Madonna is an American singer, songwriter, actress, director, dancer and entrepreneur. She has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records. Considered to be one of the “25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century” by Time for being an influential figure in contemporary music, she is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry. Critics have praised her diverse musical productions which have also been known to induce controversy.
Celebrities are no strangers to Botox jabs, but the latest trend doing the rounds on the red carpet circuit offers a shot of a different kind. Vitamin injections, of which Madonna, Brad Pitt and Rhianna are reportedly fans, contain a cocktail of “energy vitamins”, such as magnesium, calcium, vitamin C and antioxidants. While celebs might feel they’re getting an instant boost post post-jab, numerous experts say these vitamins are also easily flushed out of the body.
Everyone from Madonna to Cheryl Cole is said to use Vitamin B12 injections as an energy booster. But are they really a party season godsend?
‘Alcohol and stress deplete the body of vitamin B12,’ says Dr Martin Kinsella, who offers the jabs at his Cheshire clinic. ‘If you don’t have enough, you can feel low, rundown and lethargic. A quick shot of B12 can change that.’
Some people, he says, have problems absorbing a vitamin in tablet form, but injecting into muscle – usually the bottom – gives a full dose, slowly released into the body over the weeks to follow.
As it is a water-soluble vitamin, once the body has used what is required, any excess is excreted in urine, making it virtually impossible to overdose.
If it sounds like a miracle fix, there are some concerns that by just dishing out B12 shots, you fail to get to the root of the real problem, as Fiona Klonarides, 43, from London, knows.
In 2002, her high-pressure a job left her feeling burnt out, and as friends raved about vitamin shots, she gave them a go. ‘In the short term, it worked,’ she recalls. ‘I felt as if my body had been kick-started.’
Helena Gibson-Moore, of the British Nutrition Foundation, believes there are further risks. ‘This is a relatively new trend, so the long-term impact on health is unknown. On a more basic level, injecting anything comes with risks, such as air bubbles in the syringe, allergic reactions and infection.’
Dr Eric Asher, GP and Medical Director of London’s Third Space Medicine, condemns unlicensed use of the vitamin but thinks the positive reviews from tired City types are understandable.
‘Don’t underestimate the placebo effect,’ he says. ‘It’s red, it’s an injection and they’re paying for it – three reasons they’ll go away feeling better.
‘It won’t do any harm, but a doctor who gives B12 without further investigation is not being responsible. B12 isn’t a magic cure.’
Oz Garcia says, ‘Many of my clients are top entertainers who work hard – rock stars on tour, for example. They feel battered, and vitamin shots right their rudders.’ Garcia offers drip infusions of vitamins straight into the vein. ‘Some take 30 minutes to administer and can make you feel like you’ve spent four days in a spa.’
Victoria Caroline Beckham is an English businesswoman, fashion designer and singer. In the late 1990s, Beckham rose to fame with the all-female pop group Spice Girls and was dubbed Posh Spice by the July 1996 issue of the British pop music magazine Top of the Pops. Since the Spice Girls split, she has had a solo pop music career, scoring four UK Top 10 singles. Her first single to be released, “Out of Your Mind”, reached Number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and is her highest chart entry to date. During her solo career, she has been signed to Virgin Records and Telstar Records.
Beckham has found more success as an internationally recognised and photographed style icon. Her career in fashion includes designing a line of jeans for Rock & Republic and later designing her own denim brand, dVb Style. Beckham has brought out her own range of sunglasses and fragrance, entitled Intimately Beckham, which has been released in the UK and the US. In association with the Japanese store Samantha Thavasa and Shiatzy Chen, she has produced a range of handbags and jewellery. In addition, Beckham has released two best-selling books; one her autobiography, the other a fashion guide.
It seems stars are willing to go to any lengths to smooth lines and plump up the skin to perfect their look pre-awards season – but smearing bird poop on their faces? That’s one of the kookier skincare treatments celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, are using to fight ageing. The hour-long Geisha Facial, available at New York Day Spa Shizuka involves applying nightingale bird droppings – imported from Japan – directly to the skin. “Dead skin is removed, skin tone is brighter and you’re left with a radiant look,” salon owner Shizuka Bernstein told Reuters.
