If you have a sweet spot to run to when you’re playing hide-and-seek (sidenote; we definitely don’t play enough hide-and-seek as adults) then chances are you’re going to keep hiding there.
David Williams, a dad of a two-year-old decided to share his son’s expert hiding choice online and naturally, everyone fell in love.
That’s because young Evan Williams, a mastermind at the game, more often than not decides to ‘hide’ behind a cushion near the windows, not expecting his dad to find him.
And sometimes the cheeky toddler even announces where he’s going to hide before he goes to hide.
David with son Evan Williams (Picture: David Williams)
A video of David seeking Evan has now gone viral on Twitter where David was seen searching for his adorable youngster.
The camera pans the whole house, with David pretending he can’t see where Evan is very obviously trying to camouflage with the cushion.
David told Metro.co.uk about Evan’s antics. ‘Evan is a permanently happy boy. He talks to everyone when we’re in public,’ he said.
(Picture: David Williams)
‘He loves playing hide-and-seek, even if he hasn’t got to grips with the rules yet. That was the fifth time in a row he had hidden in the same place. Usually, he says “daddy I’m going to hide behind the curtains” before going to hide behind the curtains.
‘Evan is lively. He runs everywhere. His other favourite game is just chase. He’s a very smiley happy boy.’
David explained how much he enjoys sharing clips of his family, including newborn daughter Maddison, on his Twitter and Instagram page.
‘People seem to like the posts and are always impressed with how many words Evan has for his age. He’s only two years and four months but has been chatting non-stop and counting to 10 for well over six months.
(Picture: David Williams)
‘He’s currently obsessed with The Gruffalo and nearly knows it by heart.’
We certainly hope Evan finds some new hiding spots in the future. Maybe behind the door next time.
Grace Nesbitt, 23, has cystic acne (Picture: Barcroft Images)
Since she was a teenager, Grace Nesbitt, from Philadelphia, U.S, has had cystic acne – the most severe form of acne which causes red, tender bumps under the skin which can be extremely painful and difficult to heal.
The 23-year-old, who works as a stylist, has struggled to eat or smile without being in pain and often refused to leave the house.
But now, she’s decided to embrace her skin and go out without any makeup on for the first time. She has shared the experience on her social media and hopes to inspire others to see beyond their conditions.
(Picture: Barcroft Images)
‘I realised I needed to embrace my acne and start falling in love with myself again,’ she said.
‘I just didn’t like who I was and I knew there was good parts about me, but I couldn’t find them anymore. It’s definitely taken a lot to just pull myself up.’
Grace explained how she has tried different diets in an attempt to clear her skin; gluten-free, dairy-free and general healthy eating. She has also tried exercising more, as well as undergoing tests to check for any hormone imbalances or allergies which could be causing her flare-ups. So far, she said, nothing has helped.
‘A lot of people like to give their input or their opinions, or tell me what I should be doing. They think I’m not cleaning my face or taking care of my body correctly.
‘I changed my whole lifestyle because of the things people would say to me and that definitely impacted how I saw the world. I didn’t want to go out in public.
‘I would say the most difficult part about dealing with cystic acne is probably going out in public.’
(Picture: Barcroft Images)
Determined not to let her acne rule her life, she started up an Instagram page where she posted photos of herself bare-faced and shared her journey.
Through her encouraging posts, she has gained almost 800 followers and has made friends with a community of people who are going through similar experiences.
After going out without makeup on for the first time, Grace said her next goal is to go on a night out without relying on cosmetics to hide her scars.
(Picture: Barcroft Images)
‘I am surprised I didn’t have a little bit of an anxiety attack,’ she said of the first time she went bare-faced.
‘I think I hid in my room for too long with my makeup on and now I am not as afraid to go out in public without makeup because that wasn’t even bad.
‘I am just hoping that this experience helps others as much as it is helping me.’
“I definitely think that I am trying to change the narrative of acne not making you ugly.
‘People say I inspire them, I help them go out without make-up on and I think I am doing good and sending some positivity to the world and it’s wonderful.
‘It inspires me every day because I see other people doing it.’
The Cannabis Wedding Expo in Los Angeles brings people planning to get married together with wedding vendors and speciality brands to see how you can incorporate it into your big day.
(AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
(AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
According to their website: ‘From full blown Budbars to small nods to cannabis culture, attendees can connect with every vendor they need to make their day unique.
‘At the expo you will find vendors offering custom hemp wedding dresses, cannabis floral arrangements, cannabis-friendly venues, caterers, photographers, transportation companies and more which are sure to delight novice and seasoned cannabis enthusiasts alike.’
(AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
(AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
The event started in Los Angeles this weekend but more events are set to take place across the U.S. in the coming months.
Next month, there will be an event in San Francisco, followed by one in Denver and Las Vegas.
Ladies, if there’s one thing that makes us jealous when we look at men’s clothing, it’s the number of pockets.
From side pockets to inside pockets, men really are spoilt.
When you buy a dress or skirt that happens to have pockets, it becomes an instant favourite.
Basically, we all need more pockets.
And this bride agrees.
(Picture: PA/ Toby Mitchell/oakandblossom.com)
Eve Paterson organised for her wedding dress and those of her bridesmaids to have pockets.
She has gone viral after pictures of the 24-year-old and her bridesmaids wearing the white and green outfits on her wedding day were shared thousands of times on Twitter.
‘You’d never expect to hire suits for guys and then ‘add pockets’ as an extra, so the idea that women have to do it is insane,’ Mrs Paterson, who lives in Cambridge, said.
