Variety magazine joked in 2022 that Ozempic deserved its own thank-you speech at the Emmys, because so many stars on the podium had obviously been taking it. 

Hype around the drug hit the general public last year, but as with most trends it had already been doing the rounds in Hollywood, with celebrity fans including Kelly Osbourne, 39, Oprah Winfrey, 70, Amy Schumer, 42 and Boy George, 62, all admitting to using it. 

However while many raved about the new weight loss jab, other celebrities have spoken out to warn others of the grim after-effects.

Sharon Osbourne, 71, has voiced both the benefits and negative effects of using the drug, telling ITV’s Loose Women she stood by using it but she did regret continuing to take the jabs after her weight dropped below seven stone, saying ‘Be careful what you wish for’.

While Stephen Fry, 66, said his ‘astonishing’ weight loss came at a price, after Ozempic caused him to vomit up to five times a day.

Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry has become the latest big name star to warn of the dangers of the drug, The Mirror reported.

He attributes his obsession with food to his childhood in Norfolk, and the cook Mrs Riseborough employed by his parents Marianne and Alan who was a ‘good English plain cook’. 

After years of battling with his weight as a result, Fry said he was pleasantly surprised by the drug’s effectiveness and found it stopped all of his cravings for food and alcohol.

He said: ‘The first week or so, I was thinking, “This is astonishing. Not only do I not want to eat, I don’t want any alcohol of any kind. This is going to be brilliant.

‘Then I started feeling sick, and I started getting sicker and sicker and sicker. I was throwing up four, five times a day and I thought, “I can’t do this”. So that’s it. The new variant, Tirzepatide Mounjaro, makes it even worse apparently.’

Fry, who is married to comedian Elliott Spencer, says he was at his heaviest in April 2019 when his weight came to nearly 21st.

But by August of that year, he had lost five and a half stone after taking the drug.

Kelly Osbourne 

Kelly Osbourne is a vocal fan of Ozempic even calling the drug ‘amazing’ while speaking to E! News in February.

Part of the appeal to Kelly was that she found it less ‘boring’ than changing one’s diet and increasing exercise to lose weight.

‘There are a million ways to lose weight, why not do it through something that isn’t as boring as working out?’ she said. 

The daughter of Ozzy Osbourne went further, accusing critics of the medication and similar drugs of being jealous or deceitful. 

‘People hate on it because they want to do it. And the people who hate on it the most are the people who are secretly doing it or pissed off that they can’t afford it. Unfortunately, right now, it’s something that is very expensive, but it eventually won’t be because it actually works.’

Oprah Winfrey

The television host finally admitted to using the weight-loss drug in December — after previously vowing she would never use Ozempic or a similar drug because they were the ‘easy way out’.

The 70-year-old had lost more than 18kg over recent months, which led to speculation that she used the weight loss medication to help.

Oprah previously revealed she weighed 107.5kg at her heaviest, however she did not say what her current weight was. 

She revealed in an interview with People that she ‘now [uses] it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing’.

‘The fact that there’s a medically-approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for.’ 

She did not reveal which weight loss drug she used, although many speculated that she had got a prescription for Ozempic.

Oprah said she took the medication before Thanksgiving, and credited it with ensuring she only gained half a pound rather than eight.

Speaking in An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution, she fought back tears as she revealed how the drugs had meant she was no longer ‘constantly thinking about what the next meal is going to be’.

She said ‘for 25 years, making fun of my weight was national sport’ and that over the years she had ‘lost some weight’ and ‘put back on some weight’ but since starting to take medication she had stopped ‘obsessing’ about food. 

Along with messages of support online, some viewers slammed Oprah, accusing her of ‘promoting big pharma and pushing Ozempic’ and criticizing her for taking the drugs after spending nine years promoting Weight Watchers.

The show was released days after Oprah quit her Weight Watchers board role, citing a potential ‘conflict of interest’ with the show, which heavily featured weight loss drug brands.

During the show, Oprah pushed back at people she said wanted to ‘shame’ her for her weight and for taking the drugs.

She said: ‘I come to this conversation in the hope that we can start releasing the stigma and the shame and the judgment… to stop shaming other people for being overweight or how they chose to lose and not lose weight.’

She added: ‘All these years, I thought all of the people who never had to diet were just using their willpower and they were for some reason stronger than me.

‘But now I realize y’all weren’t even thinking about the food. It’s not that you had the willpower. You weren’t even thinking about it. You weren’t obsessing about it.’

Now, she said: ‘I use it as a tool, combined with hiking three or five miles a day or running. It’s not just one thing, it’s multiple things for me.’

Sharon Osbourne 

Sharon Osbourne has also revealed she took Ozempic — but said she lost so many pounds on the drug that she ‘needed to put weight back on’.

The 71-year-old started taking the drug in 2023 when she weighed 142lbs (64.4kg).

She shed more than 45lbs (20kg) on the medication, but then her weight fell down to 97lbs (43kg).

‘I can’t afford to lose anymore,’ she said. My weight has stabilized. I went down to about 97lb (43kg) and it was like, ‘oh no!’. I needed to put some weight back on, which I have.’

