Spread the Word, not the Disease?

HIV and AIDS are definitely up there in the ‘taboo subject’ category. Unfortunately, because people feel too ashamed to talk about it openly and get tested if they feel they may have put themselves at risk, the disease will continue to thrive, especially in certain communities.

This week is National HIV Testing Week, so what does that mean for us? Well, many people assume that HIV is an illness generally associated with the gay population and African population. While this is true, the infection isn’t restricted to these people alone. Around one in 650 people in the UK is HIV positive – but worryingly, these are only the people that have been tested. Individuals can live with the disease for years without ever knowing, living freely to pass on the virus. So essentially, if you have ever had unprotected sex, you are at risk.

The reason that HIV is such a scary prospect is because there is no cure. Many people also conclude that HIV and AIDS are the same thing, or at least that AIDS is certainly impending and subsequently fatal. Thankfully, this is not the case and generally people coping with HIV can live perfectly fulfilled and healthy lives.

While the advancement in medicine is fantastic, we need to accept that it is our responsibility to combat HIV and AIDS for good. If everyone got tested if they felt they had put themselves at even the most minor risk and those already infected with HIV treated their illness sensibly and accordingly then eventually HIV and AIDS could be eliminated for good.

For more information about HIV and AIDS including a list of symptoms and where to go if you think you might have become infected, head to http://www.tht.org.uk/myhiv/HIV-and-you/News/Latest-News/National-HIV-Testing-Week for all the advice that you need. 

Humour Halloween or Pretty and Pristine?

There’s a line on Halloween which seems to cause quite a debate. Dress up as scary/hilarious/stupid as you can, or go as pretty/primed/’slutty’ as you can?

 

This has got the GYS team thinking.

 

We think Halloween is the one time of year that you can make a complete fool of yourself and no one will even question you. Pumpkins are definitely our favourites this year. Here’s a few of our favourite outfits that we’ve seen so far:

 

Don’t get us wrong, there’s anything wrong with looking nice. We do think that if you do choose the pretty category, imagination is a must! Make an effort as well as making yourself look as attractive as you can. Skeleton is our favourite pretty outfit this year, have a look at this skelly tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8OM8ucENAk

 

Happy Halloween!

Strong bones make strong women

 

 

How well do you take care of your bone health? Osteoporosis is the condition that makes the bones weak and fragile and more likely to break or fracture. Some of the factors that cause this are ones that cannot be changed. However, promoting a positive lifestyle and treating breakages with care can help to make experience of Osteoporosis better. This is where Bowen comes in to play.

20^th October sees the launch of the yearly campaign by the IOF (International Osteoporosis Foundation) to promote awareness of all aspects of Osteoporosis. Pair the pain of Osteoporosis with Bowen therapy to support the campaigns strap line of ‘strong bones make strong women’.

Advice given to sufferers of Osteoporosis is to avoid negative lifestyle habits. Bowen therapy is the small rolling movements with fingers and thumbs to help you to relieve stress. Bowen is a relaxing treatment, rather than forcing the body to change Bowen ‘asks’ the body to recognise and make the changes it requires.

Bowen is also useful for dealing with breakages and fractures. A patient who was suffering with problems due to breaking her neck said that “my neck muscles returned to normal and my rotations steadily improved with each session” and that she was “so impressed with Bowen”.

What better timing to consider Bowen therapy than the celebration of Osteoporosis World day. Bowen therapists are located all across the UK, for more information and to find your nearest therapist click here. For even more information call 0844 561 7173, or send an email to ask@BowenTherapy.org.uk.

National Chocolate Week!

Running in its 9^th year, this week (14^TH – 20^TH) the nation is celebrating all things chocolate. No need to make an excuse about that chocolate treat at lunch. And break. And that time between lunch and packing up. According to http://www.chocolateweek.co.uk chocolate week ‘promotes fine flavour chocolate’, but hey, Cadburys does us fine.

Chocolate is no longer that naughty indulgence, with prestigious companies like Hotel Chocolat, Godiva, Divine and Leonidas creating edible art, with new cocktails of flavours which differ so much from a regular, foil wrapped Twix. You can buy a crème brulee in a mini chocolate cup, the same size as a small Vaseline tub, and a banoffee pie in a bite. Who needs a full sized pudding when you can have one of each, all in the same box.

