The Best You May 2013 by The Best You Magazine

TRANSFORM INSPIRE MOTIVATE ENRICH EMPOWER ENJOY THE BEST

YOU

7 MAY 2013 PRICE £399 THEBESTYOUMAGAZINE.CO

Life Without Limits

LUCKY CHARM PUDA VOLORUM QUI VOLUPTATUS MOLOR MAGNIETUR? PUDAE QUI DOLLORIA QUIDELIAT QUOD MOLUPTI ALIGNIA SSITAS NIA DOLUPTA TECTURE PERERUM FACCATIUM QUO CONSEQUE

EQUINE ASSISTED

DR.ROHAN INTERVIEW

HOMES TO DIE FOR

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MAY 2013

CONTENT REGULARS 5 EDITOR’S LETTER

Bernardo Moya welcomes you to the latest issue of The Best You

29 BOOK REVIEWS We give you our top literary choices – a small selection of what’s available

64 TOP TIPS: STOP SMOKING Ali Campbell gives us 3 tips to help make that nasty habit go up in smoke

24 THE MIDAS TOUCH WE CHAT TO JACQUELINE GOLD OF ANN SUMMERS ABOUT HER CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES

FEATURES 8 TBC

Blah blah blah blah blah blah

12 THE MAN BEHIND THE WHO

Bernardo Moya catches up with Bill Curbishley, former manager of 1970s rockers, The Who

INNER YOU 16 TAROT AND BUSINESS

Esoteric expert, Anne Jirsch, tells us her story about how she got into Tarot

18 MAKES GOOD SCENTS

Penny Price, one of the UK’s top aromatherapists, gives us an educati on in aromatherapy

20 IT’S ELEMENTARY

Author, Anna Konnikova, gets inside the mind of the world’s only consul ting detective

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24 WHEN YOU’RE SMILING

National Smile Month is the UK’s biggest oral health campaign

26 DANCING TO WELLBEING

In recent years, Zumba has taken the exercise world by storm

THE BEST YOU No. 7 · May 2013 · Year 1 · SENIOR EDITOR Bernardo Moya · DEPUTY EDITOR Zoë Henry · GRAPHIC DESIGN · Joanna Frackiewicz · NEW MEDIA · Allan Banford · TECHNICAL CONSULTANT Martin Carter · ADVERTISING Carla Phipps carla.phipps@thebestyou.co · The Best Group International 5 Percy St. · London, United Kindom, W1T 1DG · Tel: +44 (0)845 230 2033 · www.the best you. co

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THE BEST YOU

CONTRIBUTORS

MAY 2013

CONTENT

LIVE LOVE LEGACY 42 THE SILENT KILLER

Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 35 in the UK. We chat to the experts

44 THE POWER OF NICE Jo Haigh definitely knows what works, and she says that being nice is up there

46 BOTTLING MAGNETISM Most of us have to work on being the centre of attention. Fiona Thompson explains how

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

ANGELA STEEL

is a Nutritional Therapist and expert on weight loss, metabolic health and diabetes. She also runs healthy cooking classes in London. Check out her website at www. superwellness.co.uk

@SocioWellBeing

50 TAKING LIBERTIES

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FIONA THOMPSON is an entrepreneur with businesses including leadership, coaching and capability development in the corporate sector. She also works with youth and ex-offender groups exploringtechniques to allow transformational change.

@fionajthompson

Lifestyle editor Zane Henry chats to Sasha Wilkins

PENNY PRICE

MARIA KONNIKOVA

is the chair of the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists and has been an aromatherapist since 1983. Penny spends much of her time teaching abroad and she is the daughter of the famous Shirley Price.

was born in Moscow and grew up in the United States. She also holds an MPhil in psychology and an MA in political science from Columbia, and writes the weekly Literally Psyched column for Scientific American. She lives in New York.

@IFPAUK

@mkonnikova

52 SEASONAL SUPERFOODS

Angela Steel gives us some great ideas for seasonal veggies

54 RUNNING FOR A HEALTHY HEART

This month the BHF is hosting two London Runs

WEALTH & RICHES 56 BANK OF DAVE

Dave Fishwick, star of Channel 4’s Bank of Dave speaks to The Best You

58 HOW TO BE A TOP…

Some of the top PR agents in the UK on how to succeed

60 LEADING LADY Sheryl Sandberg is one of far too few women in business

62 THE ROCKY ROAD Inspirational people who didn’t have success handed to them

21 CENTURY LIVING ST

66 PORN, POLITICS AND BICYCLES

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Erik CrouchTBC tells us what happening with the internet in the Far East

68 TURN IT OFF

ZANE HENRY

was born in Cape Town and grew up around horses. She moved to London at the age of 19, where she spent five years teaching horse riding. After studying Reiki, she decided that her future lay with the equine species and did her Equine Reiki degree. She became familiar with Equine Assisted Therapy and hasn’t looked back.

@zanehenry

ANNE JIRSCH

@annejirsch

JO HAIGH

@fdscfs

ALI CAMPBELL

ERIK CROUCH

is a student in New York University’s Global Liberal Studies program, and focuses on East Asian history. He writes for Shanghaiist.com, a popular Englishlanguage website covering Chinese news, culture, and politics.

@erikcrouch

@ali_campbell

DISCLAIMER

The Best You gives you some tips on being saving electricty

70 WE SUPPORT

Bill Curbishley has helped raise millions for the Teenage Cancer Trust. We take a look at the work they’ve done

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EDITORIAL THE BEST YOU

THE BEST YOU

EDITORIAL

SO, IT’S OFFICIALLY OVER clouds!) It’s well known that more sunlight causes a release of Vitamin D into the body, boosting our immune systems and reducing tension. It’s great to lift moods. Things look… different. We feel lighter, we are so much more optimistic. So my question to you is, what else, or where else, can we get more spring to our lives? How do we get more positive mood, and make spring more wonderful and life-giving? Maybe it’s time to stop watching the winter news on TV or reading depressing stories in the newspaper. After all, why do we want people telling us how bad things are, or what problems we are all meant to be having? Of course, I know that bad news sells. But, I wonder, why do we buy it when it can be so bad for us? Why are we so often so focused on bad news? There’s a well-known adage in Personal Development that you get more of what you focus on.

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Don’t knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation if it didn’t change once in a while.

If you surround yourself with positive people, focus on good news, happy things you will feel different. This is not positive thinking and aspiration. It’s brain science! So where can you make spring come to life? Whatever the weather over the next few weeks, it’s about time we bring spring to our work, to our new marketing campaigns, or how we talk to people. It’s about time we shared a bit more spring with our loved ones. After all spring is a frame of mind! The grey skies and the cold can definitely have an impact – but the fact is, it’s down to you. b

WE WANT YOUR STORIES The Best You is all about inspiring people. If you have a tale to tell that you think will help someone become the best they can be, please tell us.

JACLIN GOLD

was lucky enough to have spent my early years being brought up in Spain, and I can tell you one thing for sure: in Spain you don’t normally talk about the weather! It’s sunny. It’s lovely. So there’s not much to talk about. When I was younger, I never understood why people in this country spent so much time talking about it. Well... now, I get it! It has been a long, long winter! How long? Well it feels like four to five years! And despite my Spanish surprise at all things British and meteorological, I have recently found myself discussing the weather with quite a few people. I can tell you, it’s the word on the street. The same questions come up time and time again: How long has this winter been, and for the love of all things holy, when is it going to finish? I’ve got some good news. Winter was officially over on March the 20th. That’s the vernal equinox, when spring finally starts to swell the world with life. So now is the time to start looking at green shoots, time to notice the fresh air, the mildness of the weather – and hopefully – the gentle rays of the sun. (It’s up there somewhere, above those

COVER STTORY

COVER STORY

THE BEST YOU

COVER STTORY

COVER STORY

BILL CURBISHLEY

THE BEST YOU

FEATURE

AD THE MAN BEHIND THE WHO

The Best You interviews Bill Curbishley, the manager of legendary rock band The Who, and finds out how hard work and good luck are not the only ingredients of his success.

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BILL CURBISHLEY

ack at school in the 1950s, Bill Curbishley’s teachers told the boy who would go on to manage rock groups The Who and Led Zeppelin he wouldn’t amount to anything. Bill smiles at the memory. “If they’re still alive, I’d like to tell them I did!” Born in Forest Gate in London’s East End, Bill was the son of a Royal Navy marine engineer, eldest of six children. “We were quite poor,” he recalls, “from a very early age, life was about work.” Tall for his age, Bill pretended he was older to work on building sites in the school holidays. “To do four or six weeks work, and earn a man’s wages, was fantastic,” he affirms. Every evening he worked at the local railway station sorting newspapers for newsagents. On Saturdays he forsook playing football to push his laden Co-op wheelbarrow from Forest Gate up Wanstead Hill to sell firewood. After school, Bill joined the merchant navy and travelled the world, jumping ship every time he came to a place he liked. “I honestly thought I may never come back again to these places.” Back in London, Bill got into the Mod scene, “surrounded by music” and having fights with rockers at Brighton. “As an experiment” he joined a record production company run by a friend. He got lucky when

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creative entrepreneur Peter Meaden, who’d previously discovered the Rolling Stones, offered Bill’s company a band called The High Numbers. He’d written their first two singles, ‘Zoot Suit’ and ‘I’m The Face’ specifically to attract the Mod audience and changed their name to The Who as he closed the deal. Curbishley later signed Jimi Hendrix, Marc Bolan and T-Rex. In those heady days of the 1960s it’s no surprise his colleagues got into heroin. With his third business partner Mike Shaw paralysed in a car crash, the business began to collapse. Nevertheless, The Who still wanted Bill to

FEATURE

manage them, so his next job was negotiating movie rights to their “rock opera” Tommy. Knowing nothing about movies pushed Bill’s resourcefulness. “I used to go away, pick people’s brains, go back the next day, negotiate a bit more, go away again, find out a bit more, pick their brains, go back.” One of the brains he picked was David Putnam’s, who went on to become Lord Putnam. “I managed to conclude a really good deal and LEFT sting, bill and franc roddam BELOW Tiur sitatur, simincte lacessin eos adi quae quam faccaturi iducienisi cullore henduntia pore.

FEATURE

BILL CURBISHLEY

Tommy got made.” It was a hit, despite older executives at Columbia Pictures constantly asking for the volume to be turned down at the premier. However, drug problems affected Bill’s other business partners, forcing The Who to tour for the next two years to sustain themselves. Eventually The Who resolved their management difficulties and the 1973 album Quadrophenia became the subject for their next movie. Bill used a completely unknown director and cast to tell the story of a young man’s disillusionment with his teenage ideals. Quadrophenia became a cult movie, despite American distributors wanting to dub the Cockney accents! Luck undoubtedly helped Bill’s success. When he invited American record company executives to listen to the band Golden Earring in London, a bomb scare evacuated the theatre. 2,500 people waited in the street for over an hour until police gave the all clear. “The next day I found the Americans at their hotel and I said ‘Why didn’t you come?’ They said,

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

‘We couldn’t get near the theatre. There were thousands of people in the street... We want to sign that band!’” Bill and The Who now give much back through charities: “The satisfaction is immense. I remember I got a letter from a woman who said ‘My boy’s hand was amputated and he needs a mechanical hand’. I sent her a cheque, and lo and behold, months later I got a letter thanking me, written by the boy with the mechanical hand.”