‘These dresses proved that it’s possible to look beautiful, feel amazing, and be practically equipped for the day, and I hope it encourages other brands to up their game on this as well.’
The post to Twitter, by bridesmaid Nell Goddard, has been met with praise by many.
‘Pockets and belts. Wow, just wow,’ wrote Twitter user @huggyhannah80.
Mrs Paterson said the comments prove impractical women’s clothing is ‘a real issue’.
My friend got married last month and her dress and the bridesmaids’ dresses ALL HAD POCKETS.
‘Women’s clothing simply doesn’t empower women as much as it should,’ said Mrs Paterson.
‘Pockets are such a tiny issue in comparison to the oppression of women globally, but I think it plays into a much deeper misconception that women should look good rather than be practically equipped – but why should we have to choose?’
Mrs Paterson bought her dress from David’s Bridal, while the bridesmaids’ were from KF Bridal, and she said she used the pockets to stash her lipstick, phone, plan for the day and some snacks.
One wedding picture sees her husband Angus Paterson eating a Milky Way bar from her pocket after the wedding ceremony.
(Picture: PA/ Toby Mitchell/oakandblossom.com)
Mrs Paterson’s seamstress stitched fabric from her mother’s dress into the pocket lining as her ‘little piece of ‘something old” that she ‘could feel throughout the day’.
‘I would totally recommend that other brides think about getting pockets not only for their own dresses, but for their bridesmaids too,’ said Mrs Paterson.
‘It’s one of the most important days for us ladies to be “on our game”, but we’re not just there to look amazing – we want to successfully host all our family and friends, and pull off a major event.
‘Thinking about adding pockets ahead of time means there’s ample space for snacks for your new husband, notes for speeches, tissues for mum, and all the other things we know will help the day run smoothly.’
Not an image of the Reddit poster (Picture: Getty)
There are no shortages of bad takes and bad stories on the internet, and yet people decide to contribute more.
One man decided to take to Reddit to ask whether he was an a*rsehole for refering to his Indian girlfriend as ‘burnt’.
He explained the situation on a forum asking whether he was in the wrong and how to get out the ‘awkward’ situation with his girlfriend.
Unsurprisingly, no one was on his side.
(Picture: Getty)
‘I’m a white male who comes from a conservative Christian family. My girlfriend is Indian and comes from a Hindu family. I surprisingly get along great with her family, but my family acts a little cold towards my girlfriend.’
The user explained that his family were unbearable around his girlfriend but her family were very accepting of him. For this reason, he also had to beg her to come to his uncle’s birthday party as she wasn’t keen on going.
‘My girlfriend and I make jokes about our skin colour all the time – she tags me in those white people spicy food memes,’ he wrote.
‘Everything started to go wrong when my second cousins opened their mouths. They’re total dickheads. They started joking about how our children would have a “shit-like complexion”.
‘I could see my girlfriend getting mad, so I wanted to alleviate the situation and try and make it into a joke. So I said, “yeah, she’s a little burnt, isn’t she?” and started laughing.
‘She did not take this well, at all. She was very quiet for the rest of the gathering and as soon as we got into the car we had a massive fight about that comment.
‘She started talking about colourism in India and how darker women are discriminated against. I told her that I was just trying to lighten the situation and she snapped and told me that was the wrong way to do it and that I was an a*sehole.
‘I got annoyed with the way she snapped at me and I told her that she was being a little hypocritical considering that she makes jokes about my complexion too. But she feels as though my joke was of a different calibre. Things have been awkward for a little while now.’
No one was on the poster’s side, with several people explaining why his actions are wrong. Most people pointed out the obvious racism by him and his family but also called him out for not supporting her but also for piling in on the abuse.
One person explained just how damaging the problem was, recalling how their Indian best friend was forced to use lemon juice on her face to lighten her complexion even though it would burn and irritate her skin.
‘You don’t “alleviate” a situation by ganging up with the people who are being dicks about your girlfriend’s skin colour, especially if you’re white and your girlfriend comes from a culture with problems with colourism,’ they wrote.
‘If you don’t understand why a brown person making fun of a white person in a system where whiteness is rewarded and brownness is seen as a disadvantage is not the same as a white person making fun a brown person I don’t know what to tell you.’
They advised the poster to apologise to his other half and also explain to his family why they are in the wrong.
Let’s hope he listens.
The difference between racist, anti-black, and colourist
Racism is about a system of oppression or a derogitray attitude towards a minority person.
Anti-blackness refers to those from non-black minority backgrounds who are opposed to or hostile to black people. Because power dynamics are similar between black and non-black minority groups, it’s referred to as anti blackness, which is a racist phenomenon. It can also be perpetuated by white people, though that’s more commonly known as racism.
A black person being racist towards a Chinese person, for example, would be considered racist and not anti-Asian as anti-Asianness is not a common enough phenomenon.
Colourism is the belief that lighter skin is better, perpetuated in minority communities and mainstream platforms.
If you’ve ordered an Uber then chances are you’re in a bit of a rush, you’re drunk, or you’re a baller. All those things can be quite stressful.
So, the taxi service has partnered with meditation app Calm to let passengers practice mindfulness on their journeys.
You can now access a part of the application which offers four guided meditation exercises, each timed to the length of an average trip.
The move comes after Uber’s research into health and wellbeing found that almost half of Brits say their lifestyle is making them feel stressed and unhealthy.
