Indice dei contenuti per 29-Apr-2021 in Chat

Are you someone who bins anything past the best before date? If so, you’d probably balk at Íde’s story about her life as a ‘freegan’ (p19). Eating from the rubbish might not be for everyone but we all do need to live more sustainably these days. That’s why I love our Just Genius page (p9). You guys have such fab tips for reusing bits and bobs that otherwise would end up in the rubbish. Keep ’em coming to the address below! There’s tons more to get stuck into, including Legaci’s bonkers birth (p10), Paige’s terrific transformation (p37) and Vickie’s brave little lad (p6). Plus fashion (p12), food (p40) and all your other favourites. What are you waiting for? Stay safe and well this week.…

Pumped up on steroids Q My boyfriend uses bodybuilding drugs. He says they’re safe but how can we be sure? Jean-Anne, Doncaster A You can’t. Your boyfriend should stop using them and see his GP. Bodybuilding drugs are, unfortunately, still widely available illegally in some gyms and online. Most are anabolic steroids, which mimic the action of the sex hormone testosterone and boost muscle development. They’re usually injected, though might be in the form of tablets or skin gel. Side-effects can be devastating and include raised cholesterol, high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, infertility, shrunken testicles, acne, loss of erections, baldness, growing breasts and prostate cancer. Mood changes, aggression, depression and addiction can also follow. Users often use another drug called growth hormone and risk further problems, including diabetes. His…

SICK RAPIST In March 2000, Brian Holmes, 37, stalked and raped a frail 71-year-old in her South Tyneside home. Holmes tricked his way inside by asking to use the toilet. He stole a set of house keys, and crept back once his victim was preparing for bed. The petrified pensioner made a hysterical call to the emergency services before she was dragged into her bedroom and raped. At Newcastle Crown Court, Holmes – described as ‘an extreme danger to women’ – pleaded guilty to rape and indecent assault. He had four previous convictions for indecent assault. The judge sentenced him to life. HALLOWEEN HORROR Retired schoolteacher Katherine Lillian Armstrong, 70, was killed in her Newcastle home on 31 October 1963. Still wearing her dress and slippers, her body was found…

Now my mind was made up, I wasted no time. I emptied the cupboards at home and work. Filling two huge bin bags with cakes, sugary snacks and fried food. And I stopped cold turkey when it came to my nightly icecream binge. ‘I’m going to do it!’ I told my family. They had heard it so many times over the years. But, this time, I set up an Instagram account to document my journey. Started a food journal, tracking everything I ate. For the first month, I lived off salad. Joined a gym, too. But running quickly left me puffing and panting, and my big belly got in the way on the exercise bike. So I started simple, walking on the treadmill for an hour every day. It took…

Simone Brinkley, 31, Harlow Hearing the letterbox flap, I stifled a laugh at Mum’s voice. ‘Cooee! I know you’re in there!’ It was 1996 and my mum Beverley Brinkley, then 28, had her key, but loved playing this game with us. I was 6. Me and my sisters, Tara, then 10, and Tina, 3, would hide round the corner while she pretended she was locked out. ‘Gotcha!’ Mum beamed as she burst through the door, wrapping us in her arms. Mum was so bubbly, always making us laugh. Her big personality lit up a room, and she adored us – her precious girls. Together, we’d go to the seaside or Mum’d fill up a paddling pool in the garden. We’d mess around, shrieking with joy, all so happy, so close.…

Beauty writer Emma shares her favourite red nail colours Essie Gel Couture in 508 Scarlet Starlet, £9.99, Boots A vibrant, red nail polish looks fab against all skin tones and this scarlet shade brings a touch of glamour to any look. The wide brush makes it easy to paint on and the formula has great staying power. Mavala Nail Colour Cream in 286 Red River, £5.50, nailpolishdirect.co.uk Sunny weather calls for a splash of colour. Paint this vivid, orange-toned red on fingernails and toenails to get in the swing of summer. Max Factor Nailfinity Gel Colour Nail Polish in Max’s Muse, £7.99, Boots Take your nail colour to deeper dimensions with this sultry, plum-red colour. The long-wearing formula won’t chip or flake off and gives phenomenal shine.…

£25 for any photos that we use on Picture Perfect. They must not have been sent to any other publication and you must include written permission from a child’s parent/s or guardian/s. Post to Picture Perfect, Chat, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP, or email chat_magazine@futurenet.com Unfortunately, we can’t return photos without a SAE. And please don’t forget to include your full address and a contact number.…