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JO HAIGH

They have raised money for teenage cancer units in the US, recently putting on a charity gig at Madison Square Garden, raising $1.5 million (nearly £1 million). As Bill puts it: “If I did nothing else, we’ve achieved fantastic things.” Bill has also learned to adjust to his success. It took him some time to realise he was working so hard from fear of being poor. As he puts it: “F.E.A.R. is False Evidence Appearing Real.” Having pulled back a little from his work with The Who he spends more time with his family, knowing he has a reliable team. Bill has many more projects in the pipeline, despite insisting he isn’t working as hard as previously. Maybe that’s true – but he certainly knows how to harness his energies effectively. That, perhaps, is the key to his success. “You know, much of what we do in our lives can be wasted energy. One of the things that comes back to me quite often is a quote from Ghandi: ‘Why run so fast if you’re running in the wrong direction?’ It’s [about] choosing the right road.” b

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DID YOU KNOW ? The character of Sherlock Holmes was inspired by a real life person, Dr. Joseph Bell, for whom author of the Sherlock Holmes books, Conan Doyle, had worked as a clerk at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Like Holmes, Bell was noted for drawing large conclusions from the smallest observations.

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THE BEST YOU

INNER YOU

THE BEST

YOU

What do you want to be remembered for? What are your relationships like with those around you? How does life treat you - and how do you treat your life? There is so much good in you. Enrich your life with the passion you feel and the connections you make.

Life Without Limits

5 Tips to Stick to Your Resolutions A third of the way through 2013 and The Best You asks how well you’re doing with those New Year’s Resolutions

From the Horse's Mouth

Equine specialist Candice Bettison guides us through using the power of horses in a therapy that’s sweeping the planet

An Unexpected Gift

Medium and author Dee Weldon-Bird talks about the trials and tribulations in her life that made her who she is

TELL US YOUR INSPIRATIONAL STORY

Inspire others with your personal story of change. Email us at: info@thebestyou.co

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THE BEST YOU

TAROT GIVING I YOU THE EDGE IN BUSINESS Tarot readings may conjure up images of old ladies in veils surrounded by candles, velvet and crystal balls, but Anne Jirsch, who has been a tarot consultant for over 28 years, reckons it can be used in a practical fashion as well.

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had my first tarot reading over 40 years ago. A friend dragged me along, and I half expected it to be some vague nonsense or clever guesswork, but instead it was incredibly accurate. The reader told me something that I could not see happening. I decided to get a second opinion and a third – just out of curiosity. Both readers told m e exactly the same thing as the first – that I would move to the countryside. It didn’t make any sense to me. I am a townie through and through. A short while later a situation arose where I was made a seriously good offer to move to the countryside. I learnt two things from this: Firstly, tarot is amazingly accurate. And secondly, it taught me that I

have control over my destiny, because I didn’t make the move that was predicted. From that moment my intrigue grew. My best friend bought me a set of tarot cards and I dutifully sat down and tried to learn, but boy it was hard. To give you an example, just one card had many meanings, none of which made any sense when I looked at the picture. Some of the meanings of just one card were consanguinity, marriage with tribulation, inheritance (which could also mean loss). Then there were different meanings as to where the card lay in a spread as well as the combinations, that is, if one card lay next to another it would take on a whole new meaning. I was baffled and gave up. A couple of years later I met a gypsy who told me, “My forefathers couldn’t read or write. Do you seriously think they studied tarot from a book? Just look at what is in front of you and allow your intuition to give you the answers.” I haven’t looked back since. Over time I built a worldwide client base. My clients come from all walks of life – I have visited palaces, been flown out to Hollywood, and even sat in on board meetings with the C.E.O. telling his team, “Anne is my secret weapon.”

INNER YOU

ABOVE Tiur sitatur, simincte lacessin eos adi quae quam faccaturi iducienisi cullore henduntia pore.

Of course this didn’t happen overnight. I’ve worked hard for my clients and built a solid reputation. They expect a lot – people at the top do. But can tarot cards give you the edge? They certainly can. They can alert you to potential problems, highlight the best time to make a move, let you know who to trust, and show you who or what will bring you big dividends. Most people attempting to read cards have the same experience as me. They get a little tangled by all the different cards, meanings and spreads and soon give up. However, by using the NLP principle of chunking down, you will soon get the hang of it. There are 78 cards, so chunk down by separating them into three piles. Firstly, there are the Major Arcana. These are the cards you have heard of: The Wheel of Fortune, The Hanged Man etc. Next put aside the four suits: Cups, Batons, Coins and Swords. The third pile is for the court cards: Kings, Queens, Knights and Pages. Think of the tarot as your story – the Major Arcana

represent the big events in your life. The four suits are the details of love, money, work and all you have to deal with. The Court Cards are the players, the people in your life. Now take the four suits and split them into four piles: Cups for love, Swords for difficulties, Coins for money and Batons for work. Just by noticing which cards dominate gives you an idea of what you need to be focussing on. Now give the cards a good shuffle and lay out nine cards, three for past, three for present and three for future. Just take what comes to you. If the cards look better in the future that means you are heading in the right direction. I have been teaching tarot for over 28 years, and many of my students are now professional Tarot Consultants. I can teach anyone in a day – it is that simple. b

INTERESTED IN LEARNING TAROT? BELOW Tiur sitatur, simincte lacessin eos adi quae quam.

Check out Anne’s online course here: three lessons at http://www.annejirsch. com/tarot_course.php. And the first lesson is free!

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INNER YOU PENNY PRICE

PENNY PRICE

MAKES GOOD SCENTS

BY STEFANIE PAGEL

MAKING THE DIFFERENCE

Clinical aromatherapy is widely recognised as a natural remedy for anxiety and pain

A world-leading aromatherapy association is making it easier for serious enthusiasts and those wanting a career in the field to join. PennyPrice lets us know the perks.

he International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists has launched an online service, allowing health enthusiasts to become non-practising members. Professional practitioners and students can also use the online service to become fully accredited once they have completed the necessary training. It is part of a major overhaul of the federation’s website at www.ifparoma.org that also includes a members’ area with latest developments and case studies in aromatherapy. IFPA Chair Penny Price, who has a worldwide reputation in aromatherapy, said: “We want to make it easy for people with a serious interest in aromatherapy to become members, even if they are not practitioners.

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INNER YOU

For some people, it will be a first step to becoming a practitioner. Others will be happy just to build their knowledge of therapeutic techniques, essential oil uses and health tips and guidance through our professional magazine and the members’ area of our website. Membership also makes an ideal gift. We are the biggest organisation of our kind in the world, and our members have a wealth of knowledge of the subject to share.” The IFPA is stepping up efforts to get more practitioners to become professionally accredited in clinical aromatherapy, using oils to treat conditions as varied as eczema to asthma. Benefits for full members include being listed on a professional register available to the public and specialist insurance cover. Members have opportunities to meet at regional and national

events, and to obtain educational grants and bursaries. IFPA is a registered charity with a worldwide membership of close to 2,000 and a respected voice in the field of complementary and alternative medicine. Clinical aromatherapy is widely recognised as a natural remedy for anxiety and pain, as well as aiding relaxation and boosting energy levels. The essential oils from aromatic plants are used in an informed and controlled manner, in a way that experts say can improve our wellbeing. IFPA encourages the controlled use of essential oils to bring balance to the mind, body and

spirit. Aromatherapy makes use of oilbearing plants from all over the world harvested for their therapeutic and other beneficial properties. The fragrances from essential oils stimulate emotional and physical responses through the olfactory system. Aromatherapy makes use of oils in a variety of ways, including inhalation, massage, creams and bath essences. Different blends of natural active ingredients determine the response, ranging from treating swelling and fungal infections, to stress relief and insomnia. Versatility, efficacy and a pleasant experience for the patient have made aromatherapy one of the worlds’ most popular natural remedies. Penny Price explains: “Essential oils are synergistic, meaning there are many different chemicals, which all work together to produce a whole range of integrated effects. When two or three aromatherapy essential oils are mixed together, there will be a stronger and different response compared with using one alone. This is the point of aromatherapy – the collaboration of oils and techniques that can positively improve moods and senses. The IFPA offers members expert guidance in this area, and allows for more people to become professionally recognised and involved.” b For more information, visit www.ifparoma.org or call 01455 637987.

Since I started studying the patterns of NLP, I had a particular respect for the workshops of Chris Mulzer, one of the best NLP trainers, at least on German speaking soil. So, I promptly decided to take the next step in my NLP training, the Master Practitioner, under him too. In retrospect I must say that my expectations were not just met, but even exceeded, particularly with regards to my teaching style. From quite early on I found out that the tight corset of our conservative school system, as well as the strictly given curriculum, didn’t give me the freedom and flexibility to provide the learners under my care with tools that equip them to live their perfect life and to successfully grow in the modern world, making it to a somewhat better place than it is. After having observed and studied the elegant way Chris teaches the model of NLP, which is by superficially explaining something whilst subliminally demonstrating it, I found it as a perfect combination of the best and most effective teaching (and learning) techniques – free of any tenets and ties. So, I instantly started to model it since I believe it gives me not only more vibrant ways of guidance, but also helps to create new leeway to the students’ own interpretation and intuition of everything that surrounds them. No sooner said than done, it even turned my teaching style upside down to a much more empathic manner with lots of laughing and learning from each other. NLP isn’t about techniques, but a wonderful set of meta-tools (the methodology) in which to heartily explore the world with a sense of gusto and curiosity, and those tools will help you create methods, models and techniques to better navigate the world around you too. If you would like to see your story published, send it to marketing@thebestyou.co

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INNER YOU

MARIA KONNIKOVA

IT’S

THE BEST YOU

Although Sherlock Holmes isn’t real, his insights into the human mind do more to teach us about how we do think and how we should think than many conventional sources. Maria Konnikova, author of the recently published book How To Think Like Sherlock Holmes tells us what we can all learn from ”the world’s only consulting detective.”

ELEMENTARY S

herlock Holmes teaches us to be constantly mindful of our surroundings. When I was little, my dad used to read us Sherlock Holmes stories before bed. While my brother often took the opportunity to fall promptly asleep on his corner of the couch, the rest of us listened intently. I remember in particular one story that has stayed with me. Not the whole story, actually, but one exchange that caught my attention. In “A Scandal in Bohemia,” Holmes instructs Watson on the difference between seeing and observing: “When I hear you give your reasons,” I remarked, “the thing always appears to me to be so ridiculously simple that I could easily do it myself, though at each successive instance of your reasoning, I am baffled until you explain your process. And yet I believe that my eyes are as good as yours.” “Quite so,” he answered, lighting a cigarette, and throwing himself down into an armchair. “You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear. For example, you have frequently seen the steps which lead up from the hall to this room.” “Frequently.” “How often?”