She added while speaking to Women magazine: ‘You can lose so much weight and it’s easy to become addicted to that, which is very dangerous.

‘I couldn’t stop losing weight and now I’ve lost 42lbs — and I can’t afford to lose anymore.’

She added that when she first went on the drug she felt ‘very nauseous’ and was vomiting regularly. It took about two weeks for this to subside.

She urged people to keep the drug away from teenagers, saying it was just ‘too easy’ to become addicted.

She recently revealed doctors ‘can’t figure out’ why she hasn’t been able to gain weight back after she stopped using Ozempic months ago.

Asked about her weight loss in an interview with Woman Magazine released on Tuesday, Sharon said that even medics are stumped by her inability to gain the weight back.

The doctors can’t figure it out,’ she said. ‘But I think it’s just because I’m getting older and as you get older you lose weight anyway and shrink and shrivel off.’

Sharon started taking Ozempic in December 2022 and in November 2023 she told Mail On Sunday: ‘I’ve been off it a while now.’

Boy George

Boy George opened up about his fluctuating weight in his memoir Karma, which was released last year.

‘I know I don’t enjoy being overweight and it’s something I really want to deal with,’ he wrote. 

‘I have struggled with my weight most of my life and being under public and media scrutiny doesn’t help.’  

The Karma Chameleon singer, 62, wrote that he started out with Ozempic and then switched to Mounjaro.

Mounjaro uses the active ingredient tirzepatide, which targets GLP-1 and the hormone glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). Mounjaro is only FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes.  

George wrote: ‘I love food, and I can’t control my appetite, but I think I have finally got it under control.’ 

‘Well, I’m on Mounjaro. Isn’t everyone? Trust me, anyone who was fat last year and is not skinny is on the wonder drug.’

The singer also got a tummy tuck several years ago ‘to get rid of excess skin’ after losing 100 pounds. 

Heather Gay

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star announced that she has been taking Ozempic to lose weight.

At Variety’s Women of Reality TV event, she said that while she uses the drug, she has yet to see a big difference.

‘I’ve been on it for a long time, but hadn’t really seen much results,’ she told People. 

She also said that people around her started acting differently when they learned she was on Ozempic, which she found ‘discouraging.’ 

‘You lose five pounds, people are nicer to you,’ the 49-year-old said. ‘I don’t know why. It’s just the way the world works, and that makes me sad for women.’

‘But I’m happy that I’m down five.’ 

Tracy Morgan 

The comedian has also revealed he was taking Ozempic, saying the drug ‘cuts my appetite in half.’

The 55-year-old said he had lost several pounds on the drug and that he ‘ain’t letting it go.’

Speaking on the Today show, the star said he injected himself with the drug every Thursday to help with weight loss.

When told he had been working on his body and health a lot on the show, he said: ‘No, that’s Ozempic.

‘That’s how this weight got lost. I went and got a prescription and I got Ozempic. And I ain’t letting it go! It cuts my appetite in half. Now I only eat half a bag of Doritos.’

Elon Musk  

One of the world’s richest men said Ozempic made him ‘fit, ripped and healthy’, Elon Musk said he lost almost 30lbs (13.6kg) while taking the drug.

He revealed that he was using it in October 2022 when a fan asked what the secret was to his new slimmed-down appearance. Musk, 53, replied ‘Fasting’, before adding: ‘And Wegovy’.

He has also said his transformation was down to: ‘Fasting + Ozempic/Wegovy + no tasty food for me.’  

He said his weight-loss journey was prompted after seeing unflattering images of himself on a yacht. The 53-year-old’s weight loss formula prompted admiration from fans.

He also admitted to suffering a side effect from the drug. A Twitter user asked: ‘Does it give you those nasty burps? Taste like rotten eggs lol ugh.’ He replied: ‘Yeah, next-level.’

Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams said that he’s on ‘something like Ozempic’ to keep the pounds off.  After overcoming addictions to drugs and alcohol, the hitmaker has revealed that he’s on a mission to better his health.

‘Babe, I’m on Ozempic,’ he told The Times. ‘Well, something like Ozempic. It’s like a Christmas miracle.’

The 50-year-old, who did not reveal exactly what drug or regimen he’s on, said that he has lost 25 pounds so far. 

Williams has also said that he struggles with body dysmorphia, a mental health condition that causes a person to obsess over flaws in their appearance, such as weight.

‘And I need it, medically. I’ve been diagnosed with type 2 self-loathing,’ he said. It’s shockingly catastrophic to my mental health to be bigger.’

Amy Schumer

The comedian and actress revealed that she had tried the medication — but quickly gave it up.

The 42-year-old said on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen: ‘Like a year ago, I tried it.

‘I was one of those people that felt so sick and couldn’t play with my son. I was so skinny and he’s throwing a ball at me and [I couldn’t].’

She said she quickly gave up the medication, realizing it was not for her. She said: ‘And you’re like, ‘OK, this isn’t livable for me’. But I immediately invested [in it] because I knew everyone was going to try it.’

Schumer revealed that she had opted for liposuction, however, to help lose weight.