Divine Chocolate, The Waterfront - Leicestershire

With the packaging just as pretty as the product, chocolate makes an amazing present. Someone’s birthday? Give them Thorntons. Friend feeling down? Let her cry over a heart shaped box of Ferrero Rochers. Creme Eggs galore in April and Nestle selection boxes at Christmas. There’s never a bad time for chocolate.

Chocolate is not only sweet now, unusual flavours like chilli, bacon and pink pepper are being introduced by Chocolatiers, breaking away from the regular caramels, honeycombs and covered berries. Mixed with dark chocolate means it’s actually good for you! Magnesium and potassium plus points, so don’t use your monthlies as an excuse.

Cocoa Bean Chocolate at Harvey Nichols

Events this week are dotted around London including John Lewis, who are partaking in a week long chocolate event, with something different to try everyday. Chocolate sampling and tasting events and a Chocolateria at Clapham Junction, Choctails at Met Bar are some more events taking place, with many more at http://www.chocolateweek.co.uk.

So whether you’re having a evening of Fine Tequila and Fine Chocolate in Westminster, a chocolate spa treat or enjoying a silky and comforting Galaxy moment at your desk, make the most of this week. And remember, a balanced diet is a chocolate in both hands!

Chilren's Clinic CPD Event

Bowen Therapy has long established itself for its ability to transform the lives of patients. One of the biggest draws to the technique is the versatility of the treatment – each session is tailored to the individual. Because of this, it is essential that therapists are constantly being refreshed and updated on methods of treatment.

On the 19^th and 20^th October 2013 at Dunchurch Park Hotel and Conference Centre in Warwickshire, the BTPA - Bowen Therapy Professional Association - are launching an event for both Bowen and non-Bowen therapists to broaden their understanding about the range of conditions which could be affecting children who visit the clinics. There is the option of one or both days and is a great opportunity to network with other therapists to increase your knowledge of children’s welfare.

The first day features a choice of two workshops; either
a seminar on pregnancy and birth designed to help take into account the processes from the baby’s point of view, or an Emm-Tech muscle management workshop. The former will be presented by both John Wilks and midwife Lina Clerke, who will work with the group to explore the physical ramifications of different birthing procedures, as well as looking into issues with fertility, conception and pregnancy. This day is exclusively for those already trained in Bowen Therapy. The Emm-Tech seminar is a short-course on releasing tension and tightness in eleven key muscles in the body. All of the techniques taught have shown exceptional effects on children and no previous Bowen experience is required. Both courses are priced at £90.   


The second day is open to both Bowen and non-Bowen therapists and consists of a timed agenda running from 9am until 5pm. Within this time-table, there will be the speakers including a paediatric consultant and a representative from social services. In the afternoon delegates can choose two out of the four workshops available. The cost of the day is £85 for BTPA members and £105 for non-BTPA members and the price includes lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

 

For further information on the itineraries/agenda and content of the event, please visit http://www.bowen-therapy.co/Bowen/kids-clinic-cpd-event.html

Bringing Back Bowen

With summer far behind us, and Christmas jumpers in all major retailers, we’re all a little more conscious of the change in our lifestyle: we eat more, spend more, and wear more. It’s not surprising that we feel a little low with the changing of seasons, but Bowen is here to help.

A Bowen treatment aims to help every person, whether recovering from a serious summer workout or the idea of Christmas shopping is daunting this year, the sessions are proven to heal many ailments ranging from headaches and body pains to depression and insomnia.

 

As an alternative form of therapy, Bowen Therapy relaxes the mind and allows the body to actively explore its own healing process. The technique is carried out by using the fingers and thumbs to make small, rolling movements over muscles, ligaments, tendons and soft tissues at precise points on the body. Rather than 'making' the body change, Bowen 'asks' the body to recognise the ailment and make the changes it requires.

Our sessions aim to help every person, whether recovering from a serious summer workout or the idea of Christmas shopping is daunting this year, the sessions are proven to heal many ailments ranging from headaches and body pains to depression and insomnia.

“I have had many alternative treatments, but feel Bowen to be the most beneficial.” - Lower back pain sufferer.