“Well, some hundreds of times.” “Then how many are there?” “How many? I don’t know.” “Quite so! You have not observed. And yet you have seen. That is just my point. Now, I know that there are seventeen steps, because I have both seen and observed.” The exchange really shook me. Feverishly, I tried to remember how many steps there were in our own house, how many led up to our front door (I couldn’t). And for a long time afterward, I tried to count stairs and steps whenever I could, lodging the proper number in my memory in case anyone ever called upon me to report. I’d make Holmes proud (of course, I’d promptly forget each number I had so diligently tried to remember – and it wasn’t until later that I realised

For anxiety and painRo conectur sapic tem imillab ipsam que odigenimus exerrumqui

that by focusing so intently on memorisation, I’d missed the point entirely and was actually being less, not more observant). But what does it mean to go beyond seeing and to actually observe? Conan Doyle’s Holmes had taught himself to observe on a regular, almost superhuman basis. For him, taking note of the myriad inputs from his surroundings was a matter of course. He was never not observing, never not in touch with his environment. He had mindfulness down to an art. Most of us aren’t as careful. Our senses – and here I don’t just mean vision; I mean all of them, touch, hearing, smell, taste – are powerful forces. Every day, countless items, some glanced, or heard, or felt, or smelled only briefly, perhaps without ever registering in our consciousness, affect our minds and play into our decisions. But for the most part, we don’t pay attention; and we fail to realize what it is that is guiding us at any given moment, or fail to note something that would have made a crucial difference to our decision calculus.

INNER YOU

Most of us are lucky to have eyes that, like Watson’s, are every bit as good as Holmes’s. Ditto the rest of the senses. But so often, we squander them. We block ourselves off from the world, armed with headphones, dark glasses, eyes that look straight ahead and hurry on to their destination as quickly as possible, angry at the slightest interruption. How much do we miss that would actually make a difference, that continues to affect us even though we don’t realise it’s doing so? I’ve written in the past about the potential of smell to do just that, but the same holds for every single one of the senses we take for granted. Using our senses to increase mindfulness is key. We and our decisions both would be well served to take some of the famed detective’s advice, to go beyond seeing and into the realm of observing. Take note of what’s around you. Take note of how or why it affects you. You might not turn into an expert crime solver, but I guarantee, you’d be surprised at the difference it can make to the quality of your life and your decisions. b

INNER YOU

THE BEST YOU

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THE BEST YOU

ENJOY LIFE

WHEN YOU’RE SMILING

N ational Smile Month is the UK’s biggest oral health campaign

DANCING TO WELLBEING

I n recent years, Zumba has taken the exercise world by storm

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THE BEST YOU

lthough it’s called National Smile Month, there is a serious issue behind it. Poor oral hygiene routine can lead to gum disease and there is also evidence of a link between a lack of brushing your teeth and heart disease. What’s more, an unhealthy smile and bad breath can lead to poor self-confidence and to social awkwardness. A bad smile can really hold you back and affect your health. This is why keeping up with a healthy oral routine is important.

Celebrate National Smile Month with these top tips: ■ Keep to a regular daily oral hygiene routine to ensure you maintain a healthy smile. ■ Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste

■ Cut down on sugary foods and drinks. ■ Visit your dentist as often as recommended for a routine check-up, which is once every six months. ■ Regular flossing alongside brushing your teeth can help prevent gum disease.

WHEN YOU’RE SMILING This year National Smile Month takes place from 20 May to 20 June and is the UK’s largest oral health campaign. It gives us the opportunity to learn more about why looking after your pearly whites is so very, very important.

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■ Excessive drinking and smoking can prevent you from having healthy, white teeth, and there is a higher risk of developing mouth cancer and gum disease. ■ A healthy well-balanced diet helps keep teeth in great condition. ■ Detox your teeth by drinking plenty of water. Water is vital for a healthy body and skin. By drinking eight glasses per day, you 0will notice a positive difference inside and out. So get those teeth sparkling! ■ Using a mouthwash as part of your daily routine can also help to keep your breath fresh and your mouth healthy.

ollowing these top tips will help keep your smile looking and feeling great. There are many huge benefits in keeping your teeth and gums in great condition. Not only will a great set of teeth make you feel more confident, but you will feel much healthier. The teeth can be susceptible to developing a wide variety of problems and diseases, so by keeping up with a regular great oral health routine, you can try and keep your teeth and gums in tip top shape!

So, it’s time to get brushing! Brought to you by Beverly Hills Formula

ENJOY LIFE

SIMPLE IDEAS I will never forget that day it all started. Waiting in between two flights at the airport, I picked a little book, Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson, which talked about how we, as human beings, get stuck in our own realities most of our life. We complain and blame others, and by doing so, we lose the opportunity to act, to change, to make it better for ourselves. When I got back home that night I was excited about this idea and the fact that by taking more responsibility, I could start to change my life for the better. I went on and immersed myself in good materials in topics like personal development, leadership, psychology, metaphysics and religion to improve myself. This inspired me so much and I committed myself to waking up early every morning to make early rising a habit. I can recall how tough this was as I, like most of us, have been conditioned to believe that I am not a “morning person”. The idea of reading and learning something new every single day inspired me, too. I started to use a journal to reflect on my own experiences and challenges. I went on to nurture some traits within me like gratitude and start listing things I am grateful for every day. I took up sports although I was the kind of person who almost never exercises. The list could go on and on but what is most important is that all these changes I made were simply because of a simple, yet powerful idea in a book that I have the power to change my life for the better. It changed my life, made me engage with it more and get more from it. It really is as simple as picking a book from a shelf to start to make the change! “For your life to change you must change” – Jim Roh If you would like to see your story published, send it to: marketing@thebestgroupinternational.co

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ENJOY LIFE THE BEST YOU

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DANCING TO WELLBEING The Latin dance / fitness craze of Zumba has taken the world by storm. So how did it start and what does it involve? The Best You reports.

e are told that a great memory will help us get on in life, but the story of Zumba shows how being forgetful and able to improvise can be equally valuable. Zumba began in 1986 when Alberto ”Beto” Perez, who was working as an aerobics instructor in Colombia, forgot to bring his aerobics tapes to work with him. He improvised a class around the tapes he had in his backpack, which had a mixture of merengue and salsa music, adapting the moves for the Latin rhythms.

The class was a success, and Perez went on to extend the concept, until by the late 1990s he decided to take the idea to the USA.

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THE BEST YOU

By this time, Zumba was a fully developed aerobic exercise system, that was easy to do and incorporated not only salsa and merengue, but elements of mambo, chachacha, flamenco, cumbia, samba, bellydancing, soca, bhangra, hip hop music, axe music and tango. Working with two friends in the US, Perez produced a demo video and licensed the product to Fitness Quest, who created a line of home videos and a direct marketing campaign. From here, the phenomenon spread across America, and from there across the world. Zumba sessions are usually around an hour in length, with instructors licensed by the Zumba Academy. They make for great exercise, having fast and slow rhythms and resistance training, and burning off an estimated 500-1000 calories per session. Different types of

BELOW Tiur sitatur, simincte lacessin eos adi quae quam faccaturi iducienisi cullore henduntia pore.

Zumba have been developed for specific markets – for example Zumba Toning is designed to target the thighs, arms and abs as well as other areas, while Zumba Gold is a more gentle exercise designed for older participants. Probably the most famous Zumba participants are Jennifer Lopez and Kirstie Alley, as well

ENJOY LIFE

as Halle Berry and Victoria Beckham. The effect of exercise, movement and bright uplifting music has a great effect on participants, who come out not only feeling toned and well exercised, but also full of beans from the music. With an estimated 14 million people taking weekly Zumba classes in more than 150 countries, and with children as young as four taking part as well as people into their 70s and older, it’s a universally enjoyed and fun exercise regime.

DID YOU KNOW ? A demo reel was presented to Fitness Quest to create a direct marketing campaign and a line of home videos by three Albertos: Alberto “Beto” Perez, who came up with the idea, teamed up with cofounder Alberto Perlman and a childhood friend, Alberto Aghion, who is now the COO. That’s a lot of Albertos! Zumba Fitness has raised millions of dollars for charitable organizations, including Susan G. Komen, Augie’s Quest and the American Heart Association. One Zumba class, which lasts about an hour, can burn calories between 500 -800 calories. That’s more than a Big Mac!

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THE BEST YOU

BOOK REVIEWS

THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

Great reading, viewing and listening to empower, entertain, enrich, delight and enhance. The Best You rounds up classics and new books and media products that will make such a positive difference in your life

“IF THERE’S A BOOK YOU REALLY WANT TO READ BUT IT HASN’T BEEN WRITTEN YET, THEN YOU MUST WRITE IT.” – TONI MORRISON

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BOOK REVIEWS

THE BEST YOU

BOOK REVIEWS

MASTERMIND

BY MARIA KONNIKOVA What is it that separates Sherlock Holmes from his longsuffering friend and sidekick Dr John Watson? What makes Holmes such a superior detective, able to piece together clues and solve problems that seem elementary to Watson only in hindsight? And can we – most of us Watsons ourselves – ever harness a bit of Holmes’s extraordinary powers of mind, not to solve crimes, but simply to improve our lives at work and home? The answer is yes, and in Mastermind, psychologist Maria Konnikova shows us how. Using plots and passages from the wonderfully entertaining Holmes stories, she illuminates how Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective embodies an ever-present mindfulness, and how this active mental disposition proves foundational to his success. Beginning with Holmes’s concept of the ‘brain attic’ – a metaphor for the information we choose to store in the mind and how we organise our knowledge, Konnikova unpacks the mental strategies that lead to clearer thinking and deeper insights. Moving through principles of logic and deduction, creativity and imagination, Mastermind puts 21st century neuroscience and psychology in service of understanding Holmes’s methods. With some self-awareness and a little practice, we can all employ these methods to develop better strategies, solve difficult problems and enhance our creative powers. Writing for Holmes fans and casual readers alike, Konnikova has translated what so many of us love about the great detective into a remarkable guide to upgrading the mind.

An entertaining blend of Holmesiana and modern-day neuroscience – New York Times

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THE BEST YOU

BOOK REVIEWS

LEAN IN

BY SHERYL SANDBERG Ask most women whether they have the right to equality at work and the answer will be a resounding yes. Ask the same women whether they’d feel confident asking for a raise, a promotion, or equal pay, and some reticence creeps in. The statistics, although an improvement on previous decades, are certainly not in women’s favour – of 197 heads of state, only twenty-two are women. Women hold just 20 per cent of seats in parliaments globally, and in the world of big business, a meagre eighteen of the Fortune 500 CEOs are women. In Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg – Facebook COO and one of Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women in Business – draws on her own experience of working in some of the world’s most successful businesses and looks at what women can do to help themselves, and make the small changes in their life that can effect change on a more universal scale. Learning to ‘lean in’ is about tackling the anxieties and preconceptions that stop women reaching the top - taking a place at the table, and making yourself a part of the debate.

