. Those who take up this mantra may actually be dead earlier than they think. For more information on healthy sleep, check out this Lifestyle Medicine article.
Your say: Do you suffer health problems from lack of sleep? Tell us below.
You already know the basics for coping with stress — eating sensibly, getting enough rest and exercise, drinking less coffee and more water. But what about those subtle ‘energy vampires’, the thoughts and habits that make you feel joyless? Here are five lesser-known causes of exhaustion and what you can do about them.
Connect with nature. Working and exercising under artificial light disrupts your natural rhythms. Spending time in nature, on the other hand, comforts your soul. Despite being surrounded by unimaginable despair, Anne Frank wrote, “The best remedy for anyone who is lonely, unhappy or afraid is to go outside and be with nature. Only then does one feel that all is as it should be.” Take a walk first thing in the morning, near trees if possible. Feel the sun on your face, go barefoot whenever you can, and plan weekend bushwalks or camping trips.
Pick a flower. The flower essence centaury is helpful for people who are easily drained by the demands of others. Dr Edward Bach wrote, “Such people are good-natured but over-accommodating. They spend too much time helping others and neglect themselves in their desire to please.” If you find it difficult to say “No”, this essence will encourage you to set boundaries.
Help something grow, whether it’s a child in the Third World, a rescue animal, or a rosebush. To feel fully alive, you need a sense of meaning, a belief in things that are bigger than yourself. The poet Emerson wrote, “It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life that no man can help another without helping himself.” Your spirit is enriched when you give of yourself in a practical way, no matter how small.
Breathe deep. When you are stressed you breathe shallowly, using less than half of your lung capacity; plus, sitting for long periods causes carbon dioxide to build up in your body, which makes you sluggish. Together, these result in inadequate oxygen for metabolism, which is how your body produces energy. The ‘breath of fire’ is a yoga exercise that helps expand your breathing capacity. Breathe in deeply through your nose, then exhale using 15 short, sharp bursts, clenching your intercostal muscles (between your ribs)to expel more air from your lungs. Repeat three times.
Go on a media diet. Research from the University of California should ring alarm bells with anyone who feels overwhelmed trying to keep up with news updates, web gossip, Twitter, blogs, emails, e-adverts and alerts. This digital flood is making us apathetic and detached, says study author Dilip Jeste, who calls it the “Yeah — whatever” response. Solution? Be selective about Internet use. Turn off the TV. Stimulate your mind with puzzles and conversation; find insight by writing in your journal; get grounded with a simple daily routine of yoga and quiet contemplation.
Recent research suggests that modifiable risk factors are contributing to more than a third of cancers. Such factors include being overweight or obese, having a low fruit and vegetable intake, physical inactivity, and smoking or alcohol use. Diet-related cancers in Australia account for the loss of more than 7000 potential years of life. Between 30-40 percent of cancers are diet related, including bowel, breast and stomach. Colon cancer affects approximately 9500 Australians and kills around 3500 every year. Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in women.
Improving your diet can help protect your body against cancer. We have known for some time that reducing your dietary intake of fat (particularly saturated fat) and salt, eating more plant foods rich in dietary fibre and phytochemicals, maintaining a healthy body weight and drinking alcohol in moderation are important considerations in cancer prevention.
A diet rich in grains, fruit and vegetables is particularly important. Not only are these foods low in fat and high in fibre, but they also contain antioxidants, which help to fight cancer. These antioxidants work to mop up the free radicals, or unstable molecules in your body, that can cause changes to cells that lead to cancer.
Antioxidants are still big news, but it seems not all antioxidants are equal. Some human research has found it difficult to separate the benefit of antioxidants from the other healthy parts of the diet. It seems that antioxidant function may work best in natural foods and there may be synergies between other antioxidants and bioactives/phytochemicals/nutrients in the food that create the greatest benefit.
Along with these guidelines, The Cancer Council Australia recommends eating meat in moderation — three to four serves of cooked, lean red meat each week. You should also limit high heat forms of cooking meat such as barbecuing as the smoking and charring of meat can also cause the production of harmful, cancer-causing chemicals like nitrosamines and heterocyclic amines. However, exciting new research is showing that culinary herbs may help. Adding some rosemary to barbecued lamb, for example, helps to prevent the formation of cancer-causing compounds. For similar reasons it also pays to watch out for smoked foods like smoked fish and bacon.
The Cancer Council of Australia recommends that you limit or avoid drinking alcohol. Their guidelines are to have one or two alcohol-free days a week and limit yourself on other days to no more than one standard drink for women and two standard drinks for men.
For great tasting recipes and more information on maximising your wellbeing, pick up a copy of The Australian Women’s Weekly’s cookbook, Wellbeing: Healthy Eating — Foods that Fight Back.
There are more and more food products on supermarket shelves that claim to enhance mood and boost mental function. So, how does food affect your mood? And even if you feel good now, are there foods that can make you feel even better?
You are what you eat:
According to a UK study – The Food and Mood Project – food can have a considerable impact on our mood. Eighty percent of the people surveyed for the study reported significant improvement in mood swings, depression and anxiety when their eating style was based on “supporter foods”, such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, wholegrain foods, oily fish and water.
The researchers also found that “stressors” on mood were foods containing excessive refined sugar, caffeine and alcohol. The foods identified as “stressors” initially stimulated the body, but eventually, left people feeling depleted and more stressed because they provided little nutrition.
Sanitarium’s Advice:
Choose fruit and vegetables: They are top of the list when it comes to mood-boosting foods. Choose a range of foods in different colours to meet your nutritional needs each day.
Make water your main drink: Drink at least two litres of water a day. Keep a water bottle at your desk or in your bag – its convenient and will help you keep track of how much you drink.