 

Channel 4 thrill-seeker and Bowen Therapy Professional Association (BTPA) client, Bear Grylls appreciates this: ‘It’s a vital support in putting right a whole range of new aches and pains’. Bowen therapy is also reassuring when keeping away previous pains. Bear Grylls adds that the therapy ‘helps me fight stress and fatigue’. The born survivor benefits from the therapy as he prepares for bigger and bolder adventures.

Bowen therapists can be found all over the UK, and your nearest therapist is only a few clicks away at www.bowentherapy.org.uk. Alternatively, you could call for more information on 0844 561 7173, or send an email to ask@BowenTherapy.org.uk. We can’t change the weather, but we can change the feeling of fatigue and seasonal stress, so click here to find your nearest Bowen therapist!

World Mental Health Day

Okay, so we get it – it’s Miley’s mouth, she can say what she wants to. In many ways, she is starting resembling a desperate potential Big Brother contestant, stuffed full of ‘I don’t care what people think of me, I say it how it is’ and ‘I’m just being honest, if people don’t like it, screw them!’ How great to have a role model who is so open-minded, outspoken and confident. After waking up every morning for the past few weeks, since Miley’s infamous performance at the VMAs, I am always eager to find out what inspiring line she is going to come out with next – ‘malaria rules!’ – ‘people with cancer are so stupid’ or ‘Miley loves cystic fibrosis’; because after all, she is super open about her thoughts. She is quite happy to belittle, insult, and upset the millions of people world-wide suffering with mental health problems, so why not insult everyone else who is living with a serious, potentially fatal, illness too?

This is the reason why mental health is such a taboo subject. No one talks about it, and when they do, they’re never left to forget about it. I haven’t found a single article about Catherine Zeta-Jones which doesn’t mention her battle with bipolar disorder, yet I have never read an article which says ‘Rihanna, who has had black skin since she was born, is revelling in the success of her latest single’ or ‘it is rumoured that Louis Spence has split up with his husband because he is gay.’ Every single person in this world has a skin colour, just like they have a sexual orientation, and just like they have a mental health. So why is it that in the supposedly open-minded society that we live in, there is still such a heavy stigma attached to issues with mental health?

Let’s look at the facts: 25% of people will experience mental health problems in any given year. Do you consider yourself to have a phobia? If so, then you are suffering from a mental health problem. Do you feel ashamed and alone because of it? Probably not because, because you don’t consider yourself to be any different to anyone else. The most surprising thing is that phobias are one of the lesser common mental illnesses, with the amount of people who suffer from mixed anxiety or depression almost double the amount that suffer from a phobia. I know more people that refuse to watch the television with the volume on an odd number – this is a form of OCD, yet no one crosses the street to avoid these perfectly normal people for fear of them lashing out in a deranged craze.

10^th October 2013 is World Mental Health Day, so take this opportunity to raise awareness and learn more information about various mental illnesses because they are normal. If you personally feel like you are suffering and are worrying about asking for help, then think about how many people you know who have had the flu, because guess what? Only 5-20% of people catch the flu every year, less than the amount of people that suffer from a mental health problem. So you are not alone, and you should never feel like you are.

Because of people like Miley Cyrus making mental illness into a joke, thousands of people will feel too ashamed to talk about it, resist treatment or even resort to suicide. Depression isn’t a case of needing to ‘cheer up’, it is like a black cloud is suffocating you and darkening all of the happiness that you find. Mental health problems leave you feeling trapped inside your own head, nothing is fun; you obsess over things that other people wouldn’t even notice. The more people that support this cause, the more people that won’t have to suffer in silence. Keep smiling, we promise there is help out there for you.

For information on mental health, visit www.mind.org.uk and for information on World Mental Health Day, which this year focuses on older sufferers, visit www.mentalhealth.org.uk

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

How great are boobs? It doesn’t matter what shape, what size, boobs are sexy. What else shows femininity better than a pair of breasts? Men love them, women love them, babies love them – we are a nation brought together by boobs.

So if there is so much loving for the milk jugs of the homo sapien species, then why aren’t we all rushing to grab a good feel of the nearest ones we can find? Not just because they are sexy, feminine and everyone loves them – but because it could save lives.

One in eight women in the UK will develop breast cancer in their lifetime – almost 12,000 of which will result in death. These stats equate to 55,000 people in the UK being diagnosed with breast cancer each year, a gut-wrenching one person every ten minutes. The good news is that as awareness raises, so do survival rates; early detection is vital.