She said: ‘I just wanted to say that because if anybody sees me in pictures or anything and they’re like, she looks thinner, and whatever: It’s because I had a surgery.’

Emily Simpson

Real Housewives of Orange County star Emily Simpson started taking Ozempic after a doctor suggested she may be prediabetic. 

‘So I did. I did that in December,’ she said last year. For one month and you know, that was a great kickstart for me.’

She said that Ozempic helped her kick habits like ‘grazing’ and ‘not really paying attention’ to what she was eating.

She lost about seven pounds on the drug but stopped taking it due to exhaustion.

‘I didn’t like the way it made me feel lethargic and it made me just not have a lot of energy, which was hard with three little kids, but it does make you feel full and it does make you, for me, it was like a refresh,’ she said. 

Matt Lucas will appear on this weekend’s episode of Ant And Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, as the show makes a long-awaited return to screens.

The star has been at the forefront of British comedy for more than two decades, starring alongside David Walliams as co-creator of Little Britain and Come Fly With Me. However, it is his appearance that has been in the spotlight lately.

In addition to acting, the comedian has been open about his weight loss journey, including the heartbreaking reason that initially encouraged him to lose the weight.

From losing a family member who changed his behavior to being shockingly ‘skinny shamed’ during a football match, Matt was driven to diet and exercise.

So why has Matt lost the pounds and improved his health?

The unexpected death of a family member caused Matt to lose weight

In 2022, Matt revealed how his family’s medical history caused him to change his eating habits and become more conscious of his weight.

Matt was only 22 when his father passed away unexpectedly at the age of 52, something he says was a much-needed wake-up call as he got older.

Appearing on sports presenter Gabby Logan’s podcast at the time, he said: ‘I’m 48, my father died when he was 52, very suddenly, his father died I think at 56, so I was looking at the law of the averages.’

“I was really big and I actually kept getting bigger during the pandemic. Kind of not being very active, not really going out, not seeing people, just eating a lot of fried potatoes. I can’t tell you how many fried potatoes I ate!’

He said this realization caused him to lose weight, but the comic said he felt like he needed to exercise more and still get fitter.

He added: “I was so big I couldn’t really fit on the screen anymore. The thing is, when you grow up, and by the way, I still have a good stomach, I’m not skinny by any means, I just lost some weight…

‘I’ve gone from maybe an XXL, sometimes I was an XXXL, to a medium now I think. Although sometimes medium is big for me and sometimes small for me…

‘The only thing I have to do is get fitter, I have gained some weight, that is my next challenge to exercise more. Maybe I should make it a game when I exercise to stay away from people. I don’t have a garden, so I have to find a way to do that.’

You’re ashamed of football

After making a concerted effort to lose weight and get fitter, the last thing Matt could have expected was to worry about being thinner.

However, that wasn’t the case, as Matt shared after a shocking incident that took place while attending a football match between his beloved Arsenal and Manchester United in April 2022.

“For the first time in my life, I think I’m just ashamed.”

His post received a lot of support from well-wishers who congratulated him on losing weight.

In response to his post, actress Sarah O’Connell wrote: “You look amazing and most importantly, happy.”

Another positive message read: ‘You look incredible and [the individual who confronted Matt] know it’.

Diabetes scare

In April 2020, Matt admitted he was keen to ‘get fitter’ during lockdown after feeling like he had ‘gained a bit of weight’.

He said: ‘All I need to do is get fitter, I’ve put on a bit of weight, that’s my next challenge to exercise a bit more.

“Maybe I should make a game of it when I’m doing an exercise to stay away from people. I don’t have a garden, so I have to find a way to do that.’

The prankster was previously told by doctors to reduce his daily calorie intake to 1,500 because he feared he was developing diabetes.

Step away from the Coco Pops! Put down that spoon! Put that bowl away! Last week, author and associate professor Dr Chris van Tulleken presented a packet of the aforementioned breakfast cereals to the House of Lords Committee on Food, Diet and Obesity, and argued that this, and other ‘harmful’ junk food, should be of health are stripped. claims and a ban on advertising.

He was one of several experts who spoke before Parliament about the scourge of junk food, especially when it comes to children. Dr. Van Tulleken accused the mass-produced food industry of behaving in a similar way to big tobacco by selling addictive products that could be harmful.

It’s a subject he has written about in his latest book Ultra-processed People: Why Do We Eat Stuff That Ain’t Food And Why Can’t We Stop, which was serialized by the Daily Mail, and the horrific consequences for exposes health – including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer – from junk food and the ruthless tactics companies use to sell their products to an unsuspecting public.

“Poor nutrition has overtaken tobacco as the leading cause of death worldwide – and poor nutrition means an ultra-processed diet,” he argues.

It’s hard not to agree. While not addictive in the same way as alcohol or heroin, processed foods are often carefully crafted to lighten our reward pathways.

This is similar to the way cocaine works on the brain and can create a strong desire to seek out the ‘reward’ again and again: a form of psychological addiction. I’ve seen this many times.

Patients simply seem unable to stop eating processed foods and feel out of control over them in a way that they don’t with other types of foods. The cravings can be extreme as our brains try to get us to initiate that reward pathway over and over again.