Lean In is essential reading for anyone interested in righting the injustice of this inequality” – Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, the Virgin Group – Sir Richard Branson, Chairman, the Virgin Group

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THE BEST YOU

BOOK REVIEWS

DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS:

THE CURSE OF THE STRONG BY DR TIM CANTOPHER If you suffer from depression, this bestselling book shows that you are not alone, and that you are in fact much stronger than you think. People with depression so often struggle on – dealing with pressures and stresses that other people would run away from – until their bodies can take no more. Dr Cantopher shows that depression may be seen as the body’s way of ‘blowing a fuse’, and explains that it is indeed a physical illness from which recovery is possible. This new edition: • Guides the reader through the nature of depression, its history, symptoms, causes and treatments • Examines some of the principles of psychiatric theory • Includes the latest information of medications Depressive Illness is a warm, supportive book, which stresses that sufferers should not blame themselves, but can take hope from the fact that there is meaning in their illness, and that getting better is a real option.

In the battle to beat depression, this book represents the definitive weapon. – Ruth Lavery, DEPEND

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THE BEST YOU

BOOK REVIEWS

ARCHETYPES: WHO ARE YOU? BY CAROLINE MYSS

Have you ever wondered why you are drawn to certain people, ideas or products and turned off by others? Are you constantly searching for something you can’t put your finger on, or wondering whether you are living a life that truly fits? In Archetypes, New York Times bestselling author Caroline Myss delves into the world of archetypes, which have been the subject of her work for more than 25 years. Within the pages of this book, Myss writes about ten primary archetypes that have emerged in today’s society: the Caregiver, the Artist/Creative, the Fashionista, the Intellectual, the Rebel, the Queen/Executive, the Advocate, the Visionary, the Athlete, and the Spiritual Seeker. In each chapter, she explains one individual archetype, showing how it has evolved and then in fascinating detail lays out the unique characteristics, the defining graces, the life challenges, and other information to help you understand if you are part of this archetype family and if so, how you can fully tap into its power. Learning which archetypes best describe you is just the beginning. You can then use this knowledge to make more conscious decisions about everything from careers to relationships, avoiding common pitfalls of your personality type while playing up your strengths. The result is a happier, more authentic you. It’s never too late to change your life by embracing your archetypes to the fullest. So are you a Rebel? An Artist? A Visionary? Join us . . . and find yourself.

Caroline Myss takes a fresh approach from her book Sacred Contracts by lifting the Archetypes up a level into groups that are easily understood. – Jennifer Grant

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BOOK REVIEWS

PRACTICAL MIRCLES: BY ARIELLE ESSEX

After seeing naturopath Arielle Essex in the film documentary The Living Matrix, many people ask, ‘How did she heal her own brain tumour without medical treatment?’ Convinced that resolving stress would help, Arielle’s healing journey focused on how the mind and emotions affect the body. Practical Miracles explains how she applied the practical psychology of NLP to disentangle her own confusing cloud of thoughts and restore inner peace. In Practical Miracles, Arielle describes her process for facing any kind of crisis and turning it around: heal the thinking to transform the stress; don’t let outside events trigger your emotions; learn how to bounce back instead of being bewildered and confused; and develop the kind of resiliency that sustains you and keeps you well, no matter what happens. Having faced her own crisis, Arielle knows the kind of questions people really want to ask: • How • How • How • How • How • How

can I make a miracle happen when I need one? could this have happened to me, and why now? is it possible that my thoughts have contrbuted to this? can I resolve this problem and get rid of it right now? is it possible to forgive the unforgivable and let go? can I bounce back and prevent this happening again?

In Practical Miracles, finding answers to all of these questions becomes not only possible, but completely achievable in your life, as Arielle guides you on your own unique healing journey to a life of freedom and fulfilment.

As a cynical old git, this is the last type of book I’d normally review – but Arielle’s material is always well written, meaningful, thoughtprovoking, and – unlike so much else in this field –effective. – Gerry

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DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T MISS NEXT ISSUE!

NOW

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hictatem quae non pelibus sed que ditiaec tinusam incte nima quae expedis essinci liquia qui berferendite exped utenducius earibus, ommolor iscius aut aut laccabore velescipsape ratum remodicia vellam ium fugitecabo. Itat eribus a sam ad que ad que disinve nimus, si cus aut dolupta menihitam que et aut re eossitam, ipsam ataspel esent.

THE BEST YOU

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

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Life Without Limits

THE SILENT KILLER

Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 35 in the UK. We chat to the experts

THE POWER OF NICE

Jo Haigh definitely knows what works, and she says that being nice is up there

BOTTLING MAGNETISM

Red Nose Day celebrates its 25th birthday this year. The Best You takes a look at the last quarter of a century

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LIVE LOVE LEGACY

THE BEST YOU

THE SILENT KILLER

THE BEST YOU

Suicide is the biggest killer amongst men aged 18 to 35 with 4,500 men taking their own lives yearly. What causes this trend, and what can be done to put an end to these horrific statistics? The Best You investigates.

n 2012 in England and Wales, YouGov carried out a survey for Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). According to that survey, 26 per cent of people indicated they had considered suicide, 54 per cent of which had considered it seriously. What was interesting about the survey results was that while the contemplation of suicide is relatively equally balanced between men and women, it is men who actually follow through. Men are three times more at risk of suicide than women, and in 2011 76 per cent of suicides in England and Wales were men. Rachel Clare, editor of CALMZone, CALM’s in-house magazine, says, “It is suggested that men are inherent risk takers, and that suicide is attempted as much by women as by men, but men succeed in their attempts.” While men may be inherent risk takers, one can’t help but think that men may feel the pressures of the economic climate more than women do. Clare goes on to say, “Clearly the economic climate, work pressures, financial worries, relationship breakdowns will all affect our mental well-being, regardless of gender; yet whatever the demographic, the suicide rate will be predominantly male.” We may not be living in the 1950s anymore, but research shows that men still feel the pressure to provide for their families. According to a report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, “fathers’ main reason for working was most likely to be as a way of providing for the family; [while] mothers were more likely to cite reasons of independence.” It also said “many men – including those who are sick and disabled, unemployed, and low-paid – felt that being unable to provide for their families severely affected their confidence in their ability to be ‘good fathers’.” But it’s not only the increased pressure on men that drive them to this drastic action. CALM is filling a niche in helpline services – one that offers support to men in times of crisis, something that has been missing in modern society. Clare explains, “Despite all the advances of feminism, women are still understood to be the ‘weaker’ sex. It is deeply engrained in our culture

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce dolor nisl, viverra a venenatis in, dapibus imperdiet est. Vestibulum iaculis ante ligula, quis lacinia sapien. Donec pretium lorem eget nisl tristique tempus. Ut nec sapien elit, vitae blandit felis.” – Lorem ipsum

that weakness is female. There is still a stigma surrounding men seeking help or being open about their issues, for fear of being seen as ‘less of a man’ for doing so. Men are more likely to turn to alcohol and drugs when depressed, have overt anger issues and embark on risk taking behaviour. Depression isn’t simply a case of appearing lethargic and sad. It’s much more complex than that. Because of this, depression can often go undiagnosed in men until it’s too late. We believe that these societal issues have a direct effect on the high rates of male suicide in this country.” While suicide rates are higher in men than in women in every age group, it is in younger men that the problem is most intensified. According to an article by Dr Trisha Macnair published on bbc.co.uk, 4,500 men take their lives each year – and 1,700 of these are under 35. In England and Wales alone around 24,000 attempted suicides are made by 10 to 19 year olds every year. That’s one every 20 minutes. Although fortunately many are reached before it is too late, suicide remains the main cause of death in young males between the age of 18 and 24. Middle-aged men may feel the pressure of having the burden of supporting

their families financially and being the main breadwinner in the family, but what are the pressures felt by the younger people? Ged Flynn, PAPYRUS Chief Executive, tries to shed some light, “We know that young people are often under all sorts of pressure. These might include exam pressure, relationship difficulties, struggles with sexuality, growing up, living in difficult situations at home, being bullied, struggling with self-esteem, peer pressure and many other reasons besides. The current economic downturn will no doubt be creating uncertainty for some young people. Lack of work or prospects can impact heavily on some young people, as can worries about losing their jobs or unemployment in their household. We know that many young people are juggling many of these issues at any one time. Suicide is not an answer, but the desire to end emotional pain can become overwhelming.” The suicide statistics in the UK and the world over are a big problem, but it is important that we are not part of that problem but part of the solution. One of the best ways that we can do this is by reducing the stigma against suicide. Flynn elaborates, “Stigma can

be subtle: it isn’t enshrined in some big rule book but, somehow, we all contribute to it. We use phrases like, ‘I have to admit that I get depressed some times’ or ‘He was going to do something stupid’ (a euphemism for suicide). Even the phrase ‘commit suicide’ is another way that we stigmatise the subject. Suicide has not Lorem ipsum been a crime in the UK since dolor sit amet, 1961 and yet we continue to consectetur use this phrase that suggests adipiscing elit. it is an illicit act. Many of us Fusce dolor nisl, don’t know how to talk about viverra a venenatis suicide. Often, we believe in, dapibus that we will put the idea into imperdiet est. someone’s mind if we mention Vestibulum iaculis it. This is nonsense. We really ante ligula, quis need to shatter the silence that lacinia sapien. surrounds suicide. That way, Donec pretium by breaking the power of the lorem eget nisl taboo that accompanies even tristique tempus. the word, we will bring it out Ut nec sapien elit, of the shadows and improve vitae blandit felis.” the chances of people being able to speak about their own – Lorem ipsum worries and suicidal thoughts. That leads to improved help seeking and can only help prevent future suicides.” ABOWE Friendliness in the work-place makes going to work feel less like a chore.

DID YOU KNOW ? Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 35 in the United Kingdom, accounting for more deaths in that gender age group than road deaths, assault and HIV/AIDS combined.

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LIVE LOVE LEGACY

JO HAIGH

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

JO HAIGH Some people think that being rude and unapproachable is part and parcel of being a success. Jo Haigh disproves that theory.

as it ever been tougher out there in the big bad business world? Well certainly not in my memories.

THE POWER OF NICE 44 | WWW.THEBESTYOU.CO

A SMILE GOES A LONG WAY Try smiling at your colleagues, employers and employees... You’ll be surprised at the positive effect it can have.