(Picture: Uber)
So, anyone who takes a trip with Uber in the UK can access the sessions which hopes to help passengers relax and improve focus while they’re in the vehicle.
Four relaxing exercises are available, lasting either three minutes, five minutes and 30 seconds, 12 mins 20 seconds or 30 minutes – the most common lengths for Uber trips – so passengers can choose one that’s appropriate for their journey, whether it’s a brief drive across town or a trip to the airport.
Uber’s research also found that 43% of people made a New Year’s Resolution around mental health and wellbeing (meaning it’s higher on the UK’s to-do list than physical health and giving up smoking).
According to their survey of 2,000 adults living in the UK, 37% are already exhausted by the prospect of the coming year, with obligations to work, family and friends making them feel tired.
More than half (56%) say they want to leave their current job, while a similar number claim that their current lifestyle is making them feel stressed. Almost a third (31%) say they feel they might get ‘burnt out’.
The most stressed people are those in Edinburgh, Leeds, Cardiff, Southampton, and Belfast while the most at ease seem to live in Liverpool, Cambridge, and Brighton.
‘Some 54% of people use their time in an Uber to scroll through emails, social media and the news on their smartphones, so on your next Uber trip, escape your work for just a few moments to unwind,’ said a company spokesperson.
Sounds good.
The meditations are available on the app from next month. Uber users can claim a 30-day free trial of Calm by heading here.
April Preston, Director of Product Development says: ‘This year’s Valentine’s Day Dine In menu is an absolute showstopper and is incredible value for customers.
‘We’ve been really focused on creating a menu that caters for everyone’s favourites including the first ever vegan three course option, so everyone can choose something they love.’
What's on the menu?
Starters:
Coquille St Jacques £6
Salmon & King Prawn Stacks £6
Cheese & Leek Souffle Tarts £3.30
Gastropub Camembert with Chutney £3
Gastropub Runny Scotch Egg £3.50
Salmon, Prawn & Avocado Starter £6
Vegan Sweet Potato Falafels (V) £3
Mains:
Rump Steak with Peppercorn Sauce £10
Pork Shoulder with Honey £10
Sirloin Steaks with Heart Butter £8
Gastropub Beef Bourguignon £8
2 Baked Ricotta Stacks £7
Turkey Paupiettes £10
Butterflied Seabass Fillets £10
Gastropub Lamb Shanks £12
Valentines Heart Peppercorn Steak Pies £6
Gastropub Chicken & Prosciutto £6
Roasted Mushroom Stroganoff (V) £6
Sides:
Potato Rosti £2.20
Spinach Pea & Samphire £2.40
Garlic Mushrooms £2.30
Dauphinoise Potatoes £2.80
Tenderstem Asparagus Spears (V) £2
Chantannay Carrot & Parsnips (V) £2.20
Frites £2.30
Asparagus Extra Fine (V) £2.30
Truffled Cauliflower Cheese £2.80
Triple Cooked Chips £2.50
Parmesan Mash £2.80
Desserts:
Profiterole Stacks £3
2 Billionaires Desserts £4
Apple & Almond Slices £3.50
Toffee Tarts £4
Twin Heart Chocolate Dessert £4
Vibrant Macaroons £5
Strawberries in Heart Shaped Punnet (V) £3.50
Chocolates:
Milk & Dark Chocolate Hearts £1.50
Drinks:
Selection of fizz, white, red, rose and non-alcoholic drink options available
Good news if you’re a collector of limited edition memorabilia, or football or just chocolate (we definitely stan the latter) because Cadbury has just introduced Barclays Premier League choccie.
The chocolate giant has created a large bar of the stuff in the shape of a footie pitch, complete with the Barclays cup design.
Cadbury, the official snack partner of the Premier League, has created a limited number of its classic Dairy Milk share bars.
The limited-edition bar offers smooth and creamy milk chocolate in the shape of a football pitch, complete with stands, touchlines, goals.
The collab has gotten a lot of love online. Many a fan thirsted after the sweet treat on Twitter with supermarket giant Tesco joining in on the fun. Replying to the now-viral tweet saying how ‘sick’ the new chocolate design is, Tesco wrote: ‘It’s available in Tesco, Sandeep’.
You can get it exclusively at their stores while stocks last. Each bar costs £2 but may be on offer for £1.50, so you might want to hurry.
‘We’re extremely excited to be working with the Premier League to introduce this fun new design to the classic Dairy Milk bar,’ said Lyndsey Homer, brand manager on Cadbury Dairy Milk.
‘Made for those who love Dairy Milk and have a passion for football, we’ve already seen huge excitement and interest as the bars first landed on the shelves of stores around the country.’
Go on then, grab a bar before you settle down for Match of the Day.
A British pensioner has married a woman he met on holiday despite a 36 year age gap.
Liam Woolnough, 65, was walking down the beach in Cuba on the last day of a two-week break when he locked eyes with glamorous Yaritza Buelga, 29.
They fell for each other when she invited him for lunch and when the widower flew home, he vowed to return.
And despite being nearly a decade older than her dad, Liam proposed to Yaritza just a few weeks later on his second trip to the island.
(Picture: Liam Woolnough / SWNS)
The smitten pair tied the knot in December last year, and despite being more than double her age, the retired photographer insists they make love twice a day.
The OAP can’t live in Cuba yet due to visa issues, but has visited her many times, and plans to move there full time in the coming months.
Loved-up Liam, from Coventry, said: ‘I don’t give the age gap any thought, even though I am old enough to be her dad.