This is no coincidence; these foods are carefully formulated to maximize the effect they have on our reward pathways, making them incredibly appealing.

It’s easy to say that people just need to learn some self-discipline, but for many, these little moments of “reward” are intoxicating and incredibly hard to resist.

After all, we are hardwired to seek rewards and it is a difficult instinct to fight, especially when you are a child.

Manufacturers effectively use our neurology against us to help sell their products.

Now I have to admit that I love Coco Pops. There is always a box in my closet. But they are a rare treat – maybe once a month at most.

In the meantime, I eat healthy and exercise regularly. I eat enough fruit and vegetables, only eat lean meat such as chicken and fish and avoid processed food. So I think it’s okay to indulge once in a while. I sure as hell am not a monk – I need some vices and it could be a lot worse than an occasional bowl of processed, sugary cereal.

But for many people, these types of highly processed foods are a mainstay of their diet. For many, processed food is an important source of nutrition, appearing in every meal, often several times.

It is especially concerning for children, whose bodies are still growing and developing.

There is clear evidence of the negative impact that ultra-processed foods have, not only on physical health, but also on mental health. A Harvard study last year found that eating ultra-processed foods (UPF), for example, increased the risk of depression.

The study found that participants in the top fifth of UPF consumers – who ate nine or more servings per day – had a 50 percent higher risk of developing depression than those in the bottom fifth, who ate four or fewer servings per day. ate day.

Other studies have also found links to anxiety and cognitive decline. But why? Scientists have made some progress in answering this difficult question. UPFs are high in carbohydrates, saturated fat and energy, and low in protein and fiber.

You don’t see these kinds of combinations with unprocessed food. This, along with the additives such as stabilizers and emulsifiers that extend shelf life and improve taste and texture, cause inflammation in the body, which is known to increase the risk of mental and physical health problems.

Many UPFs are low in micronutrients – such as niacin, pyridoxine, copper, selenium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc – chemicals that the body needs in small amounts to function properly, which means we’re eating foods that don’t actually work in the skin. is food. nutritional feeling.

I am a libertarian and believe that people should have the freedom to make choices about their lives, including what they eat.

But let’s not forget that many of these products are aggressively marketed to cash-strapped children and families who don’t know the health consequences of the things they put in their shopping carts every week.

The least companies selling these types of products should do is warn those who eat them about the health hazards?

Many adults and teens with severe hair loss will benefit from Ritlecitinib, a breakthrough drug that can induce hair growth in just six months. It is described as a ‘monumental day’ for people suffering from alopecia areata, which can be devastating in many ways for thousands of people.

How Robin fell victim to fame

There has been an outpouring of grief after former Strictly star Robin Windsor died last week at the age of 44.

He was very open about his mental health issues and was a passionate advocate for other patients. I interviewed him about this a few years ago and it was an absolute pleasure talking to him.

But he had also spoken about the impact of being dropped by Strictly after an injury. He was so upset that he couldn’t watch the BBC show and fell into a deep depression.

The chill people experience when the heat of the spotlight is transferred to someone else can be devastating. I saw this when I worked privately and treated a number of former stars who had resorted to drinking or taking drugs or developed cripplingly low self-esteem as their star waned – almost always through no fault of their own.

The world of celebrity is cruel and fickle. It sucks people in and spits them out. This worries me about the number of young people dreaming of stardom. Fame should come with a health warning.

Women who experience a stillbirth or miscarriage before 24 weeks can apply to the government for a ‘baby loss certificate’. The program aims to recognize the devastating impact of pregnancy loss and help grieving families move forward.

I think this is such a good idea. Miscarriage affects people in very different ways. While for some they understand it as part of nature and move on, for others it can be devastating and hang over them for years.

I have spoken to several patients over the years who struggle to move forward precisely because there is so little recognition of their suffering. This will help.

Dr. Max writes for…

Wendy’s Memoirs

Wendy Mitchell died last week at the age of 68 after a battle with early-onset vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. She decided to stop eating and drinking in an attempt to end her life. Her best-selling 2018 memoir remains one of the best books I’ve read on the subject. Warm, smart and life-affirming, a must-read for anyone affected by dementia.

We had barely been at the club for an hour when I turned to my husband and said, “I’m sorry, I’m going back to the hotel.” I really don’t feel great.’ He seemed as disappointed as I felt.

There we were, in Ibiza, on a child-free mini-break, looking for those heady days when we first met, when we drank late and went out until dawn, but it all seemed hollow. That desire for hedonism had just disappeared. All the things I used to love made me feel. . . Nothing.

It wasn’t until I read Dr. Max’s column last week that I realized what was behind it. Ozempic, the weight-loss drug I had been taking for the past five months, had not only helped me lose weight, but had also affected the pleasure I got from other things. Like Dr. Pemberton, Ozempic had dramatically affected my relationship with both alcohol and food.

Since I started last summer, I pretty much stopped drinking. And as a forty-something who still had a bit of a reputation as a party girl, the impact on my life was enormous.