I have noticed how some people are reacting to this economic turmoil and, frankly, it’s rather unpleasant. Dogs just aren’t eating dogs; they are eating the cats and even the children. Ok, they may win a few points in the short term but a long-term strategy based on this premise must ultimately be destructive to the perpetrator. It’s a very difficult time for virtually every business, yet being nice costs nothing and the returns can be very substantial. Donald Trump once said “For my money I would rather make a deal with people who treat me well”. At a recent meeting someone said to me that the person we had been interviewing had a wonderfully financially successful company. But because he hadn’t been ‘socialised’, he could appear opinionated, arrogant and, well, frankly rude. It was recommended that I just overlook that, as clearly he knew what he was doing. Certainly on paper he had achieved huge financial success but, by his own admission, had done so at the cost of friends

Being nice costs nothing and the returns can be very substantial

BELOW Friendliness in the work-place makes going to work feel less like a chore.

and family. The question is, could he have achieved this without the ‘attitude’? Maybe, and certainly as one matures and times get hard, as they are now and will be so again, it’s friends and family that keep us warm and support us and very little else. So here are my tips for a nicer approach and please, whatever you think, do not confuse being nice with a soft touch or you may be rather shocked at the results. Smile. It costs nothing, and it exercises the face muscles and reduces wrinkles Say thank you. It means more than a bonus to many people. Don’t create a blame culture. All that happens then is when things go wrong they get hidden. Tell it like it is. Constructively and privately.

Be appreciative. Always acknowledge people who go further than the norm and help those who try to. Respect everyone. They may not have your money, looks, brains or education but that doesn’t mean they are inferior in any way. Don’t sell out. If you compromise your principles for a bit of cash, you will regret it. Avoid the lowest form of wit. In difficult situations try humour instead or sarcasm. Don’t get political. Don’t use office politics or the gossip chain to further yourself at the cost of a colleague. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Look beyond simply your own self interest. Be nice to yourself. The better you feel, the better you will treat others.

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LIVE LOVE LEGACY

FIONA THOMPSON

LIVE LOVE LEGACY

The charmed ones. The superstars. The lucky few. Call them what you like, but it’s clear that some people attract positivity while others struggle to get through each day. Fiona Thompson, former banker and current leadership expert and entrepreneur, tells us that we can all be superstars.

HOW TO BOTTLE MAGNETISM 46 | WWW.THEBESTYOU.CO

You know the type of person. The woman who is always surrounded by admirers, both male and female, even if she is not the coolest or prettiest. The guy who is effortlessly popular, even though he is not the funniest. They attract people almost magnetically everywhere they go. What is it that makes them so alluring?

was asked this by a client who wanted to understand why some people were able to walk into a room of strangers and develop strong interpersonal relationships at a first meeting. When I watched their ‘superstars’ work their magic it became clear they all had two things in common. Perhaps surprisingly, it wasn’t intelligence, seniority, age or sense of humour – all of these things varied across the group. It wasn’t obvious physical attractiveness either, though all the superstars were equally successful in attracting both platonic and romantic relationships. Whatever they had

clearly worked in all types of relationships. The first thing in common was a really strong sense of self-esteem. Their body language showed they were confident about their own worth. That made sense – we’d all feel confident if we lit up every room we walked into, wouldn’t we? Except their self-esteem wasn’t influenced by people’s reactions. They didn’t falter if they weren’t met with a positive reaction and their egos didn’t inflate when they had a really spectacular welcome. So it wasn’t popularity that was driving their self-worth. Instead their self-esteem seemed deep seated, quietly held and internally driven. Secondly, just about everyone left an encounter with a superstar feeling happy. Not just happy for any old reason. The superstar had made the person they met feel better about themselves. The superstar’s personal selfesteem meant they weren’t using sycophancy, flattery or selfdeprecation to change the way the other person felt about themselves. They consistently made the other person feel important, valuable and special. They recognised something valuable about the other person and made it clear they were important and special for it. They didn’t necessarily say it explicitly, but it was obvious from the interest they showed in the other person and pleasure they took in acknowledging the other person’s worth. It sounds quite obvious until you ask yourself how often you leave an encounter not

feeling better. We often enjoy spending time with other people when they are funny, clever or interesting. But how often do you leave feeling distinctly better rather than feeling a little inadequate, insecure or unsure? Leave those negative thoughts behind and bask in the warm glow of acknowledgement instead. This is the energy and excitement that has these superstars drawing people magnetically to them. The sense of validation and security makes us willing to build a bond with them so quickly. So if the secret to magnetism is strong self-worth and the ability to validate others, can anyone do it? Absolutely: both can be developed to a large extent. Working with self esteem and attention to others is a little bit of magic. Find out next month how you can start to make that magic happen yourself: professionally and personally! b

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JO HAIGH

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LIVE LOVE LEGACY

THE BEST YOU

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

THE BEST

YOU

Feeling good about yourself makes the joy shine from your eyes and your skin. It makes others respond to you in new ways, and it gives you a whole new outlook on life. Looking good draws others to you and enhances your lives in ways you haven’t yet imagined. It’s great to find new ways to feel and look good now!

Life Without Limits

TAKING LIBERTIES

Gillian Jones gives us some tips on how to achieve happiness. True happiness. Not the sort that comes with getting a new car.

SEASONAL SUPERFOODS

Angela Steel gives us some great ideas for seasonal veggies

RUNNING FOR A HEALTHY HEART This month the BHF is hosting two London Runs

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FEEL & LOOK GOOD

ANGELA STEEL

TAKING S

LIBERTIES Meet Sasha Wilkins, whom you may know better as Liberty London Girl: journalist, blogger, editor, broadcaster, media consultant and business owner. Zane Henry, writer, editor and networker extraordinaire, got to know her a little better. 50 | WWW.THEBESTYOU.CO

he is the name and face behind media brand LLG Media and social media consultancy business LLGConsults. She is a dazzling exponent of the new kind of media mogul: self-starting, social media savvy and relentlessly dynamic and energetic. She first attracted attention for her awardwinning lifestyle blog LibertyLondonGirl. com, which she wrote anonymously for three years before revealing her identity in a magazine interview in 2010. “I was extremely nervous before revealing who I was,” she remembers. “I was worried that people would be disappointed to discover that it was me. I was also deeply concerned that the new site I had stayed awake for 72 hours building was going

to crash under the expected traffic. It did. These things happen.” After graduating with a degree in Theology and Religious Studies, she didn’t have an exact idea of what she wanted to do, apart from a clear desire to work in the media. She always had an interest in fashion, but in the days before the Internet it was hard to break into the rarefied world of fashion journalism. “What helped me to survive was being completely open-minded about the career moves I made,” Sasha says. “I started out in a magazine art department, and went on to be a commissioning editor, an editor in chief, a fashion director on both contract and editorial publications, a news reporter, stylist, broadcaster, marketer, branding consultant and more. All that wealth of experience has fed into the success of the business I now wholly own.” Getting a fledgling business off the ground was not easy though. She went through a rough patch after leaving the magazine world in 2008.

“I was homeless for two years, living on friends’ couches, in spare rooms, youth hostels and, sometimes, in the back of my car, whilst I doggedly got on with building LibertyLondonGirl. com’s reach. I’m insanely proud that I did it all on my own, with no help or investment (beyond the hospitality shown by my wonderful friends and family, of course). She has gone on to write for publications such as The Sunday Times, The Observer, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Condé Nast Traveller, and The Evening Standard. Her TV & radio appearances include BBC Radio4's Today programme & Woman's Hour, the News at Ten, BBC Breakfast, Sky News' Jeff Randall Live, CNN, BBC World Service, BBC Worldwide and BBCNews 24. Being so fabulous comes with pitfalls, like having to be careful while navigating the line between personal life and business. “It’s almost impossible, given that my company has been based on documenting my daily life.

RECOMENDED READING

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

The key skill for anyone heavily involved in building a brand on social media is to make sure you don’t give away everything about yourself, so you can feel that you still wholly own areas of it in complete privacy.” She’s not showing any signs of slowing down. She has set up a digital film, as well as launching three new digital projects under the LibertyLondonGirl brand. Her wisdom and success are hardwon in a notoriously tough industry. “I would have liked to have had more faith in my abilities when I was starting out. It took me a long time to work out that 99 per cent of people are bluffing every single day, and that mediocrity is rewarded as often as talent, so worrying that I wasn’t capable or equal to others around me was an utter waste of time. I would advise anybody wanting to work in this business to have faith in yourself. Learn to say no. And no again. Get enough sleep, learn to delegate, and hire a really good cleaner.” b

The Best You website is packed with loads of great books, DVDs, CDs, downloads, free articles and reports. Check it out now: www.thebestyou.co

From Both Sides of the FenceDee Weldon Bird

Shows us that life involves continuous growth.

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FEEL & LOOK GOOD

THE BEST YOU

INGREDIENTS (PER PERSON):

• 1 handful gluten-free or wholemeal pasta. (I used gluten-free) • ¼ tsp chilli flakes • 1 clove of garlic • 1 small pinch Himalayan crystal salt • 2 handfuls of rocket • 4-5 pieces of grilled Artichoke in olive oil, chopped (you can also use fresh artichoke) • 50g Halloumi cheese, diced • 1 tbsp pine nuts, lightly grilled • 1 tbsp olive oil (for cooking)

SEASONAL SUPERFOODS It has been a long winter, but now spring is here at last. Along with the change in season comes a plethora of interesting and colourful fruits and vegetables on the supermarket shelves. Nutritional therapist Angela Steel gives us some guidance on what to do with them.

LIVER-LOVING

SUPER PASTA This is pure comfort on a plate, ready in 12 minutes, and comes with ‘WOW!’ taste factor guarantee. Seasonal wild rocket is considered a bitter food, and as such it stimulates bile flow out of the liver (helping it to detoxify). Part of the ‘brassica’ family, like broccoli, rocket contains many phytochemicals, including an ‘indole’ known to help detoxify hormones via the liver (it has been found to counter the carcinogenic effects of oestrogen). As for artichokes, they are a natural liver tonic. Containing the phytonutrients Cynarine and Silymarin known to boost the regeneration of liver cells, they have long been considered a good natural remedy for hepatitis.

PREPARATION:

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

RAW ENERGY

FAVA BEAN DIP Such a bright green colour and distinctive flavour can only mean one thing: Fava beans (also known as broad beans) are bursting with nutritious goodness. This dip makes a tasty snack, high in plant protein (helping to even out blood sugar spikes and troughs) and is particularly rich in B vitamins (great for energy production) and minerals like iron, copper, manganese and magnesium. Not to mention the cholesterol-busting phytosterols. I tasted ‘Fava Bean Pate’ for the first time in Turkey and this is what inspired this recipe. The Turkish version is usually made with dried fava beans, but here I use them fresh, almost raw and ‘in season’.