Extreme and nastiness facial, who is willing to have face smeared with bird droppings, even though the stakes are beautiful and smooth face. But, this beauty technique is not applicable among Hollywood celebrities. Such as Victoria Beckham, facial with bird droppings have become routine, for its natural beauty secrets.
Some celebrities opt for a bit of Botox or even a chemical peel in an attempt to keep their youthful looks.
But not Tom Cruise, who instead swears that a smearing of bird-droppings on his face is all he needs to stay young.
According to Now magazine, the Rock of Ages star, 49, has told friends that his skin has never looked better thanks to the expensive spa treatment.
It involves mixing poo from a nightingale with rice bran and water which is then applied as a face mask.
And a source told the magazine: ‘Tom doesn’t go in for Botox or surgery but he does pay close attention to all the new natural treatments.
‘He recently started experimenting with the nightingale poo facial after it was recommended by a Hollywood pal and the results have been fantastic.’
New York beautician Shizuka Bernstein said: ‘The nightingale poo acts as an exfoliant that brings out the dirt and adds shine.’
Japanese nightingale droppings has been used for centuries by geishas and kabuki actors to beautify and cleanse skin and remove make-up. Also known in the west as “bird poop facial”.
Women will do and try anything for the sake of beauty. This latest beauty trend is actually centuries old and just now becoming very popular all over the world.
Nightingale Droppings Facial Mask, yup you heard that right, bird poop. But wait, before you run out and scrape out bird poop off your roof top, listen up! It’s not just any bird poop, it’s Nightingale bird’s droppings, Nightingale birds are rarely seen in seasons other than Spring in Japan. These bird droppings contains natural occurring enzymes called Guanine, dried, purified and using UV light to zap bacteria. The high nitrogen content draws out bacteria from the skin and breaks down dead skin cells more gently than acid peels. Used for centuries by geisha in Japan, the facial is an all-natural way to brighten and smooth the skin. And the result; Exfoliating and Bleaching the skin,…naturally.
Jennifer Lynn Muñiz is an American actress, dancer, entrepreneur, fashion designer, film producer, philanthropist and singer. She became interested in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry following a minor role in the 1986 film My Little Girl, to the dismay of her Puerto Rican parents, who believed that it was an unrealistic career route for a Hispanic. Following a move from The Bronx to Manhattan, Lopez performed in regional stage productions, before touring with musicals in Europe and Japan. She gained her first regular high-profile job as a Fly Girl dancer on In Living Color in 1991, where she remained a regular until she decided to pursue an acting career in 1993. Lopez received her first leading role in the Selena biopic of the same name in 1997. Following subsequent roles in the films Anaconda (1997) and Out of Sight (1998), she ventured into the music industry in 1999 with her debut studio album On the 6, joining a select few in successfully converting from a film to music.
Lopez is described as a sex symbol and “one of the most desirable women on the planet”. Despite being dubbed a “Bronx Barbie”, Lopez has stated that she has “been trained like a boxer” and knows how to fight. Lopez is noted in the media for her curvaceous figure, in particular her buttocks, and was called “original doyenne of derriere” by Katherine Ormerod of Grazia. A survey by Nutrisystem Diet Index revealed American females want her legs and bottom. In November 1998, Lopez was named “Sexiest Woman of the Year” by Details magazine. She led FHM’s “100 Sexiest Women” list twice, as well as appearing on the list multiple times.
In April 2011, Lopez was named “World’s Most Beautiful Women” by People, on a the 22nd list compiled and published by People of 100 people judged to be the most beautiful individuals in the world. Marianne Garvey of E! Online said Lopez looked “absolutely flawless” on the “spring-inspired” pink and green cover of the issue, while also commenting on her “striking beauty and that gorgeous face”. At first, Lopez’s reaction was feeling “not worthy”, but eventually said she was “happy and proud” that she “wasn’t 25” and a women her age was chosen. She also received praise from multiple celebrities, Kelly Osbourne said “I couldn’t agree more. I’ve met her and she’s stunning”, while American Idol co-worker Ryan Seacrest praised her on his radio show On Air with Ryan Seacrest, stating “I’m proud to work with the most beautiful women in the world”.