The decision to take Ozempic – prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes – was not one I took lightly. (Another brand, Wegovy, is now prescribed by the NHS to treat weight loss.)

I was 42 and had had a baby two years earlier. Despite eating healthily and staying fit (I had a personal trainer, had run a marathon and taken on various exercise challenges), I couldn’t lose the weight.

At 6ft tall and over 12 stone, I was classified as obese. I didn’t recognize myself.

I spoke to some friends who were using Ozempic and researched their medical paperwork before sending my details and photos to an online pharmacy who agreed I was a suitable candidate.

Shortly after I started taking it last June, it changed my attitude towards food. Not only does it soothe the hunger pangs, but I also noticed that I didn’t feel like eating anything anymore. I always thought, ‘I really want a pizza.’ Or ‘I would like a Pret sandwich.’ or crave a baked potato.

But none of that was there. It was a strange suppression of my food cravings.

It had the same effect when it came to alcohol. I work in digital marketing and do quite a bit of customer entertainment. I like margaritas, espresso martinis, champagne. . . or did.

But after taking Ozempic, nothing tasted good. It was bitter or sour, and when I drank I didn’t get the buzz from the drink that I did.

In the past, when I was out with a client, we might have a few cocktails and a few bottles of wine over dinner. When I was out with friends, we would drink champagne or margaritas. When I went to the club with my husband and friends at the weekend, we would drink two or three gin and tonics before leaving the house, and at night it wouldn’t be unusual for me to drink eight or nine vodka sodas.

But on Ozempic I stopped drinking alcohol completely.

Most people knew I was on a health kick, even though I hadn’t told them I was taking Ozempic, so it wasn’t hard to explain the change in my behavior. And if anyone wondered where I got the willpower, they didn’t ask. I still went out with clients and friends, but I ordered one drink and nursed it with a bottle of sparkling water all night long.

Of course, ditching the booze undoubtedly helped with weight loss, but I also experienced the other benefits of being sober. I slept better (when I wasn’t in the mood for the little one), and because I wasn’t hungover, my productivity improved and I was better able to deal with toddler tantrums.

While I’m not sure I would have ditched alcohol without Ozempic, I couldn’t really complain about it.

However, that evening in Ibiza surprised me. I had had some sangria earlier that evening and I think the unexpected sugar injection hit me hard. That’s the thing about Ozempic, I don’t know if it’s physiological or psychological, but it makes you want to make healthier choices, live a healthier life.

And when you don’t, you really feel it.

The rest of the trip was the same. We had tickets to some of our favorite clubs, but my heart wasn’t in it. At 1am, with no booze to keep me going, I just didn’t feel like staying up. I also didn’t want to fall into bed for the kind of action we enjoyed pre-baby.

Losing weight with Ozempic has made me much happier with my body – after eight months I’m now close to eight and a half stone, my target weight, so I feel more comfortable wandering around in my underwear or being naked – but that’s not the case. hasn’t set our sex life on fire.

To be honest, I’m not sure I can blame my low libido solely on Ozempic. Having a toddler who doesn’t sleep has a big impact on that front, and my husband doesn’t have a particularly high sex drive, so often I was the one to initiate it.

But lately he’s been the one suggesting an “early night” and I’ve just gone along with it. There’s no doubt that Ozempic has changed the way I feel and respond to things I used to enjoy, but I’m starting to think it’s affecting me in the bedroom too.

If so, I hope I get my libido back when I get off it. Once I reach my target weight, I try to maintain it without the injections.

I feel like my brain has been reprogrammed when it comes to food. I can’t imagine going out and ordering a huge pizza, or craving something sweet like I used to. I’m not sure if the same goes for alcohol, but I know that staying away from booze helps me stay slim.

Until I started taking Ozempic and stopped drinking, I hadn’t realized that a night out would knock back 3,000 calories on drinks alone. And morning workouts (and waking up) are much more fun when you’re not working through a hangover.

I’d like to think the new, sober me is here to stay. But it remains to be seen whether Ozempic has temporarily tamed the party girl in me, or banished her forever.

Radhi and Jay Shetty are the Brits who have become Hollywood’s go-to couple in the booming wellness industry. 

Jay is a monk-turned-life coach, who officiated at the weddings of Jennifer Lopez and Lily Collins, while Radhi is an Ayurvedic cook and nutritionist, whose fans include Paris Hilton and Gisele Bündchen. 

In an extract from her debut cookbook, JoyFull, Radhi explains how her plant-based recipes fuse ancient wisdom with a more modern lifestyle:

There is a natural rhythm to everything — our body’s cycles, the days, the seasons — and to live out of sync with them is to be in a constant state of imbalance. That’s a recipe for feeling burned out or even sick.

When you think about our fast-paced lives with on-demand access to anything, anytime, it’s little wonder so many people suffer from poor digestion, disordered sleep and a general feeling of blah. 

But if you can get back in sync, choose your meals with intention and sprinkle in a few simple, well-timed habits throughout the day, you will begin to experience what balance feels like.

I have a degree in nutrition, but being a student of Ayurveda has given me an appreciation for how food affects your body, mindset and mood. 

