Table of contents for TAK2613 in Take 5

After reading Tina’s story on page 10 about how she’s an underwear model at 58, the team got chatting about body confidence. It was amazing how we all put up with not feeling 100 per cent happy. Tash, our Acting Deputy Editor, feels her body confidence is a minimum of six out of 10. “Depends what day it is,” she said. “Some days I look hot, other days I feel constipated and pregnant.” Now that Laura, Features Writer, has become a mum, she says she cares less about her body as she gets older. “Some of the most beautiful women in the world still feel they have faults,” she said. Vanessa, our pic editor, rated her confidence a five out of 10, due to comments from a former partner.…

Taking a sip of my tea, I laughed as my friend Jayne spoke. “There’s no way I could strut down a catwalk in my undies,” I said. “But you get up on stage at business events in front of hundreds of people all the time,” Jayne pointed out. “Yeah, fully clothed!” I retorted. Jayne owned a lingerie shop called Sheer Bliss, and she was organising a charity fashion show. She needed volunteers to model the underwear. For 35 years, I’d built several small businesses of my own and now worked as an advocate, championing other female-led microbusinesses. But at 51, and standing just 160cm tall, modelling had never been on my radar. Besides, I was already a nanna. “Go on, it’s for a cancer charity,” Jayne urged. “Oh, all right…

Good news for chocolate lovers – you can enjoy the sweet stuff without the health worries. It turns out that chocolate has a variety of health benefits, so when you think of it like that, chocolate is actually good for you… (That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.) The key is to eat dark chocolate containing 70 per cent cocoa or higher, and only indulge in portions of between 20-30mg. Here are seven surprising health benefits of chocolate – just in case you needed any more encouragement to break open that block… 1 PROMOTES HEART HEALTH Dark chocolate is rich in flavanols, which improve blood flow and relax blood vessels. This can help to lower blood pressure and improve circulation. There are also some studies which suggest that eating…

Roast potato, asparagus and sun-dried tomato salad SERVES 4 1kg new potatoes 200g asparagus tips (about 18 stalks) Vegetable oil 2 large handfuls arugula leaves (rocket leaves) 2 tbsp finely sliced green onions 6 sun-dried tomato halves, roughly chopped 1 large handful basil leaves, roughly torn 1 (125g) fresh mozzarella ball (optional) Aleppo pepper or other mild chili flakes Salt DRESSING 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1½ tbsp lemon juice ½ tsp ground allspice 1 garlic clove, smashed with the side of a knife Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 Preheat oven to 200°C. On a large baking sheet, toss potatoes with 2 tbsp vegetable oil and ¼ tsp salt. Roast for 50 mins, until tender inside and crispy and golden outside. After 40 mins, toss asparagus in a…

I stared at the ceiling, my eyes heavy with exhaustion. But I couldn’t sleep as my mind raced with anxious thoughts. What if I wake up and my parents are dead? What if I never wake up? During the day, it wasn’t much better. Sitting in the car with my family, I’d suddenly be gripped by fear that we might crash. My mind spiralled, imagining the worst possible outcomes. It was September 2013 and, at just 16, I felt trapped in a constant cycle of overthinking and fear. I’d recently started a relationship with a girl but felt I couldn’t tell anyone. I lived on an agri-tourism farm just outside Wagga Wagga, NSW, where being queer wasn’t something openly talked about. My mum, Jen, and dad, Jeremy, were loving parents,…

I looked up to see my sister Larisa leaning against the bedroom doorway, smiling at me. It was 2012. I was 11 and rifling through her make-up, trying on her clothes and high heels. “When you’re older, I’ll do your make-up and take you out on the town,” she promised. Although she was six years older than me, we’d always been close. In fact, all of our family were. Growing up with two other sisters and three brothers meant our house was busy and noisy, but we got along well. Three years later, Larisa had a baby daughter. Her relationship with the child’s father didn’t last, but she adored being a mum. The following year, she told us she’d met someone new. She arrived at Mum’s in tears “His name’s…

Green pea and haloumi fritters MAKES 12 PREP & COOK 45 MINS 250g frozen peas 1 cup self-raising flour 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground turmeric 3 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tbsp milk 250g haloumi, coarsely grated 2 cups finely shredded Chinese cabbage (wombok) (150g) ½ cup chopped fresh coriander, plus extra to garnish 320g punnet medley tomatoes 1 Cook peas in a saucepan of boiling water for 1 min. Drain. Return to saucepan. Lightly mash peas. 2 Combine flour and spices in large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add combined eggs and milk. Whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in peas, haloumi, cabbage and coriander. 3 Line 7-litre air fryer basket with a piece of baking paper to fit base. Spray with cooking…

Pulling flyers from my bag, I started walking up the zigzag path away from the seafront. I just need to grab my coat, I thought. It was August 2023 and heavy grey clouds hung overhead. I was 41, a mum of two, handing out flyers for a DJ event near the beach. As I climbed the steep cliff path towards the park where the event was being held, it began to pour with rain. I ducked under some trees, trying to find shelter. Then suddenly there was a loud thud. It landed so close I nearly jumped out of my skin. A black bin bag had fallen from above and almost hit me. For a moment I thought someone had thrown it. Heart pounding, I hurried up the hill, trying…