They’re touted as one of the best foods to burn fat, but chillies are off the menu for a lot of celebs pre awards season, according to celebrity nutritionist Simone Gloger. “Heat-producing spices such as chipotle, chili and cayenne can cause rosacea flair ups and reddening of the skin – so they’re not so great for your red carpet moment,” Gloger explains. Also on Gloger’s do-not-eat list: dairy. “This food group is one of the hardest for the body to digest, causing bloating, acne and dark circles under the eyes in a lot of people, leaving you less than camera-ready,” she says.
More than 1.5 million French women already swear by the slimming regime devised by nutritionist Dr Pierre Dukan 10 years ago. And over the last decade it has spread by word of mouth, web forum and blog to 20 countries.Now translated into English, it is set to be the bikini diet for the summer.
Jennifer Lopez, an adherent of the Dukan diet, has recently showed off a foxy new figure, two years after becoming mum to twins Emme and Max. Jennifer, 40, said recently: I just remember being pregnant and marvelling at the hugeness of every area of my body. Id stand there naked and look in the mirror from all angles. I did marvel at how my already ample rear end was now humongous!
Explaining her weight loss she said: I worked out a lot. I struggled to get rid of the last 20 pounds. I had to change my eating habits after having the twins. I eat a lot less now than I used to. But I love bread and youre not allowed bread with most diets.
La Lopez is not the only celeb to show off a fabulous new figure. Supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who gave birth to son Benjamin four months ago, has also sprung back into super-slender shape and was even confident enough to wear a clingy, purple dress in Paris earlier this month.
And Jessica Szohr, the star of TV teen drama Gossip Girl, says the diet suits her perfectly because it lets her keep up her daily rhythm of sport, filming and shopping without feeling like shes on a diet. She says: I eat lots of animal and vegetable proteins in the form of meat and soya and I never feel hungry. If I overindulge, I make up for it the following day by exercising or by eating smaller portions. The Dukan diet is structured in four stages. First is the attack phase, a protein-only diet think meat, fish, eggs and non-fat dairy products designed to promote rapid weight loss. Slimmers are also encouraged to drink three litres of water a day.
On vegetable days you can enjoy unlimited veggies as well as meat, fish and non-fat dairy products. This phase is kept up until you reach your target weight. Next comes the consolidation phase, designed to prevent the rebound effect that can occur after any rapid weight loss. In it five days of every week are more relaxed. The diet is gradually relaxed with treats such as fruit, bread, cheese and pasta being gradually reintroduced.
To keep temptation at bay Dr Dukan even encourages you to pig out for two meals a week eating whatever you want including alcohol or chocolate. The idea is that no food should be seen as out of bounds as long as everything is in moderation and the basic principles of the diet are followed. During consolidation dieters are not meant to lose weight but they should not gain any either.
The final stage, stabilisation, allows you to eat whatever you like apart from one day a week, preferably a Thursday, when you go back to your protein-only rule. Stick to this simple rule for ever, says Dr Dukan, and you will remain slim. Explaining the thinking behind the diet he says: Calorie-counting does not work dieters brains dont work like that.
Calorie-counting sets quotas and portions but forgets that people are flesh and blood, made up of emotions and instincts. I couldnt stand the idea of putting people on a diet for life there is far too much pleasure to be had in eating!
Dr Dukan, a former neurology medic, started to research his diet after he gave advice to a friend who wanted to lose weight without giving up meat. I told him to eat nothing but protein and drink only water for five days. To the surprise of both men the friend had lost 10lb and then went on to lose a further 6lb in the next five days. Over three decades Dr Dukan put together the achievable diet. In France women everywhere can be seen abstaining from carbs on a Thursday to set themselves up for unrestricted eating for the rest of the week. By sticking to protein one day a week, you can lose 1.5lb to 2lb instantly, says Dr Dukan.
