Rich Woman Africa Magazine - Spring 2021

Emotional Spring Cleaning

She Trades!

Buying Black Owned just got easier

Dr. Joan Myers OBE:

Why FrontLine Workers Keep Working even After Retierment

The Future Of African Fashion

At your fingertips

Luxury brands and fashion shows

Passion, Confidence & Compassion

Taste, style, health, travel and culture

Contents Regulars Cover Story: Valeria Ajala - Passion, confidence and compassion, 130 Editor’s Letter, 21 The Future of African Fashion, 26 Find Your Style This Spring, 46 Five Star Insights, 120 3 Tips For Emotional Spring Cleaning. 202

Fashion Celebrities Lingerie And The Changing Face Of Fashion, 32 Luxury Brands: Fashion Shows At Your Fingertips, 36 Best Way To Surf And Overflowing Wardrobe, 38 The Real Power Of Styles , 40

Travel How Powerful Is Your Passport, 50 Vitamin SEE - The Best White Sand Beaches In The World, 54 A Spin Into Lisbon’s Royal Love Story, 62 Are Trains Making A Comeback?, 64

Home The Miami Property Boom, 82 Crafting a Luxury Living Room, 94 8 Easy Steps To Beat Chaos And Enjoy Harmony, 98 Design Trends You Can’t Miss This Spring, 102 Inspired By Nature, Creating A Luxury Living Room, 98 A Christmas To Remember, 102

Culture & Lifestyle

Sarah Sabraoui: Dream BIG, Start Small, 156 Changing The World: Unlocking Our Full Human Potential, 160 Living A Double Life: Fear, Shame, Mental Health Issues And Eating Disorders, 164 Why Evolution Depends On Diversity, 167 My Journey Into The World Of Fine Art Jewellery, 168

She Trades, 172 Food & Nutrition Want To Release Quarantine Weight? Don’t Skip Breakfast!, 176 12 Good Reasons To Meal Prep, 178 Elements Of Good Nutrition, 182 Eat Right, Keep Moving, 184 15 Easy Healthy Snacks To Make At Home, 186 9 Ways To Get More Antioxidants Into Your Diet, 192

Health & Wellness 3 Tips for Emotional Spring Cleaning, 200 The Power Of Luxury Self-Care Rituals, 204 5 Best Self- Care Tips To Feel Rich, Luxurious And Confident, 206 How To Boost Your Resilience To Become A Happier And More Fulfilled Woman, 210 Parents & Quarantine: What Is It About Teenagers That I Just Don’t Get? , 214 9 Ways To Balance Your Sleep Cycle And Stay Focused While In Self- Isolation, 218 A Girls Confessions, 220 How To Keep A Journal, Free Your Mind And Take Control Of Your Mental Health, 222 How To Tap Into Your Emotional Freedom, 226

Surinder Arora: Hard Work Runs In The Blood, 118 The Ultimate Daycation, 124

Women & Society Re-Writing The Narative of the African Woman, 136 Amanda Gormon’s “The Hill We Climb”, 142 Interview with Dr Joan Myers OBE, 146 Jasmine Birtles: What Money Can Buy, 150

Cover Look

Valerie Ajala

Photography: Phil Jones (UK) Studio: Phil Jones - Photography

Cover designs by: Darie Nani

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Looking forward

SUMMER 2021 EDITION

Wishlist Homes

The complete guide to luxury properties 18 | RICH WOMAN AFRICA MAGAZINE | Spring 2021

Editor’ s Letter

I Am Here Now & The Day Has Arrived

L

ooking at the women in my family, it is fair to say that today we are living longer, and as women we have more options to enjoy life and the freedom to make better choices than the generations of women before us. Why are women still struggling with the ups and downs of mental clarity and emotional fulfilment? (page 210) In such an abundant world, why would we model an epidemic of emotional struggles, mood disorders, and learning challenges to our children?