What is US singer Nicole Scherzinger’s signature dish in the kitchen? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the three-word prize answer. ACROSS 11 Mythological figure with snakes for hair (6) 12 The X Factor winner, _ Burke (9) 13 Professional cook (4) 14 Reading group (4,4) 15 Musical drama such as Carmen (5) 16 Protects (6) 17 Museum official (7) 18 Andrew _, composer of Cats and Evita (5,6) 20 Viper (5) 22 Keeps up (9) 24 Greeting (5) 28 Prison cell (7) 29 The Queen’s eldest son (7) 32 Exile (6) 34 Children’s jumping game (8) 36 Sledge (8) 37 Most adorable (6) 39 Biblical giant (7) 40 Rather than (7) 45 Secret hoard (5) 47 Asian mountain range (9) 48…

Julie Colan, 42, Leicestershire Reading the online health feature, my jaw dropped. It was on the perimenopause – the transitional years prior to menopause when ovaries begin to make less oestrogen. It said women were 50% more likely to suffer a prolapse during this time. That’s where the pelvic organs sag, causing pressure, vaginal bulging or incontinence. I don’t want that to happen to me! I panicked. It was January 2018, and I was almost 40. The likelihood of prolapse was higher for women who never strengthened their pelvic-floor muscles. A chink of good news for me... As a teenager, I’d read about the importance of this – had done Kegel exercises (for the pelvic floor) since the age of14. I was sure it was why I’d not experienced incontinence…

OVER TO YOU Can you set a puzzle in this format? Send it, with a photo of yourself, to the address on p3. There’s £25 for every one we use! This week’s puzzle was compiled by Sophie Morgan, Meadowfield, Durham ACROSS 1 A package of hay 2 Middle Eastern country 3 Cheese skin 4 Male parents DOWN 1 Feathered flyer 2 Operatic solo 3 Earth,soil 4 Finishes WIN 5x£25 Puzzle 6 Your answer: CHAIN WORDS In 1982, film director Steven Spielberg spent over $60,000 on a prop sled called what? Get from Start to Finish, making words by joining two boxes together as you go, eg, MO + ON, ON +... you decide! When you reach Finish, two unused boxes join together to give you the prize answer. WIN £100 Puzzle…

ARROW WORD The kwanza is the currency of which country? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the prize answer. WIN £1,000 Puzzle 10 Your answer: SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Solve the puzzle and the numbers in the highlighted squares will give you the prize puzzle answer. WIN £60 Puzzle 11 Your answer: WORDSEARCH Strabismus is a condition affecting which body part? The answer is the one missing from the grid. BROW CHEEK CHIN EAR EYE FOREHEAD HAIR JAW LIP MOUTH NOSE SKIN TEETH THROAT TONGUE WIN £50 Puzzle 12 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to…

FILL ME IN Where is British war poet Rupert Brooke buried? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the prize answer. WIN £100 Puzzle 14 Your answer: CIRCLE TIME In Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, the pilgrims set out to Canterbury from which city? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles. 3 letters APE ASH BAT HAD HAS HAT ION PAY WIT 4 letters ARKS KELP OBEY RAMP TOWN WORK 5 letters DRAWN PORTS RESIN TENSE 6 letters ELBOWS RADISH RETINA TARTAN 7 letters BRAVADO HARBOUR WIN £100 Puzzle 15 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

3 ways to... stop nuisance calls There’s been a surge in the number of unwanted calls Brits have been getting. Here’s advice from Which? on how to stop them… 1 Take action If you’re getting unsolicited phone calls, you should register with the Telephone Preference Service. It’s free and is a register which records your preference not to receive unsolicited or marketing calls on your landline or mobile number. Visit tpsonline.org.uk. Also, if you’re getting nuisance calls on your smartphone, remember they let you block specific callers. 2 Next steps If you’re still getting calls, talk to your phone company. Most major landline providers offer a free service to cut the number of nuisance calls you receive. An increasing number of home phones now come with call blocking technology, though…

Changing Rooms C4 Davina McCall hosts this reboot of the makeover show which sees neighbours transform a room in each other’s home on a budget. Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is back as one of the designers helping the teams as they race against the clock to complete the DIY challenge. Lisey’s Story APPLE TV+ Adapted from the novel by Stephen King, this eight-part thriller follows widow Lisey (Julianne Moore) as a series of unsettling events lead her to face memories of her marriage to famous novelist Scott Landon (Clive Owen) that she has deliberately blocked out of her mind. Buffering ITV2 Comedian Iain Stirling, better known as the voice of Love Island, leads the cast of this six-part comedy about a group of hapless millennials who share a flat. He plays a…

One of the men the police want to track down was described at the time – in 2003 – as white, fairly short, a stocky build and then in his late-30s to early-40s. He had dark, wavy hair on top with a cropped style cut into the back of the neck, and dark stubble. The second man was described as white, taller and aged in his 20s to early-30s. He had blond, shaven hair, a stocky build and long legs. DCI Stephen Jennings of Essex Police says,‘I am convinced somebody in the Harlow area knows who is responsible and can help our inquiry.’ The reward will only apply to information passed to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org and that leads to the arrest and conviction of…