1. Add pasta to boiling water in a pan. Meanwhile, make a generous bed of green leaves in a pasta bowl, add chopped artichokes. 2. Grill the Halloumi pieces till they just start to turn brown. Then lightly grill the pine nuts. Use a dry frying pan – no oil. 3. Once the pasta is cooked (keep testing to catch ‘al dente’), drain and place the empty pan back on the gas. Add olive oil, chilli flakes and the garlic. Before the garlic starts to turn brown, add the cooked pasta and toss so that it’s coated with the olive oil, chilli and garlic. Add a small pinch of salt. 4. Lay the pasta on top of the green bed of leaves and artichokes, place Halloumi cubes and sprinkle the pine nuts over the top before serving.

INGREDIENTS:

PREPARATION

As a dip with nibbles for 4 people:

1. This is not a recipe to do in a hurry. Shelling the beans can be quite a meditative experience. Sometimes it’s good to have an excuse to slow down! Once you’ve removed the beans from their pods, drop them into boiling water for a couple of minutes. 2. Drain and transfer them to a bowl of cold water so they retain their colour Squeeze them out of their outer skin, leaving the bright green flesh. 3. Place the peeled beans in a food processor with all the other ingredients. Stream in a tablespoon of olive oil while puréeing. 4. Place the dip in a bowl and garnish with a sprig of mint. Serve with oatcakes, crackers or raw veggie sticks.

• 500g fresh fava (broad) beans, shelled • 1 tsp cumin powder • 2 large spring onions finely chopped • 1 pinch Himalayan crystal salt • 2 cloves garlic • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 1 tbsp lime juice • 1 tbsp filtered water • Sprig of mint

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THE BEST YOU

The British Heart Foundation is the UK’s number one heart charity, and this month they are hosting the London Runs. So if you’re in London in May, get active and help save lives.

FOR A HEALTHY HEART

WEALTH & RICHES

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YOU

Wealth [n] “happiness,” also “prosperity in abundance of possessions or riches” from Middle English “wele”, meaning “wellbeing”. Riches [n] “valued possessions, money, property,” Making money and bringing greater wealth to EVERY area of your life...

Life Without Limits

TAKING LIBERTIES Lifestyle editor Zane Henry chats to Sasha Wilkins

Some of the top PR agents in the UK on how to succeed

oronary heart disease is the single biggest killer in the United Kingdom, but the British Heart Foundation is leading the fight against it. Founded in 1961 by a group of medical professionals, their pioneering research has helped to transform the lives of people living with heart and circulatory conditions. But there’s no reason you have to leave all the work to the experts – there is something you can do to help, while getting your heart pumping as well. This month sees two runs for the BHF – the Tower of London Run and the Canary Wharf Jog.

TOWER OF LONDON RUN This run takes place on Wednesday 8 May 2013 and

offers the unique opportunity to actually go down into the moat of the Tower of London. Choose from distances between five and 10km, set your own pace and experience this incredible event with your friends, family or colleagues. Back for its 35th year, this is an event not to be missed.

Jog event information Join the fun after work on Wednesday 22 May 2012 for the famous Canary Wharf Jog. It's your opportunity to take part in their only free event, right in the heart of the Docklands. Join in for the warm up and then run, walk or jog as many laps as you like up to 10km. This hugely popular and unique street run around the famous towers of Canary Wharf is a great way to end your working day.

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Online registration for adult participants will be open until Friday 3 May 2013 for the Tower of London Run and until Friday 17 May for the Canary Wharf Jog at www.bhf. org.uk. For a children's or postal registration form for either event, please email events@ bhf.org.uk or phone 0845 130 8663. Entry fees for the Tower of London Run are £12 in advance for adults and £6 for children or of you pay on the day in £20 for adults and £10 for children, and the entry for the Canary Wharf Jog is free!

DINNER TIME Tiur sitatur, simincte lacessin eos adi quae quam faccaturi.

HOW TO BE A TOP… Some of the top PR agents in the UK on how to succeed

DINNER TIME Tiur sitatur, simincte lacessin eos adi quae quam faccaturi. DINNER TIME Tiur sitatur, simincte lacessin eos adi quae quam faccaturi.

LEADING LADY Sheryl Sandberg is one of far too few women in business

Their research is powered by your support. Every pound raised, every minute of your time and every donation to their shops will help make a massive difference to people’s lives. Brought to you by the British Heart Foundation b

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THE BEST YOU

WEALTH & RICHES

magnitude, a can-do attitude is of the utmost importance. “Anything is possible, but selfbelief is everything in life,” says Dave. Of course, as it is with everything in life, there will be naysayers, but Dave recommends not giving them the time of day. “I don’t pay attention to bullies or people who tell me that I can’t do something. That just makes me want to do it more.” b

LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK With the economy in the state it’s in and the banks refusing to lend money to people, no matter their credit rating, Dave Fishwick was convinced he could do a better job than the high street banks. The Best You finds out how it went. “EVERYONE SAID IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE”

ave recalls. I mean, only one new bank has opened in the last 100 years. But this is what I do – I’m an entrepreneur – I turn noes into yeses.” Dave Fishwick, a minibus salesman from Burnley, England, and host of Channel 4 TV show Bank of Dave, gave himself just 180 days to start a bank and turn a profit. This endeavour is Dave’s labour of love. His passion project. His baby. But

what is it exactly? Burnley Savings and Loans Limited, trading under the slogan Bank on Dave, was set up by Fishwick in September 2011. At the time he was a simple minibus salesman, and when his clients could no longer afford to buy their minibuses because the banks were refusing their loan applications, he made the decision that something had to be done. “I am the largest supplier of minibuses in the UK, and in late 2008, early 2009, my clients were no longer

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able to get loans from the big banks to pay for the minibuses. It was like the economy froze and nobody could get a loan, no matter how good his or her credit rating was. So I started lending them the money myself. They all paid me back, and that’s how the Bank of Dave got started.” Dave feels that the current banking system is corrupt and needs to be modified. The fact that they aren’t lending enough money to people or small businesses is ultimately crippling the economy and making the recession worse. According to Dr. Chad Moutray, Chief Economist for the Office of Advocacy, "small business drives the economy." In a report by the Office of Advocacy, it stated that “small businesses represent 99.7 per cent of all firms, they create more than half of the private non-farm gross domestic product, and they create 60 to 80 per cent of the net new jobs.” In addition to small businesses not getting the support they need from the big banks, the interest rate that the big banks are providing are scandalously

low. Most big banks offer less than one per cent interest, with some as low as 0.05 per cent. That means that your £1,000 savings would only earn you 50p a year! Dave vowed to make the interest rate at his bank five per cent, and if there were any profits leftover after that, he would donate them to charity. “We gave to so many charities. The British Heart Foundation, Red Cross, Marie Curie, The National Deaf Children's Society, to name but a few. It was so difficult to choose which ones we were going to support. I looked at the charities I really liked and went to have a chat with the people. These people are angels and saints. The Bank of Dave will always support local charities.” Imagine the big banks saying that. Dave elaborates on his initial goals and how that iffered from what he actually achieved. “I was just hoping to help locally – lend people the money to buy minibuses, help pensioners get a better rate, but it snowballed.” According to Dave, smaller banks that help smaller

businesses will see the end of the recession. “There are 1,000 large towns in the UK. If you have one Bank of Dave or Bank of Whoever in each town helping generate or sustain just 1,000 businesses, that’s 1 million businesses being saved – that’s the end of the recession.” But is it sustainable? Dave thinks so. “I have changed banking in Britain forever. We only have one per cent bad debt, which is better than any other bank in the country. It’s gone global because we have an enormous soapbox to stand on – television. We are taking this to the next level.” With the global success of this project, it can probably go without saying that given the choice, Dave Fishwick would do it all again. “Projects like this are really difficult, but I had such a good time doing it that if I did it again I wouldn’t do anything differently. It’s like when you’re playing poker and you go all in. Once you push all your chips into the middle of the table, there’s no turning back.” When taking on the high street banks in a battle of this

DID YOU KNOW? In the past 100 years there has only been one new high street banking licence granted in the UK to Metro Bank in October 2010.

ONWARD AND UPWARD The Bank of Dave is still going, but that hasn’t stopped David Fishwick from moving on to a new challenge. Last month he was featured on The Secret Millions as he reinvented the job centre in order to help youths with job creation. “We proved it worked. It was such a good idea and we wanted to repeat it across the country,” said Dave.

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HOW TO BE A TOP PR AGENT The Best You asked three of the top agents in the country what their advice is to get ahead in the game of public relations. We are still in the midst of a recession, and unemployment is at an all time high, especially amongst the youth. That means that when it comes to finding you a job, we need all the help we can get, and one great way to get help is to learn from the best. So, here they are! Victoria Cameron, PR agent, Max Clifford To work in PR you need to have tenacity, a thick skin, vision, lots of ideas and be able to think outside the box. You also need to be able to get on with people from all walks of life. PR can cover so many different areas, you need to be able to relate, empathise and gain the trust of others. You also need to be able to foresee potential problems so you can be prepared for any crisis management. In short, a huge amount of multi-tasking and organisation is needed. Not forgetting a friendly demeanour, which I hope I have! Julia Spence, founder, JSPR

The world of PR is full of ups and downs, so it is an exciting business to be in and no two days are ever the same. I cut my teeth in a close-knit all-female Covent Garden-based team where we all did everything, from making the tea to client liaison. It was great fun and we worked our socks off. I then went on to a larger consultancy, before setting up my own travel PR business when my children came along. Thanks to today’s technology, it lends itself to flexible working methods. Quite rightly, my clients expect great results and so the hours, although flexible, are long and you can never really switch off. But we build really close relationships with our clients, so much so that we feel part of their team, and it then becomes incredibly rewarding.

the toughest journalists on the end of the phone within seconds. To stay sane, you must be kind to people and be thoroughly passionate. Fashion was my obsession since my father introduced me to Vogue as a child, and entering the world that I had always dreamt of and that constantly inspires me has made me a better PR. My top tips are: read every kind of editorial you can fit into your day. Seek out inspirational mentors and make them remember you. And if in doubt, make people laugh.

Charlotte Alexander, Fashion Junior Account Manager, Brandnation PR requires guts, imagination and the best possible people skills you can muster. To survive, you must be able to charm

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THE BEST YOU

LEADING LADY

THE BEST YOU

FAR LEFT NEW YORK - MAY 18: Image of Facebook CEO Mark Zukerberg is flashed on a screen outside the Thomson Reuters building at the opening bell in Times Square on May 18, 2012 in New York City.

Ruthless, the new face of feminism, role model. Sheryl Sandberg has been called many things, some positive, some critical. The Best You looks at the career of this powerful woman, and asks how women can also get to sit at the table with the men.