With this in mind, please make checking your breasts regularly part of your routine, educate your boyfriend or your girlfriend so they can be involved and tell your friends, mothers and even your grandmothers; 80% of breast cancer occurs in women over the age of fifty. Learn how to check your breasts affectively and gain some knowledge – one in one hundred breast cancer sufferers are men (I bet you thought that the appearance of moobs was the biggest of your chest concerns when it came to your man, right?).

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, so make the most of it! Access http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/ for more information, or perhaps even consider donating or raising money for this incredible cause. Boobs are great, so take care of yours – and remember, think pink! 

National Curry Week!

Experimenting with haddock, salmon or cod can be fishy business sometimes – excuse the Dad joke – particularly if you have a fussy-eating fiancé and a one year old that gives up after two mouthfuls.

This week is celebrating National Curry Week (7th – 13th October), which is unsurprising now in it’s 16th year, as ‘Chicken Tikka Masala was recently voted one of our national dishes’. Last year, British Curry Awards named Itihaas the ‘Best Spice Restaurant’ in the Midlands, and Bombay Place being the ‘Best Restaurant in Central London’. Others won awards for their restaurants too, as they impressed the judges in the hopes of winning an award.

Unfortunately, I don’t share the same level of expertise. But I’m one for trying things new, and considering it’s National Curry Week, a BBC Good Food recipe seems the place to start. The BBC fish curry recipe is healthy, tasty and is a benefit to us parents and to those who have little culinary skill and not much time to prepare and cook a meal.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4666/superquick-fish-curry

With only 15 minutes to prepare and cook the recipe, it’s ideal for students, parents and cooking beginners, and considering it serves 4, it’ll be good to freeze it for a later date. Not to mention it’s a healthier alternative to going into McDonald’s on the way home from work.

Everyone knows the universal truth that ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’, and with a week-long waiting list for an appointment, a quick remedy for the flu is more than needed.

If I can brave making an appearance in the kitchen, I’m sure you could use National Curry Week as an excuse to spice up your menu. For more information on National Curry Week, recipes, or where to eat out, visit http://www.nationaleatingoutweek.com/

That Don't Impress Me Much

It is quite stressful being a girl – you have to work harder to earn less, have periods every month until you are expected to grow a child (and if you don’t grow a child then you’re automatically selfish), make sure that your lipstick isn’t on your teeth, all while ensuring you don’t gain a single pound because that may offend a lonely, single middle-aged man on Twitter. Oh, and don’t forget that after you have completed all of these steps, you aren’t allowed to feel stressed because that may mean you’re being over-dramatic, attention-seeking and hormonal.

A few weeks ago, Jameela Jamil wrote a blog post which discussed how girls judge one another based on their size. She stressed how important it was for girls to support each other and relax their issues with their own weight. Here here! Plus, unlike an array of celebrities that ‘eat whatever they want and never work out’; Jameela has a gorgeous, natural and healthy figure. Therefore, if all girls practiced this tactic – and let’s face it, we would all be happier if they did – then there would be no problems, right? Wrong!

Today, the Daily Mail wrote an article on ex Big Brother contestant, model and cake shop owner Chanelle Hayes’ three stone weight gain – and she looks awesome. You would think that the public would be pleased, or at least ambivalent, about Chanelle’s new figure. It is great to see a woman in the public figure talking openly about her weight and embracing the fact that her body has changed with motherhood, and it isn’t the be all and end all. Unfortunately, not everyone thought so. ‘omg what have you done to yourself u look dreadful (sic)’ was one comment that was tweeted to Chanelle since she appeared in the Daily Mail. Surely this comment would have been sent from a flawless, size six, five foot eleven supermodel though? Erm, quite the opposite – a middle-aged, balding, slightly overweight man in fact. Why are we suddenly in an era where it is okay for a random man to criticise girls on their weight?

This comment came just a few hours after I received a similar observation on my size, after making a completely off-hand joke about only being able to find size four clothes in the Miss Selfridge sale – ‘u talking shit ur like a size 18, no both had tits tht big being a size 4’. How nice of you to go out of your way to share your thoughts with me, Mr Overweight, crude, racist, illiterate man on Twitter. While there is nothing wrong with being a size eighteen, I struggle to find where my size is any concern of his. Someone obviously needs a hobby.