‘Age doesn’t matter. We are two people who love each other very much. The difference in age is irrelevant and is not important to us at all.
‘We just want to be together all of the time and look after each other as husband and wife.
(Picture: Liam Woolnough / SWNS)
‘When I see her, we have every sex every morning and evening and we never get tired.
‘We regularly make love throughout the time that we spend together and it certainly has strengthened our relationship.
‘Our relationship was so strong that we had sex eighteen times in two weeks during a trip in May 2018.
‘I felt absolutely amazing and it is has brought us closer together. Yaritza loves it.”
Mental health doctor Yaritza from Camaguey added: ‘The difference in age is not important to me. Love is the most important thing to me, and I really love him.’
(Picture: Liam Woolnough / SWNS)
Liam, who doesn’t have any children, decided to look into moving to Cuba for his retirement following the death of his wife Beverley in 2010.
He booked a four-week trip in April 2017, but decided it ‘wasn’t for me’ so bought an early flight home after two weeks.
But hours before his flight he spotted Yaritza walking on the beach with a friend.
He said: ‘I smiled and said “I do like the look of the younger woman very much”.
(Picture: Liam Woolnough / SWNS)
‘She was very pretty and had a great figure.
‘I never thought for one minute that it would be weird at all. We just clicked straight away.’
Yaritza added: ‘When I first met Liam I thought that he was about 50 years old.
‘But after he told me he was 65 – more than the age of my dad – I honestly wasn’t that bothered and told him that I would always take care of him.
‘I wanted to be his friend and said so. He seemed to be a good person and this gave made me feel confident in myself.’
After exchanging phone numbers, Liam flew home convinced he’d met the woman of his dreams.
(Picture: Liam Woolnough / SWNS)
The pair texted and emailed each other more than a dozen times a day, and less than a week after they parted, he had returned for another two-week break.
During the holiday he proposed by drawing a ring on her finger with a pen – and Yaritza instantly agreed.
Liam said: ‘I really wanted to be with her again.
‘We share many interests. Family and friends are very important to us both and we talk about music and we both love films.
‘Yaritza likes thrillers and scary movies and has to cuddle me all the time every time she chooses a horror because I freak out.
‘We talk about clothes, shoes, and fashion, and when we are out we talk about the clothes and appearances of the people we see!
‘We also both realise how important it is to be able to talk and understand each others’ languages and often teach each other words and sentences.
‘We have a favourite bar where we drink a few cocktails and have a few tequila shots.
‘We got on extremely well and it was becoming clear that we were made for each other.
‘I didn’t buy an engagement ring so I drew an engagement ring on her finger – which she loved – and asked the question and she said yes and that was it really.
‘I did buy her an engagement ring eventually as a pen one I found was a joke.’
Yaritza added: ‘When we met I was curious to know about his culture. His language was new to me.’
Liam came back to Cuba five times – for a total of around three months – before they wed in December last year.
Yaritza’s dad Lino is 56 – nine years younger than her new husband – but the pair said their families have no problems with their relationship.
Liam added: ‘She has talked to her parents and siblings about the age difference and it is not important to them, while my two older siblings have no issues at all with it and are really happy for me.’
He’s applying for the visas he needs to move to Cuba, where the couple want to buy a big house, and have a Labrador and pet fish.
Yaritza said: ‘Since I have met Liam, my life has been complete.
‘Liam is amazing. He is very attractive and love him very much.
‘Age is not important but the love we feel for each other is the most important thing.
‘On my wedding day, I was the happiest woman in the world.
‘It was my dream come true. I married the most wonderful man. He’s so loving and thoughtful.
‘I wanted nothing more than to be his wife and to give all my love.
‘I love and respect my husband, even though distance separates us, the distance makes our love stronger and more intense.’
‘As a society we have continually failed to provide Deaf children and their families with enough resources and support for their language development.’ (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
I want to talk to you about porn. No, not that porn. I’m talking about inspiration porn.
Coined by the disability activist Stella Young (who gave this incredible TEDX Talk), inspiration porn happens when a disabled and/or Deaf person is reduced to a one-dimensional being for heart-warming pleasure and as inspiration for everybody else.
So these inspiration porn videos in your social media feed keep you entertained for a few minutes and make goosebumps prickle on your arms. What’s the big deal?
Though it doesn’t appear so at first glance, inspiration porn is damaging to the disability and Deaf communities in so many ways. The narratives espoused in inspiration porn are almost always created by able-bodied people, depriving disabled and Deaf people of their right to create their own stories and decide how they are perceived by the rest of society.
And not surprisingly, these narratives often paint a distorted picture of reality for disabled and Deaf people. They promote stereotypes and misconceptions, and fuel negative societal perspectives of disability.
With inspiration porn, you are never getting the whole story. You see a moment frozen in time in a single snapshot, or a few minutes captured on video. Yet it’s these brief glimpses stolen from disabled and Deaf people’s lives that dominate the narrative and determine how we’re viewed by the rest of society.
Think about that. Whole lifetimes, the experience of entire communities and millions of individuals, reduced to a few moments.
Take my favorite example of inspiration porn: ‘Baby hears for the first time.’
Odds are, you’ve probably seen one of these videos before. A Google search returns nearly 40 million results, including this video and this one and this one. There’s even this compilation video that lasts 16 minutes.
These videos present these moments as miraculous moments of healing, bona fide turning points in these babies’ lives. When these videos end, the viewer is left imagining a lifetime of happiness and ease for these babies, now ‘cured’ of their hearing loss. Take the description of one of the videos, which brightly chirps: ‘The world is whole now.’