ABOVE LEFT NEW YORK - MAY 18: Image of Facebook CEO Mark Zukerberg is flashed on a screen outside the Thomson Reuters building at the opening bell in Times Square on May 18, 2012 in New York City.

orn in 1969 in Washington DC Sandberg from the age of two Sandberg was raised in Florida. From her grades at elementary school onwards, it was clear she was destined for greatness. As Ken Auletta wrote in the New Yorker in 2011, Sandberg was “always at the top of her class”. At Harvard she graduated summa cum laude before going on to do her MBA at Harvard Business School. Academia was just the start of her list of achievements. Her career really kicked off in 1996, just one year after receiving her MBA, when she served as Chief of Staff to the United States Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton administration. After leaving the Treasury in 2001, she took up the post of Vice President of Global Online Sales & Operations at Google Inc and from 2001 to 2008

WEALTH & RICHES

BELOW Tiur sitatur, simincte lacessin eos adi quae quam.

WATCH DR ROHAN WEERASINGHE TALKS TO BERNARDO MOYA IN THE BEST YOU VIDEO INTERVIEW

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was responsible for online sales of Google's advertising and publishing products. It was then that Mark Zuckerberg snapped her up for the position of Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer. It was a post that was not even up for grabs at the time. He just thought she was a “perfect fit” for the role. She may be a friend of Oprah’s and one of the most powerful women in the world, but Sheryl Sandberg is also Everywoman. A wife, a mother, and an optimist who believes that, with a little bit of effort, women can be equal to men in the workplace. Since her rise to household name status, she has focussed much of her energy on encouraging women to go for positions traditionally held by men. Despite the huge advances made in the area of women’s rights in the last 60 years, there is still a long way to go.

In December 2010, Sandberg gave a TED Talk in which she discussed why there are so few women in the world of business. She opened up the talk with some surprising statistics. “We don't live in the world our mothers or grandmothers lived in, where career choices for women were so limited,” she says. “If you're in this room today, most of us grew up in a world where we had basic civil rights, and amazingly, we still live in a world where some women don't have them. But all of that aside, we still have a real problem. And the problem is this: Women are not making it to the top of any profession anywhere in the world. The numbers tell the story quite clearly. 190 heads of state, nine are women. Of all the people in parliament in the world, 13 per cent are women. In the corporate sector, women at the top, C-level jobs,

board seats – tops out at 15, 16 per cent. The numbers have not moved since 2002 and are going in the wrong direction. And even in the non-profit world, a world we sometimes think of as being led by more women, women at the top: 20 per cent.” So what can be done about these low figures? In Sandberg’s book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, she urges women themselves to make the difference. She argues that it’s not the responsibility of the men presently in control to make space for women in positions of power – the women have to push their way in. She calls it “sitting at the table”.

“Just a couple weeks ago at Facebook, we hosted a very senior government official, and he came in to meet with senior execs from around Silicon Valley. And everyone kind of sat at the table. And then he had these two women who were traveling with him who were pretty senior in his department, and I kind of said to them, ‘Sit at the table. Come on, sit at the table,’ and they sat on the side of the room.” Sandberg makes the point that while women are just as able as men are, they are less forthcoming. They are less likely to volunteer for a project, even though they might want to do it, and know they have the skill and experience to pull it off.

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It was quite a challenge building this house. Latatiis solorep tatempo reptat quiatem peraecessit prat occus eum alitin.

They are also less likely to take credit where credit is due. She draws the comparison, “If you ask men why they did a good job, they'll say, ‘I'm awesome. Obviously. Why are you even asking?’ If you ask women why they did a good job, what they'll say is someone helped them, they got lucky, they worked really hard.” So come on ladies, lean in. Sit at the table, and go for what you know you deserve. b

The Best You website is packed with loads of great books, DVDs, CDs, downloads, free articles and reports. Check it out now: www.thebestyou.co

From Both Sides of the FenceDee Weldon Bird

l Shows

us that life involves continuous growth.

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DR ROGER BANNISTER BELIEF BEYOND LIMITS

The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win."

WEALTH & RICHES

AMELIA EARHART

NELSON MANDELA

MICHELLE OBAMA

A UNIQUE PIONEER

A BURNING SENS OF JUSTICE

BALANCING HOME AND POLITICS

Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others."

It always seems impossible until its done.

I loved getting A's, I liked being smart. I liked being on time. I thought being smart is cooler than anything in the world.

On May 6 1954, British runner Dr Roger Bannister ran a mile in three minutes 59.4 seconds. He was the first human being to run the mile in under four minutes. It was a record that changed what people thought was possible. Born in 1929, Bannister's early inspiration was Sydney Wooderson, who made a remarkable comeback in 1945 by setting a new British record in this race after setting the mile record before the war. Bannister began his running career in 1946, at the age of 17. Inspired by attending the 1948 Olympics, he set his sights on the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. When he failed to win a medal, this merely stiffened his resolve to to be the first four-minute miler. Once he'd proven it could be done, others followed. His record was broken 46 days later, and after that, the floodgates opened wide. Six people broke the world record that year. Bannister went on to become a distinguished neurologist and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford, before retiring in 1993. When asked whether the fourminute mile was his proudest achievement, he said he felt prouder of his contribution to academic medicine through research into the responses of the nervous system.

Born in 1897 in Atchison, Kansas, to wealthy parents, Amelia was raised by a mother opposed to moulding her children into “nice little girls”. She took her first flying lesson in 1921 and saved up to buy her first plane, a bright yellow biplane she named "Canary", which she used to set her first women's record by flying to 14,000 feet. In 1928 publisher George P. Putnam approached her to become the first woman to fly the Atlantic. Three woman had died that year attempting the flight, but she flew successfully from Newfoundland to Wales in 21 hours. When Earhart married Putnam she maintained her independence, referring to the marriage as a "partnership" with "dual control." In 1932, five years after Charles Lindbergh, she took off from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland toward Paris, being forced down by bad weather over Ireland. She went on to set an altitude record for autogyros, became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific and was first to fly solo from Mexico City to Newark. In 1937, Earhart aimed to be the first women to circumnavigate the globe. Just 7,000 miles short of the 29,000 mile journey her plane was lost in the Pacific. Her go-getting attitude remains an inspiration to everyone seeking to push new boundaries.

Nelson Mandela is one of the world's great figures in the struggle for racial equality and for the dignified treatment of all people. His long journey in life has been driven by a burning sense of justice. Born a member of the Thembu royal family in 1918, Mandela studied law at university and developed a passion for anti-colonial politics. He went on to join the ANC and was a founder of its Youth League. Repeatedly arrested, he was eventually tried for treason alongside the ANC leadership and acquitted. Initially committed to non-violent protest, he finally led a bombing campaign against government targets, was caught and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was captive for 27 years, being released partially due to international pressure. Becoming ANC president, Mandela led negotiations with President de Klerk to establish the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994. He led the ANC to a landslide victory. In power, he created a new constitution and initiated the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate past human rights abuses, while introducing policies aimed at land reform, combating poverty and expanding healthcare. Though now retired from public life, he remains a figurehead for truth and justice, and is regarded as the Father of the Nation by the people of South Africa.

Born in 1964 the daughter of a water plant employee and homemaker, Michelle grew up in a small apartment with her family in Chicago. As a student she demonstrated in favour of hiring professors from minorities. Later, working for the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, she helped low-income tenants with housing cases. Working in law, she met and mentored Barack Obama, whom she married in 1992 and with whom she had two children. Her dedication to her family was strong, even during Barack Obama's 2008 campaign for president, causing numerous arguments about the time they must spend with the family. Nevertheless, politics is part of who she is. "Politics," she says, “decides the future we want for our kids and our grandkids.” As First Lady, Michelle Obama has put her name to anti-obesity campaign Let's Move, organic gardening, has fought bans on abortion, visited homeless shelters, supported military families, helped working women balance career and family, encouraged national service, promoted the arts and is an advocate of LGBT rights. A deft manager of her public persona, a smart political thinker and someone who is fired by morality and justice, Michelle is viewed by millions of Americans as a role model who proves that anyone can succeed in the USA.

 ROGER BANNISTER IS A RARE ATHLETE. NATURALLY GIFTED AND HUGELY DETERMINED, HE CHANGED THE WAY PEOPLE THOUGHT ABOUT SPORT. AT THE SAME TIME, HE IS A MASSIVELY MODEST MAN WHO UNDERPLAYS HIS CONTRIBUTION TO SPORTING HISTORY. – BERNARDO MOYA

 AMELIA EARHART'S BELIEVED THAT MEN AND WOMEN WERE EQUAL IN "JOBS REQUIRING INTELLIGENCE, COORDINATION, SPEED, COOLNESS AND WILLPOWER." SHE KNEW THE RISKS, AND PROVED SHE WAS ANYONE'S EQUAL.

 HE FOUGHT FOR JUSTICE FOR HIS PEOPLE AND HAS MAINTAINED A WISDOM IN NOT SEEKING REVENGE ON COMING TO POWER. HE IS A MODEL OF STATESMANSHIP AND HIS WORK HAS DIRECTLY LED TO FREEDOM FOR TENS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN SOUTH AFRICA AND FURTHER AFIELD. – BERNARDO MOYA

 MICHELLE S A WOMAN WHO VALUES FAMILY WHILE AT THE SAME TIME HOLDING STRONG POLITICAL AND MORAL VIEWS. BORN FROM AN "ORDINARY" FAMILY, SHE AND HER HUSBAND HAVE SHOWN THAT THE AMERICAN DREAM IS STILL A REALITY IN THE USA. – BERNARDO MOYA

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– BERNARDO MOYA

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TIPS

THE BEST YOU

BREAK ALL SUPPORTING HABITS

Most smokers really are creatures of habit: you sit in the same chair to smoke, stand in the same part of the garden if you’re unlucky enough to have been exiled from the house when you want a fag, and I even know people for whom the ritual of lighting up behind the wheel is almost as automated as putting on their seatbelt and letting off the handbrake. So, next time you fancy a puff after dinner, go and sit in a different chair and notice how it feels. When you get in the car change your sequence. Put the car in gear, fasten your seatbelt and then the hand brake for a change, basically anything to mix it up a bit and break all those old anchors.

THINK OF SOMETHING YOU WOULD NEVER, EVER, EVER EAT, EVER!

When it’s safe to do so, close your eyes and picture something you would never eat bigger and brighter than life size. Make it so vivid that you can feel your stomach churn. Now double that feeling and then double it again till you just can’t feel any worse. Then quickly think of a cigarette, and as you picture it double it in size again and again till the very thought of it makes you feel nauseous. Repeat as many times as you need to so that every time you even think of a cigarette you feel sick.

A HABIT UP IN SMOKE You may have heard it said that nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known to humankind. If you’re a smoker, the time to quit is now because as Ali Campbell, world leading life coach, points out, you CAN do it.

MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE REAL REASONS TO QUIT

Keep reminding yourself why you really want to stop smoking. Write it big and keep it somewhere you can see it all the time, especially in the places you used to smoke. Make a list of all the reasons and read it, if and when you need some support. Ex-smoker Chris, 28, says, “I used to take a picture of my baby daughter with me when I went out. If I was tempted, I’d look at that and knew I wanted to be around and healthy to see her grow up. If that was the choice it really was no contest… I was a non smoker.” Whatever it is that works for you, do it!