APRIL 6-12 ARIES Mar 21–Apr 20 Now that Venus is in your Cash Flow Zone, consider your relationship to money and confidence. Does it need healing? Does it need changing? Are you overdue for making a move that’s right for you? ★ Do start believing you are worthy of all you want. TAURUS Apr 21–May 21 Over the next few weeks, you’re going to have more cosmic green lights than you’ve had in a long time. Green lights for what, you may ask? A bold move. A change in style. Doing something out of character. ★ Life feels very now or never for you now. GEMINI May 22–June 21 It’s frustrating for you when Mercury retrogrades. Even though that cycle is over for now, you may still be wondering what…

As the bull charged out, my daughter Bella, 10, clung tightly to its back. After a few powerful jolts, she lost her balance and fell onto the dirt. I gasped, but my brave girl got up and ran straight to me. “That was thrilling,” Bella said, beaming. It was January 2024 and my husband Tony, 51, and I had brought Bella to a local rodeo school for a trial class. Earlier that week we’d taken her to her first rodeo in Central Queensland and she was instantly hooked. “I want to be a bull rider,” she’d said, adamantly. Tony was the general manger for an electrical company and I was a teacher’s aide. We had no connection to the bush, so we were surprised when Bella had expressed such immediate…

Listening to the instructor at Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club, I glanced over at one of the other students, Jimmy, and shook my head. His eyes drifted across the beach and it was obvious he wasn’t taking in a word the instructor was saying. He’s never going to pass if he doesn’t start paying attention, I thought. Both Jimmy, 46, and I were doing the Bronze Medallion course so we could become patrolling members. Jimmy had already bug,” I told him one day. attempted the course once before, but after injuring his wrist, he hadn’t been able to complete the final assessment. Because of that, he seemed to think he already knew it all. While he wasn’t the best listener in theory sessions, he excelled in the water. Jimmy…

You know how it goes – you start a diet, lose some weight, and then you immediately put it all back on (and then some) once you go off it. Then the cycle starts all over again… According to nutritionist, longevity expert and MyFitnessPal ambassador Michaela Sparrow, the reality is that diets just don’t work. “Fad diets are usually designed for short-term results and don’t account for the realities of everyday life or what’s required to maintain changes long term,” she says. Research from MyFitnessPal shows that 41 per cent of Australians have tried a fad diet in the past, and nearly one in four are planning on embarking on another one this year. “A simple rule of thumb is this: if you can’t imagine following a diet for the…

Adorning myself with a fluffy feather boa and my mum Trish’s oversized sunglasses, I felt like a superstar. It was 2011 and I was just four years old. Strutting around the living room, I blew kisses to Mum, who was lounging on the couch. “I’m a fashion model!” I declared, swishing my boa like I was on a runway. “You’re beautiful, Lys,” Mum smiled. “You could be anything you want to be.” When I was five, she took me for an interview with a kids’ modelling agency. I was signed and started appearing in Target catalogues. Shoots happened after school or on weekends, and each one felt like an adventure. When I wasn’t modelling, I loved being creative – crafts, building projects and anything hands-on. But by the time I…

Ricotta hotcakes with raspberry sauce SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 38 MINS 225g fresh ricotta, plus extra to serve ⅔ cup milk 3 eggs, separated 2 tbsp caster sugar 1 cup plain flour 1½ tsp baking powder Cooking oil spray or butter, for greasing RASPBERRY SAUCE ½ cup caster sugar 300g frozen raspberries 1 SAUCE Place sugar and 1⁄3 cup water in a medium saucepan. Stir over a medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Add raspberries. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Gently boil for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until berries are soft and sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. 2 Whisk ricotta, milk and egg yolks in a large bowl. Add sugar and combined sifted flour and baking powder. Whisk until just combined. 3 Beat eggwhites in…

EDITORIAL Editorial Director Kate Kirsten, Acting Editor Kim Bonett, Acting Deputy Editor Natasha Todd, Art Director Ninian Power, Picture Editor Vanessa Mckenzie ARE MEDIA Chief Executive Officer Jane Huxley, Director of Sales Anna Quinn, Director of Content Sally Eagle, General Manager Entertainment Susan Armstrong, Commercial Brand Manager Jessica Ashworth, Director of Marketing Carly Bowra Subscription enquiries: Customer Service 136 116 (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm AEST) International +61 2 9692 3535 Email magshop@magshop.com.au Website www.magshop.com.au Advertising enquiries: advertising@aremedia.com.au Published by Are Media Pty Limited (ABN 18 053 273 546), 54-58 Park Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. ©2024. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without prior written permission. Take5 is a registered trade mark of Are Media. Use of trademark strictly prohibited. Licensing Inquiries: www.contentshop.com.au /…

What’s in a name? When I was growing up, traditional names like Jenny, Sharon, Michael and Tom were common. Today, it seems like the more unusual the name the better. My neighbour’s grandson is named Syrael, my granddaughter’s two best friends are named Tallu-Laurel and Cynnamyn, and my nephew named his son Roddix. I also saw a young man wearing his work uniform on the bus and his name tag read, ‘Dryzdon’. I’m glad my baby naming days are over – I’m not creative enough to come up with anything that interesting! Ann Taylor, Warren, SA. Cuteness overload My darling grandson, Lachie, three, and my husband were playing with remote control trains on the loungeroom floor. There was much chatter and laughter but then all fell quiet. I heard a…