This view of these stories is dangerously incomplete.
Zoom out of the microscopically narrow lens of these inspiration porn videos, and you’ll find years, even decades, of auditory-verbal training and speech therapy, in these babies’ futures.
They will spend most of the formative years of their lives trying to program their brains to decipher the new sounds coming to their ears by way of technological devices. They will spend hours in front of speech therapists learning how to utter sounds, syllables, then words and finally, coherent sentences.
Some succeed in their training and therapy and some don’t – the success rate of those who use technological devices to hear, including hearing aids and cochlear implants is highly variable.
Zoom out further and you will see thousands, maybe millions, of Deaf individuals deprived of linguistic abilities. This phenomenon, more commonly known as language deprivation, occurs to Deaf people of all kinds, including both those who use technological devices to hear and those who don’t.
This is the story not told in these inspiration videos. Acquiring language skills is a significant, if not the biggest, roadblock that deaf children face on the path towards lifetime success.
As a society we have continually failed to provide Deaf children and their families with enough resources and support for their language development, especially in the ‘critical period’ of ages zero to five, when children’s brains are so plastic they rapidly develop language.
The long-term effects of language deprivation are brutal. Multiple surveys and studies report that half of Deaf people graduate high school with an English reading comprehension level below the fourth grade. Deaf people often struggle to find success, especially in employment: nearly half of Deaf Americans (47 per cent) are not employed.
These ‘baby hears for the first time’ videos are romanticising the wrong thing. Understand this: there’s nothing wrong with Deaf babies hearing through the support of technological devices. But it becomes problematic when it’s viewed as an end in and of itself. Being able to hear is an additional tool for Deaf people to acquire language.
That’s what we should really celebrate: the true meaningful and impactful moments in Deaf children’s lives when they get a taste of language.
Vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, flexitarian – it can be hard to keep up with the growing number of diets and what they all actually mean.
The latest diet trend is the planetarian diet and, as you might have guessed, it’s all about the environment.
Following a planetarian diet means eating foods that are lighter on the planet – so the carbon footprint of the production methods will be as low as possible.
It’s all about eating sustainably in an attempt to reduce global, environmental problems – and we like the sound of it.
(Picture: Getty)
The Planetary Health Diet was announced by the EAT-Lancet Commission, an international organisation tasked with defining targets for sustainable food production, and they hope this diet could have a hugely positive impact.
‘Today, global food production is the single largest driver of environmental degradation, climate instability and the transgression of planetary boundaries,’ it explains on their website.
‘At the same time, global population health is increasingly pressured by several forms of malnutrition.
‘Unhealthy diets are now the leading risk factor for global burdens of disease with growing rates of noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancers.’
The planetary diet is all about making conscious choices based on sustainability and the environment.
What can you eat on the planetarian diet?
The diet is symbolically represented by half a plate of fruits, vegetables and nuts.
The other half consists of primarily whole grains, plant proteins (beans, lentils, pulses), unsaturated plant oils, modest amounts of meat and dairy, and some added sugars and starchy vegetables.
For red meat fans, you’re looking at a burger a week or a large steak a month.
A couple of portions of chicken and the same of fish a week, but plants are where the rest of your protein will need to come from, nuts and a good helping of legumes every day.
You are allowed to eat modest amounts of meat, but the guidance states that the diet should be more focussed on fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and plant proteins.
The commission states that it’s important to reduce your overall consumption of meat because the production contributes to the growing social and economic costs of poor public health, climate disaster relief and environmental degradation.
‘Allocating increasingly scarce, high value agricultural lands or converting high carbon or high biodiversity ecosystems to agricultural land to produce foods is problematic,’ they explain on the site.
‘This guarantees the continued degradation of public health and a collective failure to meet both the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.’
(Picture: Getty)
Many of us are concerned about the state of the planet and want to do our bit to counter the effects of our personal carbon footprint. But how does the planetarian diet work in the real world?
The best thing about the planetarian diet is that in practicality it is actually much less restrictive than a vegetarian or vegan diet, and it can be adapted to meat dietary needs or cultural preferences.
It doesn’t cut out any food groups entirely, and it focuses on whole, unprocessed produce – which will have significant and long-lasting health benefits.
And, although it is about making the planet healthier, it also concerned with human health as well – which is why it allows a modest amount of meat.
Harley Street Nutritionist and Author Rhiannon Lambert, explains; ‘It’s not about deprivation, it is all things in moderation and healthy plant-based eating.
‘And for those thinking that going 100% vegan or veggie is the way forward, they note that if they, “were just minimising greenhouse gases we’d say everyone be vegan”, yet “it was unclear whether a vegan diet was the healthiest option”
‘My advice for taking up a planetarian diet would be – consume dairy as a source of calcium, iodine and vitamin B12, or fortified plant-based milks.
Find seasonal and local fruit and veg, and increase its overall consumption. Something local but not in season can still be environmentally taxing and so knowing what’s in season is important!
‘And increase your wholegrain carb intake, because this increases your fibre consumption and lowers your carbon footprint.’
So whatever your reason is for taking up a new diet in 2019, one that looks like one of the best ways of saving the planet has to be a pretty decent option.
Farts, vomit, body odour and wet dog might not be everyone’s idea of a nice smell.
But there are people who love the scents as this business owner shows.
California-born banker, Jeffrey Bennett, 57, started the Stinky Candle Company after noticing his family’s adoration for scented candles and realising there was a gap in the market for those which offer the fragrances of real life.