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he human brain, and especially the subconscious mind, is capable of so much more than we use day to day. Habitually we only use about 10 per cent of our mental capacity and therefore have 90 per cent available to break that habit of smoking. Suddenly it doesn’t seem quite so difficult does it? Once you know how of course.

It only takes about 72 hours for the nicotine to leave your system so drink plenty of water to flush out your system and fruit juice to balance your blood sugar and in just three days all physical cravings will be gone too. For more information or to book a session with me go to www.alicampbell.com where I can stop you smoking in just one session. b

THE BEST YOU

21ST CENTURY LIVING

THE BEST

YOU

Life Without Limits

PORN, POLITICS AND BICYCLES Erik Crouch tells us what happening with the internet in the Far East

TURN IT OFF

The Best You gives you some tips on being saving electricty

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THE BEST YOU

PORN, POLITICS, AND BICYCLES Erik Crouch, writer for Shangaiist. com, a popular English-language website covering Chinese news, culture and politics investigates how China manages choice and individualism in the internet age.

entral to the idea of happiness in the West is the idea that we choose our destinies. Choice makes us individuals, and through realizing our individualism we become more fulfilled. Yet much of the rest of the world does not share this very Western idea. Yang is a twenty-year-old migrant worker who sold me a fake iPhone in Shanghai last January. While we talked in his small market stand, he eagerly asked for my QQ number, the personal address of users on China’s largest social network. Yang vigilantly updates his QQ several times a day with new photos, status posts, and popular links. QQ is China’s version – some would say knock-off – of Facebook, and has boomed in use since Facebook was censored off the Chinese internet in 2009. Daisy is a wealthy college student who also lives in Shanghai. She learned English

while studying in Australia, and we met in a sushi restaurant frequented by the city’s Western expats. Daisy pays a monthly access fee to tap into a VPN server, which allows her to bypass China’s internet restrictions. She uses Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube as easily as anyone living in the US or Europe and loves Western pop culture. Yang could probably get the money together to purchase a VPN subscription, but he doesn’t want one. His friends use QQ, not Facebook, and they post updates to Weibo, not Twitter. China’s government has been blocking foreign social networks for so long that it has spawned a uniquely Chinese internet, with its own versions of popular Western websites. YouTube is censored, but Youku fills the gap. Google search access can be spotty, but Baidu serves the same purpose. WeChat, QQ, and Weibo combine to form an intricate social network substitute for Facebook and Twitter. These Chinese equivalents

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Being nice costs nothing and the returns can be very substantial

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of Western websites come with a catch; nothing too racy, especially about politics. The government has no qualms about squashing stories it doesn’t like or cutting off access to websites it can’t control. Full censorship is reserved for websites like Facebook and Twitter, whose users’ communication cannot be regulated. On QQ and Weibo, the government actively intervenes against political chatter. A Weibo user who tries to talk about official corruption or government gossip will see his post deleted in minutes, if it goes through at all. A Youku video-uploader who tries to post an anti-establishment clip will never be able to get it online. The religious group Falun Gong (a meditation/spiritual movement) is labeled an “evil cult” and any discussion otherwise is immediately deleted. Online pornography is “polluting [to] the social environment” and is blocked nation-wide. Politicallysensitive topics like Taiwan

or Tibet are censored out of existence. This treatment isn’t reserved just for democracy advocates and political dissidents. In late March a photo of the new president, Xi Jinping, was censored off the web because he was holding his wife’s handbag (too weak!). Last August, a photo of Premier Wen Jiabao was blocked because he was riding a bicycle (too casual!). The International Business Times estimates that, out of the 100 million daily posts on Weibo, as many as ten million are censored. For Yang and Daisy, this censorship means very different things. For Daisy, it’s an inconvenience. She wants to see her friend’s videos on YouTube or trip photos on Facebook, and needs to buy a VPN to do so. For Yang, it’s all he knows. During our conversation, he revealed his disbelief that QQ could be accessed from other countries; Facebook is blocked in China, so QQ is probably blocked in America and Europe, he assumed. Any online discussion

about this censorship, of course, would be censored. Yang and Daisy aren’t political dissidents. They are typical Chinese twentysomethings whose status updates, whether on QQ or Facebook, focus on memes, fashion, music, and celebrities. The topics of discussion on QZone (the QQ version of Facebook’s “News Feed”) are, for the most part, just as trivial and lighthearted as those on the Western web. The difference is politics. During an election season, or following a political scandal, Facebook lights up with discussions, images, news, and arguments. Even the most casual user would find it hard not to stumble into political chatter on Twitter or YouTube. On the Chinese internet, however, politics either follows the government line or faces deletion. Youku, Weibo, and QQ have hundreds of millions of users, all of whom are forced to keep their conversations confined to the daily and inconsequential. Celebrities and memes are encouraged, but

21ST CENTURY LIVING

DID YOU KNOW ? China has the world’s largest mobile phone population (over 850 million active accounts in 2011). [ Wikipedia “List of countries by number of mobile phones in use” ] By 2015, China’s Internet population is expected to reach more than 650 million…..however, that still would only represent less than 50% of China’s total population. [ BCG report “China’s Digital Generations 2.0” May 2010 ] Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Wikipedia are blocked in China by the “Great Firewall of China.” [Wikipedia “List of websites blocked in the People’s Republic of China” ]

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don’t try putting up that photo of Wen Jiabao on a bicycle. In many ways the Chinese social media reflect the Western ones, with that big difference – a guiding hand that directs specifically political thought, so that the security of the State is maintained, and the party line is upheld, presumably for the good of the whole. The emphasis here is not on the individual, but on the group and its stability under Communism. It’s a far cry from the Western approach, but at the same time, both seek to support their respective systems. In the West, after all, Google monitors our browsing and gives feedback to sites such as Facebook, who then know which adverts to place before us. Such an approach seeks to support the notion of the individual as supreme, reinforcing our own conceptions of ourselves.

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21ST CENTURY LIVING

THE BEST YOU

POWER TO YOU! The Best You brings you more eco-friendly tips you can use to help the environment and save money too! This month, we’re talking about a resource that most of us take for granted in the Wesern world, but if we carry on wasting in the way we are , there will be dire consequences in the not too distant future.

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n the developed world we take electricity for granted. From first thing in the morning when the alarm clock goes off, boiling the kettle to make that first cup of tea or coffee, listening to the radio as you get ready for the day through to catching the train or tube to work, electricity is the background to our lives. Yet, with all his abundance of electricity in our lives, we don’t have don’t have to travel very far to meet people who have to do without. Just a hop and a skip away in Africa you find huge areas where people are awoken in the morning by the cock-a-doodledo of the rooster, make their coffee in a pan over a fire, and get to work in the old fashioned way – by walking. This way of life may seem entirely foreign to us in our electricity-rich world, but with the price of fuel to make electricity on an upward spiral, the time when we could thoughtlessly waste energy is coming to an end. Carry on without considering the resources we are using, and who knows - it may not be too long before we’ll all have to get roosters of our own to make sure you make that morning meeting! According to a report by energy regulator Ofgem, Britain will face energy shortages by the winter of 2015, with the amount of spare energy falling from 14 per cent now to only four per cent. This means we

QUICK TIPS Turn the temperature of your dishwasher down to 30°C When making a cup of tea, only boil the water you need Unless you are baking, there is no need to preheat your oven. Let your hair air-dry in the summer instead of using a hairdryer

BELOW Being careful with electricity can save you some cash.

would have to rely more on the power of imported gas, which would result in steep price increases. So, what can we do? You might think all your electricity usage is completely essential, but surely there are areas to cut back? We’ve put together some great tips that will save you cash and are great for the environment as well. We gave you some good ideas back in February. Now here are even more:

HIGH AND DRY Many people in the west use their tumble dryers to dry their laundry all year round. Sure, that might seem obvious in the winter months, but even in the summer, when the central heating isn’t on many people find they don’t have an outside space to get their clothing dry, or just haven’t thought how to save on that fuel bill. Of course, it helps to have an energy efficient tumble dryer, but if you don’t that doesn’t mean you need to get a new one. You can just change the way you use it. For example, you can hang your clothes on a clotheshorse in your living room until they are almost dry, and then just tumble dry them for a fraction of the time to get them completely dry instead

21ST CENTURY LIVING of putting them straight into the tumble dryer after the spin cycle. You could save over £130 per year.

LIGHT UP MY LIFE This may sound like an obvious one, but remember to turn off the lights and the television when you leave a room. To be honest, turning off the lights doesn’t actually save you that much money (if you go out for two hours and forget to turn a light off, that is only going to cost you less than one pence), but when it comes to conserving energy, every kilowatt counts. That said, the telly does use a lot of electricity, so remember to switch it off!

GET DISCONNECTED If you aren’t actually charging your mobile phone, unplug the charger and turn the plug off at the wall. To be honest, small device chargers left in the wall with now devices attached don’t run up a huge bill – but imagine millions of these devices all over the country left plugged in and that 4 per cent margin suddenly starts to look very tight. Every little helps, as the saying goes. On a more thrifty note, remember when you go away for the weekend to unplug as many appliances as you can (except the fridge of course) and turn the switches on the sockets off. Turning appliances off completely instead of leaving them on standby can save you nearly £80 per year. b

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WE SUPPORT The Children’s Trust The Best You backs worthy causes that support our community

The Children’s Trust is a UK charity for children with complex disabilities. The Trust helps children from all over the country and is probably best known for providing rehabilitation and support to children who have suffered a brain injury after a tragic accident or serious illness. They also provide expert nursing care and education for children with multiple disabilities and complex health needs.

Thanks to the generous support of the public, The Children’s Trust is able to continue providing the very best care for children at their specialist facilities in Tadworth, Surrey. They are also using charitable support to reach more children and families around the UK than ever before: in March 2013 the Trust funded a new clinical post in Nottingham Children’s Hospital to help children with brain injuries; and they are reaching out to the

thousands of families who have a child with a brain injury through their Brain Injury Hub website (www.braininjuryhub.co.uk), which provides information and support to parents. By supporting The Children’s Trust you’ll be making a difference to the lives of some of the UK’s most vulnerable children. To make a donation or find out how you can help, visit www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk

n o i t a m r o f n i r o f ? g y n r i u k j o n i Lo n i a r b d o vice d o a l a h c i t c d a l i h and pr c n o i t a n m r o info .co.uk for ryhub u j n i n i a r .b Visit www

New

The Brain Injury Hub is a brand new information website for parents and other family members of children and young people with acquired brain injury. Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, friend or just want to know more, the Brain Injury Hub is packed full of information on all aspects of childhood brain injury, including: being in hospital, returning to school, talking to others about brain injury, parent and sibling wellbeing and much more.

Website features:

• Fully referenced information • Easy-read versions of all materials

• Bookmark pages to read later • Discussion forum for parents to pose questions and share experiences

• Dedicated information for teachers

Charity registration no. 288018

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www.braininjuryhub.co.uk

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