Hectic Lifestyle Health Risks
Words by Nicki Waterman 05/11/2007
Has Sarah Harding's hectic lifestyle been taking it's toll on her figure? And has Amy got a new addiction? We reveal the answers to all these questions and more in this month’s diet news and gossip. Sarah loses her curvesShe’s a regular on the party scene, but recent snaps of Girls Aloud’s Sarah Harding suggest her hectic lifestyle could be taking its toll on her health. The usually curvy blonde was snapped leaving London nightspot Mahiki recently looking gaunt, with sunken cheekbones and a skinny frame. A shocked onlooker said: “Sarah was so skinny, she was almost unrecognisable.” Earlier this year Sarah allegedly branded Victoria Beckham “sick” and “anorexic looking”, adding: “What’s sexy about being straight up and down and skinny? The female body should be an hourglass figure, not anorexic looking.” But recent snaps suggest she’s ditched her previous opinions as well as her curves. Sarah’s fabulous curves earned her the deal to be the face and body of Ultimo lingerie – so we can’t wait for them to make a welcome return… soon! Amy’s new addictionDon’t panic – we don’t think Amy Winehouse will be needing rehab for this addiction. It appears the super-skinny star has been tucking into her favourite food in a bid to pile on the pounds. And it’s working – according to reports she’s put on a stone (just over six kilos) already. The jazz singer has become a regular at Soho restaurant Mr Jerk, filling up on plenty of carb-heavy Caribbean food. A fellow diner said: “Amy came in really good spirits and ordered an extra large portion of brown stew chicken, which she polished off in minutes. She was looking really healthy and it’s clear she’s putting on weight again.” Let’s hope Amy’s appetite is here to stay! Geri’s disappearing boobsOnly last month we were admiring Geri Halliwell’s still curvy but incredibly toned figure. The mum-of-one has been working hard to get in shape for the up-coming Spice Girls reunion tour, but it looks like she doesn’t know when to stop – or at least when to slow down. When friends worried about her weight loss earlier in the year, she vowed that if her boobs started to shrink she’d lay off the strenuous exercise regime. But the 35-year-old appears to have gone back on her word. Spotted leaving Raffles nightclub recently her curves seemed to have done a runner. One onlooker revealed: “Geri’s curves were non-existent. She looked skinnier than ever and her trademark cleavage had disappeared.” Geri, we know you want to look your best (or even, the best) when you hit the stage with your Spice Girl pals, but we think you looked at your best when you were sporting curves and a cleavage. Our advice: give the gym a break – please! When did size 12 become a plus size?Jen Hunter, the size-12 star of TV series Make Me A Supermodel, has been forced to leave her mainstream model agency because she’s too fat. That’s right: at size 12 she’s unable to secure catwalk work or other major contracts because of her size. Having come up against the usual size prejudices, the model mum has decided to join a plus-size agency – where no doubt she’ll be deemed too thin to secure any plus-size assignments! With the average dress size of women in the UK coming in at 14-16, how did size 12 come to be considered big? London Fashion Week once again brought to our attention the size zero debate, with calls for health checks on super-skinny models, deemed too thin for the catwalks and bad role models for teens. So, isn’t Jen Hunter just what the fashion industry has been waiting for? A beautiful woman with natural curves who makes clothes look just as good as her stick-insect counterparts! Once again the fashion industry needs a reality check: size 12 is not, never has been and never will be a plus-size – and nobody has the right to make any woman feel that it is! CREDIT: A handful of salted peanuts (185 calories) = DEBIT: 20 minutes on the cross trainer machine WHATS NEWAlways wanted to try the incredible benefits of Chinese herbs? Now you can get a taster at home, in your teas, smoothies or fruit juices. Sen’s range of herbal syrups, based on an ancient formula, are blended for specific health needs. For a rosy, healthy glow, try Complexion, which works on cleansing the liver and blood. If you’re slimming for Christmas, Weight will help support your healthy eating regime. Add a dash to hot or cold drinks, once or twice a day. Sen Chinese Herbal Liquid Blends cost £16.45 for 490 ml; check out
www.senhealth.com. DID YOU KNOW? Dandelion tea is cleansing to the liver and is a natural diuretic, so it helps weight loss and aids fluid retention. Psst!Alcohol can make fruit even healthier! A recent study found that treating strawberries with alcohol enhanced their antioxidant capacity by up to a third. So drop some berries into your cocktail or drizzle a mix of orange juice, one teaspoon of sugar and a dash of Cointreau over sliced fruit. NO-MAINTENANCE DETOXThe ultimate do-nothing cleanse must be the Detox Patch (£9.95 for 10, from www.healthydirect.co.uk). Stick one on each foot at night, and their ingredients – tree sap, tourmaline and eucalyptus – detox nasties through the skin. Sceptical as ever, I tried one and, come morning, my patch was an inoffensive pale grey, indicating my insides were as pure as the aloe juice I consume daily (smug, moi?). Then, one night, my husband came home and more-than-the-recommended quantities of lager had passed his lips. As he snored, I stuck a patch on his foot and, in the morning, it was covered in a thick, shiny film the colour of mud. Believe me, these work. AND FINALLY…get an early nightThe more you skimp on sleep, the more you’ll eat. Research at the University of Michigan found that for every hour you spend awake (and inactive) rather than asleep, you increase your daily calorie consumption by six per cent. An extra hour in bed a night could help you lose 12 lb (5.4 kg) in a year. Love it!