In 2013, he started experimenting with producing the product, and a year later, in 2014, his stinky candle business became an operational company, now based in Chicago.
Six years on, his part-time company turns over tens of thousands of dollars despite offering candles which smell like flatulence, vomit and even body odour.
Other bizarre flavours include nacho cheese, gasoline, chlorine, money, wet dog, beer, skunk, onion, and rotten flesh.
Alex Bennett with some of the candles (Picture: Caters News Agency)
Dad-of-two Jeffrey said: ‘Most of our smells are true to life, and authentic.
‘I can’t say in public what the worst smell request has been, but there are quite a few we have soundly rejected, as they’re too disgusting to consider.
‘Flatulence and vomit, scents we actually have created, are both up there.
‘Some customers have asked us to mix our worst smells, like body odour and flatulence.
‘The smell sticks to everything, which isn’t terrible if you are making baby powder, bubble gum or timber – but a real problem if I try to walk in the house after making body odour, flatulence or vomit.’
Jeffrey, who started the company with business partner Ben Rakozy, 39, and son, Alex Bennett, 29, said creating the candles starts with melting soy, paraffin or beeswax before adding coloured dye.
The workshop of Stinky Candle (Picture: Caters News Agency)
Once the wax is melted, the fragrance is mixed in at different temperatures depending, on which one is being used.
The fragrances are made by several third party perfume houses, however, Jeffery and his partners often experiment with different smells themselves to create some of their most bizarre mashups.
Jeffrey said: ‘It seems simple and it is fairly straightforward on paper, but the process has some difficulties when put in practice.
‘We do mix and create our own as well, but they are always based on sanctioned and tested fragrances.
‘I am not a chemist and don’t desire to play one.
‘My wife made a rule that all clothes come off in the mud room, and I run upstairs and put them in the washer, and have a shower.
‘We have favourite moments all the time, customer satisfaction and appreciation is always a highlight.
‘When someone tells us the gift was perfect for their friend or family member, it’s exciting.
‘After taking a major step in 2017, we have transitioned from a small garage based operation, to an established player in the candle making market that continues to grow and innovate.’
The Big Mac is a classic – but McDonald’s has announced they are changing it for the first time.
The fast food chain is adding bacon to the burger – a variant that has been available in other countries but never in the UK.
The Big Mac has not been changed in the UK since it was created in 1968.
But if you are a purist, the original bacon-less burger is still on offer.
The smaller Mac Jr. (made with one less patty) and bigger Grand Big Mac (made with larger burgers and buns) are also back – both with and without bacon.
The alternative sized burgers were introduced last year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the burger.
The Big Mac with bacon (Picture: McDonald’s)
The Big Mac Bacon, Grand Big Mac Bacon and Mac Jr. Bacon are available in restaurants nationwide for a limited time only from 30 January until the 19 March.
The standard-sized Big Mac Bacon will be £3.09, the Mac Jr Bacon will cost £2.29 and the Grand Big Mac Bacon will cost £4.09.
Michelle Graham-Clare, Head of Marketing at McDonald’s UK and Ireland, said: ‘The customer reaction to our Grand Big Mac and Mac Jr. last year was phenomenal, the love for the iconic Big Mac surpassed all expectations.
‘Which is why I am delighted to introduce bacon to the Big Mac range, a twist on a classic which has sparked debates around the world – is a Big Mac still a Big Mac if you add bacon?’
Valentine’s Day can be a bit of a depressing thing if you don’t have a bae or, you know, aren’t into consumerism.
To tackle the already high levels of loneliness in the UK, one woman is attempting to bring some love and joy to people on the annual day of romance.
Amy Pollard, originally from Bristol, has started a Secret Santa system of sending strangers sweet little letters.
To get involved, people sign up to the Great British Valentine project and are randomly allocated a person. The sender will also be added to the list so someone can prepare a card for them too.
(Picture: Mental Health Collective)
Writing on the Mental Health Collective, Amy said she took inspiration from Mexico where Valentine’s Day isn’t just a celebration of romantic love, but friendship and goodwill.
‘Random acts of kindness can be really good for your mental health,’ she wrote. ‘Research shows that helping others is positive for our own wellbeing; creating a sense of belonging, reducing isolation and helping to get rid of negative feelings.
‘In Britain (like in most places in the world), we don’t only care about our nearest and dearest. We also care about people we don’t know.
‘Our Great British Valentine project enables you to send a card with a message of good wishes (not romance!) to someone you’ve never met, and receive a card yourself.
‘Sending and receiving these random acts of kindness, we’ll give each other a little boost – and receive a boost ourselves. In a small way, we’ll spread good vibes and show each other we are not on our own in the world.’
Anyone can sign up for the project here but you’ll need to pay for the stamp to send your letter to a stranger. But you’ll have to do it before 4 February to ensure everyone is allocated someone and has enough time to buy or make their card.
Sainsbury’s is now selling vegan and vegetarian versions of meat next to real meat products.
So if you’re looking for meat-free alternative products, you no longer have to go hunting in obscure aisles – they will be there right alongside the steaks, sausages and burgers.
The idea is that the move will make finding meat-free options more accessible, and will cater to the growing number of people who have chosen to reduce their meat consumption in their diets.
(Picture: Getty)
‘We were looking at as a business the challenge we face in the future, if we sell less and less meat what do you backfill it with,’ James Hamilton, a plant-based buyer for the supermarket, told the Telegraph.