Unlike most applications of Western medicine, which focus on the cure, Ayurveda puts the emphasis on prevention — how we can keep from getting ill in the first place. 

And by ill, I’m not necessarily talking about the biggies like heart disease or diabetes, but also the more subtle irritations including poor sleep and sluggish digestion that take away from our everyday quality of life.

Ayurveda addresses more understated conditions that are often the initial signs of illness or imbalance, such as dull skin or brittle hair, because the outside of your body communicates what’s happening on the inside. 

Essentially, what you eat, along with daily habits and how you think, has the ability to transform every aspect of your health.

I’ve combined science-based nutrition with ancient healing traditions to create a mash-up I call ‘the playful and the profound’. It’s an idea introduced to me by my husband, Jay, who says our relationship works well because of our dynamic — I tend towards the playful while he leans towards the profound.

My guidelines and recipes are designed to help you listen closely to what your body might be asking of you and what it needs to feel nourished. But instead of getting too caught up with what you ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ be eating, I’d rather you embrace more general practices, rooted in Ayurveda.

These are simply: (1) Eating more plants and spices. (2) Living in rhythm with nature and your own body. (3) Surrounding yourself with the energy, intention and feelings with which you want to fill yourself.

And that’s pretty much it; easy-peasy, right? Maybe not exactly a quick fix, but when was the last time someone told you to eat delicious food in a deeply satisfying way as a prescription for feeling amazing?

Ayurveda teaches that everything in the living world, including the food we eat, can be divided into three modes:

• Sattva, the mode of goodness

• Rajas, the mode of passion

• Tamas, the mode of ignorance

At the bottom of the food chain are tamasic foods such as deep-fried and ultra-processed. Tamasic foods may also include animal products. 

These require extra effort to digest, and don’t lift your consciousness or your energy. As a result, they often leave you lethargic and are frequently at the root of many health issues.

Rajasic foods, such as caffeine and sweets, can give you energy, but often only fleetingly and with an aggressive edge. They offer a temporary burst of stimulation, often followed by a crash in energy. 

They feed the body at the expense of the mind and long-term health. Rajasic foods can also be plants that possess overstimulating qualities, such as onions and garlic.

And then there are sattvic foods. These are free of additives and preservatives and are typically plants. Think whole grains, fresh fruit, nuts, seeds and vegetables. They are easy to digest and elevate your happy hormones (serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins) to lift your mood and raise your vibrations.

It is believed that merely by enjoying more sattvic foods, you are nourishing your mind and making it more receptive to clarity and wisdom. Your digestion is robust; you don’t pick up every cold that comes around; your hair looks shiny, your skin supple.

LIVE IN RHYTHM WITH THE DAY

Your body is just as much a product of nature as the sun and the moon, so it makes sense that our internal processes (waking, sleeping, digesting, moving, repairing) follow the same 24-hour tempo. Think about it: the sun rises and brings its light and radiant energy, which gradually builds until it peaks at midday.

After that, the light and heat begin to fade, making way for the moon to rise. As it does, the air cools and the energy shifts towards a slower pace. Your body is built to be doing that exact same thing every day and our job is to follow its lead.

You may have noticed that when you sleep in, you feel sluggish for the rest of the day. Or that when you eat a late-night meal, you often wake up in the early hours, your mind racing. All of this makes complete sense once you understand this rhythm.

BRING INTENTION INTO THE MIX

Practitioners of Ayurveda believe that the energy and intention you have while cooking are infused into the food — which is then absorbed and digested into the person receiving it. That’s why one of my favourite things to do is feed people when they come to my home.

I love putting thought into what nourishing, delicious meal I can prepare, and then actively reflecting on and praying for their wellbeing as I cook. And what’s amazing is that my guests often tell me they can sense that. It may sound woo-woo, but the intention you bring to the simplest acts, including preparing food, are powerful. That means that cooking with love and kind energy is just as healing as the food itself.

Think of it as conscious cooking: cooking with your mind turned on. It is not throwing together ingredients as you rush to get to work or zone out to your favourite show, it’s a simple daily practice that elevates the humblest meals, and here are a few ways to do it:

• Imagine the meal you are going to prepare, the people you will feed and how it will nourish them — even if it’s just a meal for yourself.

• Cook without distraction so you can focus your energy on the food and the act of preparing it.

• Imagine how this food will give your body the energy to do good in the world through whatever unique skills you have.

• Speak affirming words, listen to a meditation or uplifting songs; sing to your food as you cook. It may sound silly, but scientists have compared the effects of music and words on water molecules and found that soothing words and music create snowflake-like structures, while angry words and music create more of a disjointed formation.

If they have the power to do that to water, imagine what they can create in your body, which is 70 per cent water!

• Offer gratitude for these ingredients and this moment of being alive on the planet, whether it’s to God or the universe.

• Eat with intention. When you take a moment to be quiet and present with your food, express gratitude for it.

Put down your utensils between bites and savour the individual flavours to create a more up- lifting experience. This is called conscious eating.