Can you du it? Yes Dukan
Breakfast: Coffee or tea, two small non-fat yogurts or 225g non-fat cottage cheese, and one slice of turkey, chicken or low fat ham, or one boiled egg.
Snack: One small non-fat yogurt or 115g of non-fat cottage cheese.
Lunch: Crab sticks, chicken leg, poached salmon fillets or pepper steak with egg custard for pudding.
Snack: One non-fat yogurt and a turkey slice.
Dinner: Prawns sauteed in herbs and tandoori chicken escalopes or moules mariniere and boiled beef and no-sugar vanilla creme, plus an oatbran pancake.
The four stages
Attack phase: Lasting from two to seven days. You eat 72 as much as you like protein foods to give your body a jump start
Cruising phase: You alternate protein days with protein and vegetable days to reach your chosen weight with an average weight loss of 2 lbs a week
Consolidation: Prevents the rebound effect that occurs after rapid weight loss. This phase, in which treats are allowed, takes five days for every pound previously lost. For example, if you have shed 8lbs, this stage lasts 40 days.
Stabilisation: Follow the Dukan Diet for one day a week for the rest of your life
Jennifer Lopez official website http://jenniferlopez.com/
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She came to prominence after playing Mia Thermopolis in the Disney film The Princess Diaries (2001) and in its 2004 sequel. Since then, Hathaway has starred in dramatic films such as Havoc and Brokeback Mountain, in 2005. She has also starred in The Devil Wears Prada (2006) with Meryl Streep and in Becoming Jane (2007) as Jane Austen.
In 2008, she won several awards for her performance in Rachel Getting Married and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. In 2010, she starred in the box office hits Valentine’s Day, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, and Love and Other Drugs and won an Emmy Award for her voice-over performance on The Simpsons. In 2011, she had a voice role in the animated film Rio, and starred in Lone Scherfig’s adaptation of One Day. In 2012, she portrayed Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises and Fantine in Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables. For the latter, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and is currently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. People magazine named her one of its breakthrough stars of 2001, and she appeared on its list of the world’s 50 Most Beautiful People in 2006.
In preparation for past red carpet appearances, Anne Hathaway has admitted to occasionally embarking on a strict two-day detox program, which mostly involves sipping on a lemon-based drink four times a day. It helps her “to lighten it up a little bit,” her celebrity trainer David Kirsch said. We only hope Hathaway doesn’t go to such extreme measures at this year’s Oscars or she may topple over – the already petite actress reportedly shed around seven kilos in order to convincingly play the part of Fantine in Les Miserables, cutting back to just 500 calories per day.
Celebrities are very particular about their diets. And for looking good on the red carpet, cleansing has become big business. Anne Hathaway is said to be among the celebrities who have detoxed with the Master Cleanse.
The Master Cleanse, created by alternative health practices guru Stanley Burroughs in 1941, is said to not only detoxify, but also eliminate cravings for cola drinks, alcohol, tobacco and junk food. The cleanse calls for drinking nothing but a lemon juice concoction for several days. The plan also includes a phase-in, which allows the dieter to consume salads, nuts, seeds, juices and broth, and a phase-out, which transitions the dieter to a solid-food plan.
The Drink
The Master Cleanse is a mixture of lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper that you drink for at least 10 days. Some stay on the cleanse for longer periods of time, sometimes as long as 90 days. No solid food is allowed.
A single serving of the Master Cleanse consists of the following:
- 2 tbsps. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsps. organic Grade-B maple syrup
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 cup filtered water
Also drink an herbal laxative tea every evening. Senna tea is recommended. Burroughs said the tea helps to release toxins in the digestive area, making it easier for the salt water to flush wastes from the body.
You can purchase a Master Cleanse kit at your local health food store.