Snack on nuts and seeds: Make snack packs by adding dried fruit to nuts and seeds, and keep them handy.
Reduce “stressors”: Cut back on caffeine, alcohol and refined sugary foods such as lollies, poor-quality chocolate and soft drinks.
Eat breakfast: It’s the best way to prepare yourself for the day. Wholegrain breads, cereals and muesli are great choices. During the cooler months, porridge with fruit and honey is both nutritious and comforting.
Seek advice: It’s important to talk to a professional if you have been feeling down or depressed for more than two weeks.
Here’s a statistic to make you think twice about what you eat: an unhealthy diet may be behind up to one-third of all cancers. It’s vital therefore to increase your intake of fruit and vegetables. They contain phytochemicals and antioxidants, which countless studies have shown help to protect, block or suppress cancer-causing cells and tumours. Many help to protect against specific cancers, too:
Broccoli and cabbage contain glucosinolates, which break down to fight lung and colon cancers. (Tip: if you can’t stand broccoli, but want its cancer-fighting properties, look for broccoli sprouts, available in health food stores and some supermarkets. They’ve got a tangy yet delicate taste, and they contain up to 50 times the concentration of the protective chemical sulphoraphane found in mature broccoli.)
Citrus fruit is high in antioxidant flavonoids that protect against stomach and oral cancer.
Garlic has been shown to reduce the size of colon tumours.
Grapes, or rather, their skins, contain resveratrol, which inhibits cancer development.
Soya contains a naturally occurring plant oestrogen that mimics the action of the anti-breast cancer drug tamoxifen.
Tomatoes contain lycopene, which protects against cancer-causing pollutants and helps guard against stomach and prostate cancer.
Watercress contains a substance called phenethyl isothiocyanate, which preliminary research findings indicate may help prevent lung cancer.Support the Cancer Council for Daffodil Day: Sorbent will make a donation on behalf of all the top 3 arcade challengers! Click here to take the Sorbent Arcade Challenge.
Getting your daily dose of activity is one of the most important ways you can help prevent cancer.
Activity, along with a diet and weight, are factors that can account for at least 30 percent of all cancers – including bowel cancer, breast cancer, possibly prostate, uterine and lung cancer, according to the Cancer Council.
The Cancer Council recommends putting together at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most – preferably all – days of the week. It doesn’t have to be continuous – 3 x 10 minutes sessions are also good. Each activity session should last at least ten minutes.
So staying active is one of the best things you can do to help prevent cancer, and better your health.
Here are five, easy tips for staying active, everyday:
Join up! The best way to stay active involves a little peer pressure, so grab your besties and get moving. Join the local tennis club, head out for a bike ride, or sign up for a charity walk or run. Combining girl talk with active time ticks all the boxes.
Set goals. Having a goal increases your motivation, determination, and commitment to staying active. Whether it’s walking a 5k local fun run, or completing the Hawaiian Iron Man race, having the date marked in your calendar will help keep you focused on your training.
Take the stairs. Activity isn’t just about showing up at the gym, it’s about making it a part of your daily life, and working it into your routine. Getting off public transport early and walking, or riding your bike to work, walking during lunchtimes, and the taking the stairs are all little things that can make a big difference to your health.
Get down and dirty. Housework and gardening are some of the best ways to stay active at home, according to the Cancer Council. They also recommend turning off the television and closing the laptop, and making activity a priority, rather than an afterthought.
It’s all in the family. Every mum wants her family to be healthy and active, and the best way to do this making activity a part of the daily routine. Going for after-dinner walks, weekend bike-rides, or heading to the beach for a morning swim and surf are just some of the ways you can instil the importance of daily activity into your kids’ lives.
Your morning cuppa could be having more benefits on your health than you realise — by preventing certain types of skin cancer!
A new study conducted in the US has shed some light on the role that a regular cup of coffee or tea plays in reducing the risk of skin cancer. Research shows that caffeine boosts a process called apoptosis (also called synchronised cell suicide) which is the body’s natural defence mechanism against cell damage by ultraviolet light — one of the key triggers in certain types of skin cancer.
Skin which has been pretreated with caffeine will actually kill off these damaged cells, according to the study detailed in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. So, the cells most likely to become cancerous are killed before they can do so with a “two-to-three-fold increase in apoptosis” being seen when UV exposed and damaged cells are “pretreated with caffeine”, according to the study.
This research relates specifically to non-melanoma skin cancers, which rarely metastasize or cause death, but are the most common form of cancer in humans. Essentially, the caffeine kills off these damaged cells thereby reducing the number of cells that might be at risk of mutation, or becoming cancerous.
The study, conducted by the Cutaneous Biology Research Centre in Massachusetts, follows a study of more than 93,000 women done in 2007 which discovered that every additional cup of coffee they consumed decreased their risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer by as much as 5 per cent. Similar studies have been carried out on animals that also support these findings but while this research has linked drinking tea or coffee with a lower incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer, scientists are now left with the task of finding out exactly why this is the case.
While scientists say that it would take upping your intake to six cups of coffee per day to have just a 30 per cent reduction in the incidence of skin cancer — and this is by no means advisable — the finding might be used to develop a topical application of caffeine to reduce the risks in the future.
Your Say: What do you think about caffeine being used as a means to reduce the incidence of skin cancer? How much coffee do you drink per day? Tell us your thoughts below…
.png?resize=380%2C285)
.jpg?resize=380%2C285)
.png?resize=380%2C285)
.jpg?resize=380%2C285)
.png?resize=380%2C285)
.jpg?resize=380%2C285)
.jpg?resize=380%2C285)