TIPS FOR LIVING JOYFULLY

1. Cook and eat with love. Picture each element and what it’s doing to benefit your body. Then, before you tuck in, take a moment to say thank you for this beautiful meal.

2. Eat until satisfied, not stuffed. Ayurveda recommends we eat until we are three-quarters satisfied. Overeating increases the production of free radicals, or unstable molecules that build up in the cells. This can inhibit your ability to break down foods and in turn lead to chronic health issues.

3 Chew your food. This breaks it down, which makes it easier for your body to utilise. Chewing also allows you to notice the textures, the sour, the sweet, the heat.

4. Eat (and cook) with your hands. One of the easiest ways to connect your senses with your meal is to touch your food. Not every dish lends itself to eating with your hands, but many do. This also extends to preparing meals.

5 Eat without distractions. If you are eating while watching TV or working, it increases the chances of overeating and not chewing or digesting your food adequately.

6 Avoid cold and iced beverages. In scientific terms, cold drinks cause your blood vessels to constrict, which can hinder digestion and the process of absorbing nutrients. Try to stick to 120ml hot water, warm water or room-temperature water at mealtimes.

7 Avoid snacking. Your body needs at least three hours to digest, so eating between meals can disrupt the digestive process.

8 Eat your dessert before dinner. That’s because sweets are always digested first, so if any other food is in your system, your body will stop digesting it in favour of the sweet, leading undigested food to ferment and toxins to accumulate.

9. Go for a walk. Sitting squashes the digestive tract and slows digestion. Instead, go for a 10-15 minute stroll after a meal.

By embracing simple habits such as creating meals that balance all essential tastes, eating with all your senses and cooking and eating with gratitude, you’ll be creating a strong foundation for health and vitality in body and spirit. You will be joyFULL!

• JoyFull by Radhi Devlukia-Shetty (£22, Harper Thorsons) is out tomorrow.

By Sean O’grady for Mailonline

Published: 5:10 PM EST, February 24, 2024 | Updated: 5:16 PM EST, February 24, 2024

More than four million people in Britain live with diabetes, but some may not know they can get up to £173 a week in extra help.

Anyone with the disease may be eligible for government benefits.

1

According to the charity Diabetes UK, 4.3 million people suffer from the disease, with around 90% having type 2 diagnoses and 8% the most serious type 1 diagnosis.

But if you have diabetes, and it is so debilitating that it affects you on a daily basis, you may be eligible for Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

The benefit is intended to help people who suffer from a health condition or disability.

Payments can be up to £173 a week, or almost £9,000 a year, and you can qualify whether you work or not.

PIP consists of two elements: the daily living part and the mobility part.

The daily living area is for those who need help with daily tasks, while the mobility area is for those who need help getting around.

There are two rates for each part, depending on your needs: standard or extended. The weekly rates are:

• Standard daily living component: £68.10
• Enhanced Daily Living Component: £101.75
• Standard mobility component: €26.90
• Enhanced Mobility Component: £71

You can qualify for both parts of PIP, meaning the maximum amount you can currently receive each week is €172.75.

It's a potentially life-changing amount, so if you're not claiming it yet, it's worth checking whether you qualify.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says there is no specific list of conditions that entitle people to PIP.

However, if your diabetes affects you enough on a daily basis, you may qualify.

What is PIP and who is eligible for it?

If you suffer from a long-term health condition or disability, you can get extra money through PIP.

It is available to people aged 16 or over, but you must also be under state pension age (currently 66).

Crucially, you also have a health condition or disability that has caused you to have difficulty with daily living or getting around (or both) for three months.

You should also bear in mind that these difficulties will last for at least nine months (unless you are terminally ill and have less than twelve months to live).

Problems with daily life may include:

• Preparing or eating food
• Washing, bathing and going to the toilet
• Dressing and undressing
• Read and communicate
• Managing your medications or treatments
• Making decisions about money
• Dealing with other people

PIP payments are tax-free and the amount you receive is not affected by your income or savings.

You can also claim it along with other benefits apart from the Armed Forces Independence Pay.

In the meantime, if you receive a constant attendance allowance, you will receive less of the daily living expenses of PIP.

If you receive the Mobility Supplement for War Pensioners, you will not receive the mobility part of PIP.

How do you apply for PIP?

You can make a claim by calling the DWP on 0800 917 2222.

There are also other ways to claim if you don't want to call. You should check out government.co.uk For more information.

If you make a claim you will need the following information:

• Your contact details
• Date of birth
• National insurance number
• Account number and sorting code of the bank or building society
• The name of your doctor or health professional
• Address and telephone number
• Dates and addresses of the time you spent abroad, in a nursing home or hospital

Someone else can call on your behalf, but you must be present with them when they call.

You will then receive a form that you must complete. You will then be invited for an assessment or your healthcare or social worker will be asked for information.

You will then receive a letter stating whether your claim has been successful.

You can read about Citizens Advice's help in preparing an assessment guide on the website.

If you apply for PIP and are unsuccessful, you can appeal the decision.

Do you have a money problem that needs to be solved? Get in touch by emailing money@the-sun.co.uk.

Moreover, you can join us Sun Money chats and tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories.