TEXT Simply text CHATD followed by a space and your answer/s (spaces between answers please) full name, door number and postcode to 84988 Texts cost 50p plus standard network charge (maximum 160 characters per text). When you enter by text, you may in future get SMS marketing messages from Future plc and Chat. If you want to receive these, please end your text with OPTIN. Texting tips ● Don’t put any spaces in an answer that has several words: eg: CHATISTHEBEST not CHAT IS THE BEST. ● If the answer is a name, you need only give the surname: eg: CLOONEY not GEORGE CLOONEY. ● You can use capitals or small letters, but don’t use any commas, etc. ● Leave out answers you don’t wish to enter. INTERNET Join our…

Legaci Allong, 24 Pointing my camera at my son Prince, then 1, I followed every wobbly step. ‘Good boy,’ I beamed to my littl’un. It was November 2016, and since Prince was born I’d been filming all the big moments in our lives. First word, first steps, first birthday, It’d started out as a bit of fun, but I’d upload them onto my YouTube channel Legacibirth. My husband Chazz, then 21, got involved, too, and our posts got more and more views, until we had tens of thousands of followers. ‘I’m going to document everything,’ I told Chazz when I fell pregnant with our second child Romeo. Every scan, antenatal appointment, my baby shower. My followers loved tagging along on my pregnancy journey. Then, in December 2017, I gave birth…

Staggering barefoot through the scorching desert, Mary Barnes, 53, knew that time wasn’t on her side. She knew that her flatmate Michael lay stricken back in the sandy wasteland. Beaten, burnt, bloody, doused in bleach. He was dying. Finally, she stumbled on to a road, where a passing police officer spotted her. Mary was frantic, her hands still tied behind her back, a blindfold on her head. The police officer radioed for help. Yet when Mary led them to Michael, the 28-year-old owner of a medical marijuana dispensary was lying on his side in the dirt. Horrific injury Hands bound behind his back, eyes swollen shut, his torso a patchwork of bruises and burns. And he’d been mutilated. His penis sliced off. Yet, somehow, he was alive. Medics rushed Michael…

Health hack Struggling to sleep? Go nude under the sheets! ‘Sleeping naked means that your body remains cooler during the night, which is important, as overheating is a common cause of disturbed sleep,’ explains Healthspan’s medical director Dr Sarah Brewer. Swap and see If sandwiches are your go-to lunch, why not swap white bread for this Kingsmill 50/50 No Bits Multi-Seed? You’ll get all the benefits of wholegrain from a 50/50 flour base, with protein and the fibre from finely ground seeds...without the bits! (£1.35, Tesco) Know your perimenopause symptoms The transition phase before your final period is called perimenopause and may last for four to eight years. But what symptoms might you notice? Mood swings ‘As you hit menopause, your body has to adjust to a significant decline in…

Joy Watkin, 45, Basildon, Essex Staring at the appointment card in front of him, my dad Gerry, then 82, frowned. ‘I’m losing my marbles,’ he laughed eventually. ‘I’d forgotten all about this.’ It was May 2019, and these conversations between Dad and I were worryingly regular. I’d booked Dad a GP appointment, but he couldn’t remember why. ‘That’s why we’re seeing the doctor,’ I gently explained to him. Dad had been referred to a memory clinic. Tests involved answering simple questions... Who is the Prime Minister? When was World War Two? The old stuff, he’d answer quickly. But anything current was a struggle. While we’d not had a diagnosis, it was obvious to me and my partner Mark, then 41, that Dad had dementia. His personality had started changing, too.…

Show your romantic side with this red enamelled heart charm bracelet! Claim yours free by completing the coupon and sending it with an 88p stamped, self-addressed envelope to the address below. Matching items are available at irresistible prices, too! The 16in length necklace is just £5, the matching 20in length necklace is only £6, and two pairs of earrings – open-heart studs and classic hoops – are £5 for both pairs. And if you buy the complete set at just £16, you’ll receive a mystery jewellery gift absolutely free! It would make a wonderful present… or a special treat for yourself. How to claim your free bracelet Simply complete the coupon below and send it together with an 88p stamped, self-addressed envelope and any payment to: LMS, CHAT47 red heart…

My secret struggle Q I live with my parents and brother, and I really struggle with OCD. I check things multiple times to alleviate my anxiety. My family get really annoyed because I turn all the plugs off. The worst part is the intrusive thoughts. If my family uses words such as ‘idiot, stupid or lazy’, I think they’re aimed at me. I know it’s in my head, but they don’t understand. Help. Ben, 23 A Ben, pet, have you been honest with your family about your struggle? There are many ways to deal with OCD, and it comes in different forms. Do some research and educate yourself and your family – you need their support right now. And, if you haven’t spoken to a doctor yet, that’s the first thing…