It is very concerning when it is men who begin criticising the looks of women. What are they being subjected to which makes them believe that women aren’t allowed to eat until they are actually full and go out of the house without wearing make-up? While we are all taking the time to analyse one another, I can’t help feeling that these men would be very lucky to date someone as stunning as Chanelle. Obviously, it is a confidence thing. Obviously, they are unhappy about their appearance, social-life, career, etc, if they have the time to harass women with harsh comments about their weight. So, while I’m all for embracing the sisterhood, maybe we should open this group up a little to include the men too! If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all. 

Picture Perfect

In the office, we spend a lot of time, and I mean a lot of time, talking about our ideal figures. So, when the Daily Mail released the photo of Hollyscoop.com reader’s perfect woman, we decided it was time to create our own. Prepare to be wowed …

• Hair - Shakira 
• Face - Rosie Huntington-Whitely
• Eyebrows - Mila Kunis 
• Eyes - Megan Fox 
• Nose - Amanda Seyfried 
• Lips - Kate Upton 
• Neck - Frankie Sandford 
• Breasts - Scarlett Johannson 
• Arms - Eva Longoria (fingers were dismembered in transaction) 
• Stomach - Vanessa Hudgens 
• Legs - Miranda Kerr 

By Danielle Kent 

(@IAMdaniellekent) 

The Disney Divorce Trap

You can tell a lot about a person by the kind of films that they like, but something that virtually everyone shares in common is a love of Disney movies. What isn’t to love? It goes to show that no matter how bad things get, it will always be okay in the end. I mean, if I had a pound for every time my step-mother poisoned me to death, only to be miraculously revived by the kiss of a random stranger, I wouldn’t be writing this article now. Disney is loved for instilling strong morals amongst an array of fluffy, singing rodents and giving young girls in particular a longing to meet their prince charming and live happily ever after. However, in today’s society where divorce rates have reached an all-time high, are these stories really realistic (overlooking the flying elephants, of course)? Based on the ‘Top 10 Ways Disney Corrupts Children’, here is my list of Disney romances which would have almost certainly ended in divorce:

• Belle and Beast – the principle of Beauty and the Beast is designed to show how looks aren’t important and it is what’s inside that counts. Despite this, I can’t help feeling that a relationship that begins with the man imprisoning the woman in his home doesn’t look too promising. Also, if it just so happens that your boyfriend can only transform into a handsome prince after you fall in love with him, don’t necessarily trust him. He was probably just using you because the last petal was about to fall off the rose that he stores in the west wing of his castle. I feel like once the film finished, Belle’s marital bliss would have been short lived – the prince would have eventually got bored of her reading and clingy relationship with her father and gone on to have an affair with one of the girls that have nothing better to do than go around singing about how handsome Gaston is.

• Cinderella and the Prince – oh dear. Sadly, looks can only get you so far, so don’t expect the man that you spoke to for all of five minutes at a party to enforce a lock-down on the entire city the next day to find you. Especially don’t expect it if you had to leave by midnight, because if he is anything like any of the princes I know, he would have definitely settled for one of the easier girls. Unfortunately for Cinderella, she was very naïve in thinking that she was the only woman who went to that party who shared her size of feet (she has obviously never been to the Topshop sale to find that all of the size five shoes had been bought within 10.2 seconds of opening). I can’t say for sure that this relationship would have ended in divorce, because it is equally likely that when Cinderella turned up at her own wedding with only talking mice for bridesmaids, the Prince would have thought perhaps he was rushing into this. Note to boys: if a girl turns up at your ball wearing a wedding dress, she is too clingy.

• Aladdin and Jasmine – arranged marriages have a much higher success rate than regular marriages, so Jasmine must be kicking herself that she went against her father’s wishes and ended up with ‘street rat’ Aladdin. Not only was their entire relationship based on lies, it isn’t as if once all of that is out in the open Aladdin exactly brings a lot to the table (unless stolen baguettes are your favourite meal). Despite this, out of all Disney relationships, Aladdin and Jasmine’s are probably the one that I have the most faith in – but not enough faith that I think it would have gone the distance. I wouldn’t blame Jasmine for getting fed up with sharing her man with a money (did Abu never get the memo on ‘three’s a crowd’?) and the novelty of romantic midnight flying-carpet rides would have definitely worn off once the winter rolled in. In my opinion, Jasmine would have eventually left Aladdin for a richer, older man, and he would end up finding another unsuspecting Arabic beauty to con and swindle into marriage. We can only hope that they signed a pre-nup.

• Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip – aren’t problem families the worst? If you attend your future bride’s christening and her evil godmother shows up with a curse, don’t try and be a saint, just GET OUT. It isn’t worth getting involved with them. Unfortunately for Prince Phillip, his relationship with Sleeping Beauty meant a sword-battle with the sorcerer and her minions, ending with her transforming into a fire-breathing dragon and him stabbing her to death. Fortunately, Prince Phillip escapes without a scratch or a criminal conviction. But what does this mean for Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora? I think that Aurora would have found it hard adjusting to married life with a murderer, and this would have caused problems. After confiding her problems to her three fairy godmothers, I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up arguing about a solution and combusted Prince Phillip in the same way that they combusted Aurora’s dress for her sixteenth birthday.

By Danielle Kent 

(Twitter - IAMdaniellekent)

Introducing our new team members - Danielle Kent

My ideal day is...

A day which involves plenty of pizza, chocolate, friends, family and reality TV!

Five words that describe me...

Confusing, loyal, generous, ambitious, positive.

My friends would say I'm...

I think they would say I’m funny! I make people laugh a lot, although it is usually only semi-intentional. They would probably also say I am incredibly hard to get hold of because I am always in different places and always losing my phone! I am extremely committed to my friends so I hope they would also agree that I am caring, trust-worthy and protective.

I always thought I'd be...
Either a pilot or an author, but by the time I got to sixth-form I didn’t have the right qualifications to become a pilot so now I’m still hoping to write my own books! I also want to work in television, publishing and PR.

I'm at my best when I'm...

Busy. Once I get started on something I get really engaged and involved with the task and that allows me to get into a space where I can be more creative.

My guilty pleasure is …

The Monopoly app for iPad! I am so good at it now, I genuinely don’t believe that there is anyone that could beat me – practice makes perfect!

You don't want to be around me when...

Something is broken! It really stresses me out when something isn’t working for no apparent reason and I don’t know how to fix it.

My most prized possession is...

The rabbit that my mum bought for me when I was born. He is called Ging-Ging and he comes everywhere with me.

The most embarrassing moment of my life was when …

I have many but I don’t really get embarrassed so I wouldn’t know which to choose! I learnt a long time ago that you have to embrace embarrassing moments and it takes the embarrassment away.

My most memorable moment was when …

I went to work in Ghana earlier this year, and we visited a waterfall in Kintampo. We spent ages swimming under this enormous waterfall and I felt so lucky to have been welcomed into this new culture and to have been put in a position where I could potentially help so many less-privileged people. It was a really life-changing moment.

If it wasn't for...

I know it is obvious, but if it wasn’t for my mum and dad I would be a completely different person. If I have children of my own, I would want to bring them up exactly the same as how my parents brought me up – they have never stopped me from doing anything and by giving me the freedom to make my own decisions, and often my own mistakes, I have become a much more confident and well-rounded person. I have never lied to my mum or dad because they have never given me reason to.

If I could work with anyone it would be...

Shakira! I am completely obsessed with her. Second to her, it would be Gerard Pique.

The thing I would like to change the most in the world is …

There are so many things wrong with the world. I would love to be able to eliminate any kind of stereotypes or hatred towards specific races, religions, genders or sexualities.

If I could have a secret power it would be …

I would love to own a Bernard’s watch-style contraption so that I could stop time! I could say that I would use the power to get more work done in a short amount of time but instead I would probably spy on people, try on expensive clothes in shops … And take a day out just to play Monopoly.

Introducing our new team members - Ryan Pitt

My ideal day is...

spending the whole day with my girlfriend, my baby, and the rest of my family, doing nothing but playing, eating and watching T.V.

Five words that describe me...

happy-go-lucky, dedicated, caring, ambitious and trustworthy.

My friends would say I'm...

motivated, confident and a really good Dad too. My son, Oscar, always comes first, so for people to recognise my commitment to him is the greatest compliment I could ever receive.

I always thought I'd be...

many things: a teacher, a barrister or solicitor, a business owner, an entrepreneur. I’m still not sure of the direction that my life will take, but I’m hoping to be successful in the industry of PR, media and marketing.

