Índex per 03-2021 a Best

Four years ago now, I unexpectedly dropped 3st. I was on the heartbreak diet, but that’s life. I have a philosophy that whatever happens to you, much as you don’t want it, it shakes you down and you often find yourself in a far better place. Since then, I’ve gone back to work full-time and become the Editor of best. Journalism has always been my passion and editing this magazine for you guys has brought fun and joy. It’s also brought me a whole new set of friends. One of them is Linda Lusardi. Can you believe this woman is now 62? To be honest, she’s stayed in pretty sensational shape her entire life a but she has a philosophy I agree with: ‘NEVER give up on yourself’. So, ladies,…

Presenter Saira Khan recently made the shock announcement that she was quitting the Loose Women sofa. The businesswoman-turned-presenter, who found fame on The Apprentice in 2005, said she wants a ‘clean break’ from the talk show, following in the footsteps of fellow ‘Loosie’ Andrea McLean, who announced her departure late last year. ‘There is no animosity, it’s just the decision I’ve come to. My contract is up…’ she announced matter-of-factly. Saira, 50, went on to explain how, as the first Asian presenter, she felt like a pioneer, but now feels she has achieved her aim of blazing a trail for others to follow. ‘I joined Loose Women to make that panel representative,’ she said in a newspaper interview. ‘I feel like I’ve done my duty there. We’ve got three other…

He’s been an integral part of the hit ITV skating show since it first started in 2006, making a splash with Gemma Collins two years ago (especially when she fell…), and making history with Steps star ‘H’ last year as the first same-sex skating couple. So, who better to give best readers the lowdown on all things Dancing on Ice, but pro skater Matt Evers? The Californian native, 44, who is paired up with Essex actress and West End star Denise van Outen for the new series – kicking off this Sunday – tells us all about how he survived 2020 and living in a bubble with Denise and her family in Essex, as well as how his famous partner is truly doing on the ice… Welcome, Matt! Excited to be…

TOP TIP! Stubborn coffee stains? Use bicarbonate of soda with a little water to scrub them away.…

PAL’S NEW HUBBY IS AWFUL! My friend had a whirlwind romance last Autumn – and got married to her new bloke just before Christmas at the local registry office. I think it was so neither her family, nor I, had much of a chance to talk her out of making a huge mistake. I know her so well. She married during a pandemic so that she could get it all done without having any thinking time – as she’s perfectly aware that we all think he’s a total loser. He treats her terribly, I’ve heard him talk about her being ‘fat’ and he doesn’t contribute, just lazes on the sofa and eats her out of house and home. I’m so upset for her, but she’s always getting hurt by men.…

TURN A PAGE… Last year was a little difficult, to say the least – so this year we should all make more time for ourselves, with a Wellness Diary! With 12 weeks of pages for reflecting on your mindful goals, habits, meals, water intake, sleep and the things you’re grateful for. £24.99 at papier.com DE-STRESS This De-Stress On The Go Neom Collection will help you turn up the well-being dial and create a haven of calm wherever you are. £25 at neomorganics.com FEELING FRUITY Know anyone with a January birthday or just fancy a bit of a pick-me-up? This delicious edible fruit bouquet consisting of nutritious pineapple daisies, strawberries, grapes and much more is a great gift – and it’s healthy, too! £27 at berrybouquets.co.uk PODCASTS THE ADVENTURE PODCAST With…

She may not look it, but Linda Lusardi is actually 62. The mother-of-two (Lucy is now 25, and Jack, 21) has clearly been gifted with pretty fabulous genes (her mum, Lilian, now 88, has always been naturally slim). But, as the former model tells best, the key to toning up and losing weight (she has always been between a size 10 and a 14, currently a 10) really isn’t rocket science. And Linda – who’s been married to former Brookside actor Sam Kane, 52, since 1998, has some proven tricks up her sleeve that she’s happy to share… So, tell us, Linda – how does a woman in her 60s stay looking so incredible? That’s nice of you to say! I just think, never give up on yourself. It’s important to…

Most people make new year’s resolutions but in 2014, I made a radical one. To give up everything. It wasn’t on New Year’s Eve, but rather on 7 July, 2014 – my 29th birthday. Two days beforehand, I shared the thought with my girlfriends. What if I didn’t shop for a year? I didn’t come up with the idea overnight. The seed had been growing for quite a while and I was reminded of it regularly when, at the end of every month, I had to update my budget and justify to myself why I was barely able to save any money. I earnt a decent wage and I could save more, I knew it. This wasn’t just me being blasé. After being reckless with my finances, I’d managed to…