After starring with Brian Cox for all four seasons of Succession, Sara Snoek shares new behind-the-scenes details – and claims the actor would throw 'terrifying' fits of rage on set.

'He has a habit of falling into a false story sometimes – or it could be real, who knows? – diabetic rage,” Snook, 36, said Times Radio UK in an interview published on Tuesday, February 13.

Cox, 77, portrayed billionaire media mogul Logan Roy in the series, which aired on HBO from June 2018 to May 2023. Snook played Shiv, his only daughter.

The Australian actress added that Cox sometimes spoke so loudly that his volume was scary.

“The quality of his voice can be very frightening at times. Thunderous,” she said.

Last year, Cox revealed that he suffered from type 2 diabetes, and when he didn't eat it caused a combination of hunger and anger that he called “hangry.”

“Well, yeah, I get hungry because I have diabetes,” Cox then told ITV's This morning in April 2023.

“I need my food and then I don't like my food, so I have a very complicated relationship with my food,” he continued, adding, “I've started taking injections so I do get hungry, Yes.”

Kieran Culkin, who portrayed Roy's son Roman, also agreed with Snook that working with Cox could be difficult.

“He can be a scary guy,” he said Variety in June 2023.

J Smith-Cameron, who played Roy's lawyer Gerri Kellman, said in a June 2202 interview that Cox was “scary” and “terrifying” to work with. GoldDerby. “But I also love him so much. He is a great guy and an actor,” she said.

Another Succession actress, Justine Lupe agreed with Smith-Cameron that Cox could be difficult, but also very kind.

“Brian has moments where he is incredibly intimidating, both on and off camera Times radio in May 2023. She portrayed Willa Ferreyra, the wife of Roy's eldest son, Connor. “He has a strength as a person and I think he knows that about himself.”

However, she added that Cox had a softer side to his personality and was also very reassuring to work with.

“He's also one of the friendlier people I've worked with on set,” she continued. “He was always so supportive and sweet.”

Cox has not yet publicly responded to Snook's latest claims.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued guidelines for students suffering from type 1 diabetes during exams.

CBSE Board Exams 2024: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will start with the high school examination (class 10th) and Senior School Certificate Exam (Class 12th) exams on February 15, 2024; The board has drawn up guidelines for the students who suffer from this Type 1 diabetes in board exam. The student is allowed to take the following items into the exam room/hall in a transparent bag/box.

• Sugar tablets/Chocolate/Candy
• Fruit such as banana/apple/orange
• Snack products such as Sandwich and any high protein diet
• Medicines are required according to the doctor's prescription
• Water bottle (500 ml.)
• Glucometer and glucose test strips
• Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) machine, flash glucose monitoring (FGM) machine and/or insulin pumps

Meanwhile, the following standard operating procedures will be followed by the students for the use of these facilities:

• The students will provide the information that they are suffering from type 1 diabetes during registration/submission of LOC.
• To use the facilities during the exams, the following documents must be uploaded on the portal: (a) Recommendations from the medical specialist for CGM/FGM/insulin pump during the exams. (b) The parents' undertaking that the CGM/FGM/insulir pump is provided to the students and that it is in no way a communication device that could interfere with the security of the examinations.
• To avail these facilities, the school/student/parent has to register as per the scheme issued by the CBSE. Once the schedule is over, no further requests will be honored.
• The school/student/parent will approach the examination center at least a day before the commencement of the examination and inform the examination superintendent about the items that the students need to carry.
• Also on the day of the exam, the student will reach the school at least 45 minutes before the start of the exams, i.e. at 9.45 am Α.Μ.
• All applications/requests are routed through the school with the prescribed documents. No direct request from the student to CBSE will be considered.
• Except for the equipment(s) attached to the body, the rest of the items are kept with the Assistant Superintendent (Invigilator) in a transparent box/bag and can be taken by the students as and when required.
• Schools must strictly follow the above instructions.
• For board exams 2024 only, applications can be submitted to the concerned Regional Office, CBSE, with all supporting documents for use of permitted facilities.

CBSE admit card

Regular students are required to collect their admit card from school while private students are advised to download it from the official website.

CBSE Date Sheet 2024

According to the CBSE board exam, the class 10 board exam will start on February 15, 2024 with Painting, Rai, Gurung, Tamang and Sherpa papers. Meanwhile, the CBSE examination for secondary school (class 10) will conclude with Computer Applications, Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence on March 13.

Talking about the CBSE Class 12th Board Exam 2024, the CBSE Senior School Certificate Exam (Class 12th) starts with the paper Entrepreneurship, Kokborok, Capital Market Operation, Physical Activity Trainer on the first day of the exam (February 15). The board will conduct Biotechnology, Knowledge Tradition and Practices of India, Electronics Technology, Shorthand (English), Shorthand (Hindi), Nutrition and Dietetics, Library and Information Sciences, Banking and Early Childhood Care and Education on February 16.

Finally, the CBSE Class 12 board exam will conclude on April 2, 2024 with the paper Informatics Practices, Computer Science, and Information Technology. For more information, visit the official website of the Central Board Of Secondary Education (CBSE).