I'm at my best when I'm...

focused on a project, or keeping busy.

My guilty pleasure is …

watching romantic-comedy films! I would pick that over horror, thriller or action films.

You don't want to be around me when...

close to meeting deadlines.

My most prized possession is...

my smart phone! I didn’t need one when before I had it, and now I rely on it for everything.

The most embarrassing moment of my life was when …

my trousers split at school. Enough said.

My most memorable moment was when …

Oscar was born! I know it sounds clichéd, but in that second the whole purpose of your life changes and you have so much more responsibility. I will never forget the rush of love I felt when I saw my baby for the first time.

If it wasn't for...

student finance giving me the opportunity to go to university, I wouldn’t know the friends or colleagues I know today. I’m extremely grateful for the life I have.

If I could work with anyone it would be...

Simon Cowell!

The thing I would like to change the most in the world is …

something that would realistically make a difference, such as adoption rates being at an ultimate high.

If I could have a secret power it would be … 

to have an unforgettable memory.

Dogs like meat, men like bones :O

It is time to make a few things clear:

• Grass is green (unless it hasn’t been watered).
• Driving is faster than walking (unless your car breaks down).
• No one cares what dress size you are (unless you’re about to be paid half a million pounds to walk in Fashion Week).

Actually – rewind. Grass is green. Driving is faster than walking. But someone does care about what dress size you are. You care about what dress size you are. This is, of course, completely understandable. I care about what dress size I am; I base each individual meal based on my BMI at that specific moment. The point I’m making isn’t to stop caring about your weight – that would be like asking a giraffe to have a short neck – but instead realise that no one else cares! If you want to weigh two stone less, five stone more, decrease your body fat by 80%, become a world-champion female body-builder - do it. Join WWE for all I care, as long as you feel good greased up wearing a loincloth and string bikini, that’s all that matters.

At Get You Seen, we spend a lot of time complaining about our weight while devouring three packets of chocolate digestives (or plain digestives if we’re being healthy). The fact is we understand that women in particular find it hard to stick to the weight that they are most comfortable with. But what is the other option?

I think it is time for everyone to sit down with themselves and have a harsh reality check – what is more important, a sixteen-inch pizza or a sixteen-inch thigh circumference? Make your decision and embrace it; because what’s the worst that could happen? Being condemned to a life of Spanx and wide-fit thigh-high boots? If that is the worst of your problems, then you’ve got it pretty good if you ask me. 

By Danielle Kent 
(@IAMdaniellekent) 

Success is in the eye of the beholder

  Like beauty, success is in the eye of the beholder. Someone’s success is formed by their own initial goals, not by money, appearances, relationships, or most importantly, other people’s opinions. If someone’s dream was to work in the corner shop, if they achieve that then they are no less successful than the CEO of a multi-million pound finance company – the level of ambition may be different, but if everyone was the same, then there would be no more corner shops.

  With the influx of modern media in the twenty-first century, being presented with constant images and stories of the perfect lives of the rich and famous is enough to make most people wonder what they had done to deserve their merely average, routine lifestyle. Let me tell you, there are plenty of people out there who would love nothing more than to know where their next meal is coming from. Has the Western world enhanced our opportunities so much that there is in fact no way to reach our full potential, making anything less than perfect feel like a failure?

  If you asked someone what they wanted more than anything, there are many aesthetic and material things that would rank very highly on their list of desires. And rightly so, because who doesn’t want a beautiful house, holidays in the Caribbean and a gorgeous partner? What many people would overlook is the most basic aim of all – happiness. Because, as much of a cliché as it is, money doesn’t buy happiness. Of course it may mean you can be unhappy in a nicer place, but there is a reason why a huge regret for popular celebrities or workaholic business people is that they didn’t get to spend enough time with their friends and families.

  Making smaller expectations in the long-run will mean you achieve a better result overall. By all means have long-term career and relationship goals, but don’t let them define your success. Make your aim to be happy – do something everyday to put a smile on someone else’s face and it will do the same for you. Spend time with people you love, indulge in your favourite pastimes and don’t beat yourself up over a slice of pizza. If you can consider yourself truly happy, then in my opinion, that’s as successful as you can ever get.

By Danielle Kent 
@IAMdaniellekent