THE LOWDOWN Is the secret to younger-looking skin as easy as taking a collagen supplement? Collagen is the building blocks for our skin, bones and organs, giving skin its structure THE COLLAGEN TEST Pinch skin on your arm and see if it springs back instantly. If it takes longer than five seconds then your skin is losing collagen. to keep it plump and smooth. Taking up a third of our body composition, it diminishes with age. By our 40s we’ve lost a third of it! WHAT CAUSES COLLAGEN LOSS? Apart from natural ageing, smoking, sunlight and sugar accelerate its breakdown. THE SIGNS: Expect a loss of plumpness, with fine lines and wrinkles. Also, hair becomes thinner, our joints stiff and our body loses overall tone. THE SCIENCE BEHIND SUPPLEMENTS •…

CAPRICORN 22 December – 20 January Blessings are on the way for Capricorns such as the legendary American actress Betty White, and The Bodyguard’s leading man, Kevin Costner. Keep believing wishes can come true and that your hopes will be realised. A brighter future is coming your way soon. ARIES 21 March – 20 April It might feel as if some friendships have been neglected. You may not be able to meet up as often as you used to do but you’re starting to show renewed interest in your social life. An online group will benefit from your involvement. Offering something different can help and you have something unusual to contribute. CANCER 22 June – 23 July Positive experiences promote peace, creativity and happiness. Developing a creative project will inspire…

Roasted turkey satay skewers Serves 4 Ready in 40 minutes 750g lean turkey frying steaks, all visible fat removed, cut into long strips450g small cauliflower florets3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks1 tsp cumin seedsLow-calorie cooking spray200g long-stem broccoli, halved lengthways FOR THE SAUCE 3 level tbsp crunchy peanut butter1½ level tbsp Thai red curry paste2 tbsp lime juice2 tbsp light soy sauce¼ tsp sweetener granules3cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated100ml reduced-fat coconut milk150ml chicken stock 1 Preheat your oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7. 2 First put all the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Spoon one-quarter into a wide bowl, stir in the turkey strips and set aside to marinate. 3 Put the cauliflower, sweet potatoes, cumin seeds…

Prisoner 02879-509 is currently on suicide watch in a cell in Brooklyn, New York. Her name is Ghislaine Maxwell. She is the ex-girlfriend of convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, now deceased. Her second appeal for bail was rejected on 28 December. This was despite an offering of $28.5m from her (until recently unknown) husband of four years, Scott Borgerson, a man 14 years her junior and a multimillionaire himself, of a data analytics company. Her lawyer’s pleas that she is innocent of all charges, has lost over stone, is shedding her hair and remains unable to sleep as she is woken every 15 minutes by a guard, have fallen on deaf ears. The judge said that Ghislaine Maxwell will remain in prison until her trial in the Summer for supplying under-age…

1 LESSON 1 Hit the sweet spot with blush ‘If you place it too high, it’ll settle into fine lines around the eyes,’ says make-up artist Pati Dubroff. Start with your brush on the apple of your cheek in line with your pupil. Swirl lightly, then sweep it up along your cheekbones. Don’t forget to smile! ‘This helps you see where to apply product so you avoid any harsh-looking edges,’ Pati says. best loves Sleek MakeUP Face Form Blush, £4.99 (four shades), a light powder which you can layer up. 2 LESSON 2 Remove nail polish without staining your skin Bold colours make for a lovely mani but are messy to clean off – unless you know this trick from manicurist Deborah Lippmann. Hold a cotton pad soaked with polish…

Glamorous and straight-talking New Jersey native Michelle Visage couldn’t be more excited to be back for the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, joined by fellow judges Alan Carr, Graham Norton and, of course, RuPaul himself – as well as an impressive cast of guest judges, including Dawn French, Liz Hurley, Sheridan Smith and Gemma Collins. Following the original US format, the show sees 12 drag queens go head-to-head in challenges and lip-sync battles, to be crowned the UK’s Drag Superstar. The 52-year-old mum-of-two, who dazzled on Strictly Come Dancing in 2019 with Giovanni Pernice, talks shopping trips with Ru, being a tough judge, and why this show will put a much-needed smile on our faces… RuPaul’s Drag Race has gone global. Why do you think it’s touched so many people?…

INSIDER’S GUIDE With the Queen now in residence, why not head to Windsor for a regal getaway? Home to Britain’s most famous family, the town is jam-packed with Royal attractions and entrenched in history. From the iconic castle to the racecourse and Windsor Great Park, there’s tons to do and see. And the kids won’t be bored either. There’s a Legoland slap-bang in the centre! So stick your glad rags on and get ready for a mini-break that’s fit for a Queen (and some other Royals)… DON’T MISS You can’t visit without seeing the majestic Windsor Castle. No, really, you can see it from miles away! It covers the equivalent of a whopping 269 tennis courts and has been home to 40 monarchs during its lifetime. Arrive by 11am (Covid…

On Thursday, 10 December, Dame Barbara Windsor passed away peacefully with her husband Scott Mitchell at her side. A star who bravely battled dementia in the last six years of her life, she became a powerful voice for the thousands living with the cruel condition. The funeral took place on Friday, an intimate ceremony at London’s Golders Green Crematorium, with Ross Kemp delivering a eulogy to the screen mum he grew so close to on EastEnders. Just weeks before her death, he revealed that Barbara had said her final words to him: ‘I want everything in life to be good for you.’ Christopher Biggins admitted he, too, was ‘honoured’ to be amongst the mourners. Adding with a humour Barbara would no doubt have appreciated, he was sure she would have…