‘So we are supplementing our ranges with alternative proteins and plant based ranges. We are interested to see what happened.’
The concept has begun in 20 of the stores, with the idea of expanding if it proves successful.
What it means is that the 26 meat-free products will not be displayed in a separate vegetarian and vegan section, but within the meat, fish and poultry aisles.
Sainsbury’s already sells a growing range of meat-free alternative products, including mushroom based “shroomdogs” and jackfruit burgers.
The move comes after Aldi was criticised for selling a ‘flexitarian’ burger, which is made from a combination of meat and beans, and it is the latest move in Supermarkets’ attempts to keep up with changing trends in diet and lifestyle.
Sainsbury’s says that it has seen an 82% rise in customers searching for vegan products online since last year, and a 65% boost in sales of meat-free, plant-based products since 2018.
When someone is ill, it is difficult to know what to say.
But these people with cancer want to show that there are too many well-meaning euphemisms and misconceptions about the disease.
And according to Macmillan, these phrases make people with the disease feel disempowered and isolated.
A new survey by the charity of more than 2,000 people who have or have had cancer reveals the confusion and emotional turmoil caused by trying to find the ‘right’ words for someone diagnosed with cancer, and reveals the honest and divided views of patients themselves.
It shows that the people who have had a cancer diagnosis considered positive descriptions of themselves such as ‘hero’ as unpopular as ‘cancer stricken’ and ‘victim’as inappropriate as they were disempowering (42%), isolating (24%) and put people under pressure to be positive (30%).
Caption: Misconceptions and cancer – Macmillan campaign (Picture: Macmillan)
Mother of two Mandy Mahoney, 47, is an outreach support worker from London and was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. She’s had five further recurrences and is now living with incurable metastatic breast cancer.
She says: ‘I think cancer speak can be quite negatively loaded – the brave, fighter, warrior and survivor standard descriptors put an awful lot of pressure on the newly diagnosed.
‘I prefer clear, factual language, so I describe myself as ‘living with incurable cancer’. I’m not brave or inspirational, I’m just trying to live the life I have left well.’
Raveen Sethi is a 24-year old trainee financial adviser from Essex. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2018 and is now in remission.
She adds: ‘My pet peeve was people telling me ‘your hair will grow back’. I didn’t choose to lose my hair so I found it unhelpful. I did find I was isolating myself from my friends. I just wanted someone to talk and vent to.’
For others though, the words were helpful and Macmillian want to show that each person with cancer is not the same.
Craig Toley is a 31-year old network engineer and lives in London. He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2016 and is now in remission. He says: ‘Language like ‘fight’, ‘struggle’, ‘warrior’ and ‘battle’ will be interpreted differently by different people.
‘Personally, I found those words helped empower me a lot and made me think of my cancer as a challenge I needed to fight. Everyone likes the story of a fighter.’
Karen Roberts, Chief Nursing Officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: ‘These results show just how divisive and ‘Marmite’ simple words and descriptions can be.
‘Cancer throws all kinds of things your way, and struggling to find the words, and the emotional turmoil caused when our friends and family don’t get it ‘right’ only makes lives feel even more upended.
‘We know that there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ person with cancer, so it follows that people will prefer different ways of talking about it.
‘We hear from people every day who face this problem, that at its worst could even stop people getting the support they need.’
‘By drawing attention to this we want to encourage more people to talk about the words they prefer to hear, and stop the damage that can be caused to people’s wellbeing and relationships. Our support line, information services and Macmillan professionals are right there to make sure that everyone with cancer gets the support they need.’
The charity today launches its new campaign, ‘Whatever cancer throws your way, we’re right there with you,’ to highlight the chaos and turmoil of a cancer diagnosis and the support available.
It wants to reach more people to help them navigate all the ways that cancer disrupts and derails people’s lives, including the emotional upheaval, financial impact and physical concerns they may experience.
When 18-year-old Kaylee Busfield noticed a small lump in her left breast which gave her no pain nor discomfort, she decided to ignore it.
Then the lump started getting bigger and became painful. So Kaylee, from Blackpool, went to a walk-in centre which referred her to the breast clinic.
When the pain became unbearable, with shooting pains through her chest leaving her breathless, the mum-of-one went to A&E.
They told her it was a breast abscess – an infection in the breast – but didn’t know the cause as it’s usually down to breastfeeding which Kaylee wasn’t doing with her 14-month old daughter.
Kaylee had 60ml of infected puss behind her areola, causing a lump ‘the size of a plum’.
They had to operate and remove parts of her left breast.
The young woman has now bravely shared her story to encourage others to get their lumps checked, no matter the size.
(Picture: Kaylee Busfield)
‘Going through the progression of the abscess over the two months was very mentally challenging as I was in a lot of pain and my movements were restricted, along with having to look after my daughter,’ she told Metro.co.uk.
‘So I was relieved when my operation came around because that meant I’d no longer be in as much pain as I was but the result of the operation has left me very insecure and self-conscious of my body, which I never was before.’
(Picture: Kaylee Busfield)
Kaylee explained her harrowing journey on her Facebook, explaining how the pain she experienced was similar to being in labour.
‘During the time [I was waiting for the operation], the infection spread rapidly, causing rotting to the skin on my breast so extracting the infection through a needle (like popping a blister) was now out of the question.
‘I arrived at the breast clinic to get a scan to see the severity of the abscess. I had an ultrasound and they discovered up to 60ml of infected puss behind my areola in a lump the size of a plum so I had to have surgery to have the majority of my left breast removed which will never heal the same.’