As a client of N.Y.C.-based trainer David Kirsch, Hathaway occasionally does his 48-Hour Detox, which involves ingesting his LemonAid (a concentrate of lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper) four times a day—and nothing else! It helps “to lighten it up a little bit,” says Kirsch, adding that she did it before January’s Golden Globe Awards. “Her arms were so well-sculpted, she wore a sleeveless dress that night.”
Pros of LemonAid 48-Hour Detox
- May help you to lose weight
- Only used for two days
Cons of LemonAid 48-Hour Detox
- Lack of food may cause binges once diet is over
- May cause side effects like dizziness, reduced concentration and irritability
- Weight loss may be temporary
- No difference between this product and the Master Cleanse
- No fitness guidance provided
Ingredients
LemonAid 48-Hour Detox Diet contains lemon juice, grade B maple syrup, cayenne pepper, purified water, natural flavors, xanthum gum, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate.
Administration
One glass of the LemonAid 48-Hour Detox Diet is consumed four times daily for two days.
Diet and exercise
You are not supposed to eat anything during the two days on the LemonAid 48-Hour Detox Diet. You can also consume Kirsch’s Vitamin Super Juice, Thermo Bubbles, water or hot tea. No coffee is allowed. No exercise guidelines are given.
There is no question that David Kirsch knows a thing or two about what it takes to get into tip-top shape. But while his new LemonAid 48-Hour Detox Diet may help you to lose a pound or two in just 2 days, it is nothing else than the Master Cleanse packaged in a bottle and with Kirsch’s name behind it.
Charlize Theron is a South African and American actress and fashion model. She started her acting career in the United States and rose to fame in the late 1990s following roles in The Devil’s Advocate (1997), Mighty Joe Young (1998), and The Cider House Rules (1999). Theron won the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama, the Silver Bear and many other awards for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster (2003), becoming the first South African to win an Academy Award in a major acting category. In recent years she has also moved into the field of producing, both in television and film.
She received further Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for her performance in North Country in 2005, and a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in Young Adult in 2011. In 2012 she appeared in Snow White & the Huntsman and Prometheus. Theron became a US citizen in 2007, while retaining her South African citizenship.
While filming Æon Flux in Berlin, Germany, Theron suffered a herniated disc in her neck, which occurred as a result of her suffering a fall while filming a series of back handsprings. This required her to wear a neck brace for a month. In July 2009, Theron was diagnosed with a serious stomach virus, thought to be contracted while travelling outside the United States. When filming The Road, Theron injured her vocal cords during the labour screaming scenes.
You’ve got to hand it to Charlize Theron. Apparently the South African stunner’s pre-red carpet diet involves watching her plate, literally, eating miniature fairy-sized portions of her favourite foods. Fortunately Theron still treats herself to her favourite treats, such as pizza, cakes and burgers, but goes for teeny-tiny servings of these instead. Talk about willpower!
Eat like a fairy
We were hoping this meant fairy-cakes, but apparently Charlize Theron’s diet includes eating teeny-weeny fairy-size helpings of all her favourite foods. So the actress doesn’t ban her favourites (pizza, cakes, burgers) but just goes for really tiny servings of them instead. Props to Charlize for enjoying a balanced diet, but we’re not sure we can face ordering child-size portions just yet.
In 2011, she described her process for becoming the characters in her film:
When I’m figuring out a character, for me it’s easy, since once I say yes to something, I become super-obsessed about it – and I have an obsessive nature in general. How I want to play it starts at that moment. It’s a very lonely, internal experience. I think about the character all the time – I observe things, I see things and file things in my head, everything geared to what I’m going to do. I’m obsessed with the human condition. You read the script and become obsessed with a character’s nature, her habits. When the camera rolls, it’s time to do my job, to do the honest truth. You can’t do that part of the work when you’re in the middle of making the film. At least I can’t.
In 2012, she starred in Ridley Scott’s science fiction film Prometheus. On 7th February 2013 it was announced that Theron was cast as Libby Day, the lead character in the film adaptation of the Gillian Flynn novel Dark Places. The film is to be directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner, and Theron will also have a producer credit.
Additional resource: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/