TOP TIP Dress down classic tailoring with trainers for a more relaxed look.…

CAROL McGIFFIN ‘It was around this time three years ago that I said a final goodbye to my little sister, Tracy. She had cancer but by the time she’d been diagnosed, it had spread to so many areas of her body, they couldn’t tell where the primary tumour was. That was in August of 2016. She may have known she was ill for a long while before that. Humans do sense when something is wrong but we often put it down to age, or we don’t want to make a fuss, or bother the NHS. Anyway, she was only 53 and still it doesn’t seem right that I, having had cancer as well, have lived longer. My cancer was very successfully treated and I am now almost six years without…

What’s your mostmissed High Street shop? We’re in lockdown (again) and we’re all missing a good mooch round the shops – having a wander down the High Street, browsing makeup counters, the latest fashions for a night out (remember that?) and grabbing a coffee. But it seems the stores we miss most are not the ones we currently shop at… According to research by online price tracking website, alertr.co.uk, nostalgically is the way we’d all love to shop! Woolworths, Blockbuster and Toys R Us are the most-missed British high street stores, and we aren’t surprised. Our deputy features editor, Louise Bulgin, loved nipping into Woolworths for anything and everything – and always coming out with a pick ’n’ mix, while features editor Sarah Whiteley still remembers the slide at her…

HOW IT WORKS 1 Follow the menu (right) – it’s Extra Easy! You can start on any day you choose, swap days around if there’s a meal you really fancy or repeat days if there’s something you particularly enjoy! You’ll find more ideas at slimmingworld.co.uk 2 Foods printed in bold are ‘Free Food’, which you can enjoy freely to satisfy your appetite without needing to weigh, measure or count at all. Base meals around Free Food, like lean meat, fish, meat substitutes including tofu and Quorn, pasta, rice, potatoes, eggs, pulses, fat-free dairy, fruit, vegetables and more. If you feel hungry between meals, snack on these foods. For the best weight loss, reach for fruit or vegetables first. 3 As well as Free Food, stock your store cupboard with fat-free…

Opening my eyes on New Year’s Day, I felt awful. I’d been out the night before with friends to ring in the New Year while my daughter, Bella, was staying with her dad. But this wasn’t a hangover. I had terrible heart palpitations, felt clammy and sick. I spent the next two days in bed before heading back to my PR job. But my heart was still beating incredibly fast… ‘I think you should go to see your doctor,’ my colleague suggested and I knew it was the right thing to do. when i arrived at the surgery, I had my blood pressure checked and it was through the roof. ‘You’re fat,’ the doctor bluntly told me. ‘What are you going to do about it?’ They were harsh words, and…

THE CROSSWORD MYSTERIES: A PUZZLE TO DIE FOR Tuesday, 3.15pm, Channel 5 One for crossword fans. A puzzle is found on the murdered owner of a burgled art gallery. Tess, a crossword editor, finds clues in puzzles and offers her help to detective Logan on how to solve the clues. GLADIATOR Thursday, 10pm, C5 One to sit the other half in front of – unless you are a huge Russell Crowe fan. Historical drama where a former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery. YOUNG ADULT Friday, 11.30pm, BBC1 Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron), an alcoholic writer of adult novels, receives an e-mail with a picture of the newborn daughter of her married high school boyfriend. She believes…

THE SECRET LIFE OF SQUIRRELS… With Squirrel Appreciation Day this week, get the lowdown on the rare, red kind from The Wildlife Trusts Why are red squirrels so rare? The total UK population of red squirrels is thought to be as low as 140,000. Grey squirrels were introduced from North America, but they out-competed the red kind and can transmit a fatal disease to them, lowering their numbers. Where can you find red squirrels? More than three-quarters of red squirrels in the UK can be found in Scotland. While most of the rest are in small areas of North England, Wales and Northern Ireland (visit wildlifetrusts.org for a list of nature reserves, but please abide by current government restrictions on travelling and check your local nature reserves are open). Red…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES How many professional fights did PICTURE C have before an injury forced her to retire? (3) This is your prize answer. Enter by using the numbers at the top of the grid or at hearstmagazines.co.uk/bestcross321 ACROSS 3 See 20A 6 I’ve got an ___ up my sleeve, expression (3) 7 NICO could be an idol! (4) 8 Subject, theme (5) 10& 18D PICTURE B For what film did she receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination? (1,4,2,4) 11 ANAGRAM ENROW 12 What was the name of the traditional co-founder of Rome who killed his twin brother Remus (7) 14 See 4D 17 Sound (5) 20& 3A PICTURE Name this comedian and intrepid traveller (7,5) 23 What star sign would you…