Paige Gandara-Valderas, 26 Gathering the empty ice-cream tubs from my cupboard, I snuck out of my uni dorm room. Can’t let anyone see all these, I thought, creeping down the hallway and shoving them deep in a bin. I didn’t want my roommate – or our other friends – knowing I polished off a tub of my fave cookie-dough ice cream every single day. Topped with cream! And that was extra to all the fast food... It was January 2016, and at size 26, it was obvious I ate too much. But it didn’t stop me hiding the evidence. I’d been embarrassed by my insatiable appetite and big belly since I was young. Aged 10, I’d stood on the scales for the first time. Still remember the numbers flashing: 14st…

Flahavan’s oaty white chocolate cheesecake tart The oaty, nutty base is the perfect accompaniment to this rich and tangy white chocolate filling SERVES 8-10 PREP TIME 30 MINS, PLUS CHILLING TIME COOK TIME 15 MINS For the base: • 125g butter, plus extra for greasing the tin • 1tbsp honey • 80g soft brown sugar • 100g toasted hazelnuts • 150g Flahavan’s Organic Porridge Oats For the cheesecake topping: • 220g good quality white chocolate, broken into pieces • 300ml sour cream • 1tbsp lemon juice • 250g cream cheese To decorate: • 2tbsp Flahavan’s Organic Porridge Oats, toasted • 15g hazelnuts, roughly halved • 20g soft brown sugar • ½tsp lemon juice • 100g berries of your choice – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, redcurrants or blackberries • 1 ripe fig…

Aries 21 March-20 April A friend’s gone through a transformation and you want to know their secret. They’ve fallen in love and you couldn’t be happier when you receive the news. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Concentrating on advertising your business and setting things in motion is your top priority. Joining networking forums will help you get the word out. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June You have been super busy, but if you’re not careful exhaustion will kick in, as you’re juggling so much. Friends are missing you, though, make time for them. • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July You crave commitment, and it’s time to move your relationship forward. So, say how…

Catrice Lip Pyjama Night Mask, £3.99, justmylook.com There’s nothing worse than sore, cracked lips, so smooth on this replenishing lip mask before bed and wake up with a pout that’s gorgeously soft and restored. Sanex Nourishing & Gentle Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, £1.50, ocado.com The skincare experts have launched two shampoos – an antidandruff formula and a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner. The antidandruff product is perfect for a problem scalp. Lottie London Velvet Skin Tint, £9.95, lookfantastic.com A great alternative to thicker foundations, this tinted moisturiser gives enough coverage without feeling like a heavy mask. It’s lovely in warmer months. Venus Deluxe Extra Smooth Sensitive RoseGold Razor, £12.99, Boots Nothing feels better than a frictionless shave and this contoured razor is perfect for niggly areas like knees and ankles. The hydrating strip and blades…

Anyone from your town in the list this week..? Chat winners issue 4 (28 January 2021) £1,001 CASH R Cox, Sherborne £1,000 CASH W Hewitt, Spalding £500 CASH A Purdie, Glasgow; J Pople, Somerset £250 CASH G Gregory, Tarporley £150 CASH V Spink, Woodbridge £100 CASH C Gregson, Liverpool; J Repton, Camberley; A White, Huddersfield; C Richards, Kenilworth; M Naidrett, Leicester £60 CASH A Frazer, Nottingham £50 CASH S Simpson, Hexham; D Perkins, Chichester; E Lodge, Wigan £30 CASH J Little, Mansfield; D Brocklebank, Pontypridd; A Devlin, Birmingham; W Wells, Sittingbourne; H Houston, Bristol £25 CASH D Stevens, London; A Mowlam, Weymouth; C Dobbs, Cwmbran; L Buckley, Solihull; V Garnett, Bridlington; L Yates, Rugby; B Evans, Denbigh; A Frost, Hertford; M Rogers, Prenton Chat PUZZLE 5 ZOE KRAVITZ Chat PUZZLE…

Dear Tom, As the nurse carefully felt around your stomach, I saw her eyes widen. ‘I’ll need a second opinion,’ she said. I knew it was bad news. Aged 18, you’d been suffering stomach cramps and fatigue for months. Doctors initially suggested IBS or stress, but now, in summer 2012, you were in agony. And after countless tests, the most devastating news. Cancer. You had soft tissue sarcoma – a tumour – in your pelvis. Incurable, inoperable. ‘We don’t know how long he has left,’ the specialist told me and your dad Richard, then 45. Everything changed. Instead of planning to go off to uni, you began chemo. Every two weeks, you spent up to five days in a specialist teenage cancer unit at University College Hospital in London. It…