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Kaylee revealed how hard it was for her to share the message but that it was an important one to people.
‘My message is girls and boys if you ever find a lump I’m begging you please do not ignore it because at the age of 18 I never ever thought I’d be losing part of my womanhood to such a small thing I chose to ignore.
‘I want to use my experience to educate other women, to raise awareness and prevent this happening to others,’ she said to Metro.co.uk.
There’s a movie cliche where an older man dies of a heart attack while having sex with an energetic young woman.
But it turns out, quite the opposite might be true.
Having regular ‘good’ sex can apparently keep your blood pressure lower.
The study, which was performed by Georgia State University, found that people who had regular, gratifying sex also had lower blood pressure.
It was published in the journal of Sexual Medicine involved volunteers having sex while wearing a heart monitor. After sex they rated their orgasm intensity, rating it from 66 to 106, with an average of 87.
Those involved had an average systolic blood pressure of 115mmHg at the start of the tests. After sex it fell by up to 17mmHg, which is around the same improvement they would have expected from a water pill diuretic.
The term ‘good’ sex is subjective, but researchers reported that ‘the more pleasurable the orgasm, the lower the readings on the day after intercourse.’ So the better your orgasm, the better your blood pressure.
Researchers concluded that oxytocin, the positive chemical released after sex, responsible for the feeling of closeness and intimacy, probably has a positive affect on blood pressure.
So if you’re trying to keep your blood pressure healthy then all the usual stuff – avoiding salt and fat – applies, but there’d be no harm in having some really good sex as well.
A 14-year-old dancer who auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent has been diagnosed with a rare condition which means she faints every time she stands up.
Faith Morris has gone from living an active life to being confined to a wheelchair in June last year.
In 2014 she auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent with her dance group called Eclipse and had a promising career ahead of her.
But now Faith faces spending her life in a wheelchair after being diagnosed with Postural Tachycadia Syndrome (PoTS).
What is PoTS?
Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) can be a life altering and debilitating chronic health condition.
Just standing up can be a challenge for people with PoTS as their body is unable to adjust to gravity.
The condition is characterised by orthostatic intolerance – the development of symptoms when upright that are relieved by lying down.
Symptoms include headaches, fatigue, palpitations, sweating, nausea, fainting and dizziness.
They are associated with an increase in heart rate from the lying to upright position of greater than 30 beats per minute, or a heart rate of greater than 120 beats per minute within ten minutes of standing.
It means every time she stands, her heart rate speeds up, causing her to pass out.
Faith was diagnosed with the condition after she fainted during a parents’ evening last year.
(Picture: SWNS)
As a result, Faith can only stand up if she does it extremely slowly, but is forced to use a wheelchair for most of her lessons at school.
Mum-of-three Lakami Seaman, 39, of Kidderminster, Worcs., said: ‘We had a hellish month trying to figure out what was wrong with Faith.
‘We were at a parents’ evening at her school when we first realised she had something wrong with her.
‘We had been there for a while and were walking around.
‘Someone had tapped me on the shoulder and told me it looks like Faith was going to faint.
‘We took her outside so she could get some air and then home she seemed better after some food.
(Picture: SWNS)
‘Me and Faith had gone to go see a play about the Little Mermaid later that evening.
‘She didn’t even get to her seat before she fainted.
‘We took her to the GP and they checked her out.
‘They gave her some antibiotics as they thought it was just a chest infection.
‘A month later and she was still bad so I took her to Worcester Royal Hospital.
‘I thought she might have had glaucoma fever.
‘Every time she stood up her heart rate would rise.
(Picture: SWNS)
‘The paediatrician went to the cardiologist and told them about Faith’s symptoms and they were the one who told us about this condition.
‘She went into the hospital on June 22 and three days later is when they diagnosed her with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome.
‘They didn’t seem to have any information on this condition. It was new to them and to us.
‘They just printed off information from the internet and discharged her.
‘We’re just trying to get our heads around it.
‘We did some research on it and found gravity causes blood to pool in her feet when she stands, leading to heart palpitations, dizziness and fainting.
‘I had to give up on work to look after her. I was a cleaner at a care home.’
(Picture: SWNS)
Faith’s mum says it’s been an awful and difficult time for her daughter, adding that ‘everything has changed for her’.
She said: ‘She was diagnosed when she was 13.
‘We can’t plan anything as you don’t know how she’s going to be feeling that day.
‘We’ve just muddled through.
‘She didn’t go back to school until September and now she’s only doing an hour a day.
‘If she’s standing, sitting up or travelling in the car, she faints.
‘She does on an hour at school in the library, only recently has she gone into the classroom.
‘I drive her close to the school and then she will get out and try to walk the rest of the way.
(Picture: SWNS)
‘This condition took her independence away.
‘She’s worried about missing out on being a normal teenager.
‘She can’t dance anymore.
‘She can’t cope with a shower so she has to have baths now.
‘When we go out she will use her wheelchair.
‘If she feels funny, she will need to lie down for a bit.
‘I’ll ask her if she is ok when we are out and about.
‘She will now avoid things that she knows will make her ill.
‘She just paces herself through the days now.’
Faith said: ‘It’s quite lonely because everyone else is doing stuff that I can’t do. I really miss dancing but whenever I stand up I just feel really dizzy.
‘I just hope that one day I’ll be able to get back to dancing but at the moment I’m just trying to get used to living with the condition.’