This is telling me that the quality of our lives and relationships is deteriorating, more and more women need medical assistance, too early in their life. While a better diet and lifestyle is the right answer (page 184) life is increasingly expensive and challenging. The average woman reaching maturity will take prescription drugs despite knowing the toxic side effects.

So is a better diet, natural supplements and more exercise enough to prevent health challenges? Or maybe, is it time to face our biggest fear, investing, and start embracing it as the true solution for enriching women’s lifestyle? (page 150) What are we, women afraid of? We are brave enough to give life, manage our loved ones lives, facing and solving uncertainty every single day and yet, we are afraid of getting wealthy…

Everything changed this year and some industries are better off than before, all based on a new reality that is formulating its own direction as we speak.

There is a considerable shift in thinking of luxury travel as essential during this time, and our Air partners experienced a significant increase in chartering a private jet as an essential way to travel. First-timers who have flown privately are requesting private jets to luxury and seasonal destinations in Florida (Destin, the Palm Beaches, Miami) and the Hawaiian Islands.

130

94

64

168

142 The private jet industry rose by 196% and the property investment in locations like Miami is blooming this year. ( page 82) The Coronavirus is a tragic global pandemic that has not only affected everyone and everything, the world’s economy is crashing, with many countries on the verge of recession; the UK wasn’t spared and many countries are overwhelmed by global food insecurity, and a deep recession is likely to be experienced in Africa.

Championing innovators, designers, artists and entrepreneurs, philanthropists and creatives across industries, mothers and daughters, the divine feminine, as we survive together another wave of this pandemic, it comes with a sense of urgency, as never before.

As I am writing my second letter to our readers, I remember the night before my first ever cover shoot, as editor in chief. I sat at home and had to pinch myself, to confirm that this was really happening the next morning. I was thinking that I had now stepped into a path of no return. I decided to embrace the moment of this beautiful, fierce change. At first, I was the cover girl myself in Sovereign Magazine and I decided to help other women receive the recognition they deserve.

As mind blowing as it was, the prospect of directing a photo shoot myself, I realised that deep inside I knew I was meant to do this, and before I wrote my first letter to our readers, I felt lost. While sinking into this feeling, I had to ask myself: What took you so long, Evelyn?

I told myself “ I am here now and the day has arrived.” I woke up and my husband James said “let’s pray towards the day”. After mediation and prayers I stood up and bounced into action. It was now about makeup and outfits, what to wear, (yes, for me directing the photo shoot, before meeting the cover girl). I called our cover girl and checked she was calm and excited (yes both at the same time because that is how I felt). Driving along I was so excited and couldn’t wait to start the shoot. Well, to summarise the day - it was beautiful. It was a little tiring towards the end but it went well

146 and I was very happy. The cover girl’s outfits were simply amazing and working with such an amazing team was an answer to my prayers.

The day was equally fun and just enjoyable do you ever get that feeling that you were born for this?

It is such an elevating joy knowing I am finally empowering women, endorsing their brand through the power of their story, as my friend and partner, Dr Marina Nani always says. It feels even more urgent when thinking of the younger women I want to celebrate in the next issue, most of whom have such a challenging, confusing time, at present.

There is an average of 317,000,000 newspapers circulated every day, and over 82% of the headlines confirm the number of deaths or the economy crumbling. But if you are seeking real stories of women who are making a significant difference in the world, keep reading. We will continue to bring you the good news, to inspire you and if you are a woman who dares to dream big, we are on a mission to help you re-imagine your destiny.

Dr Evelyn Okpanachi

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Fashion fades, only style remains.

COCO CHANEL

What Is The Future Of The African Fashion After The Pandemic And Who Are The First To Step Up The Game?

By Gayle Ngozee

C

ovid-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down. In many, many ways.

Shut schools, offices, work places, shops, whole nations….shut! Shopping, visiting, socialising habits and more, changed and everyone’s face got whole new accessories: the mask. Borne out of necessity, propagated into a fashion statement, the mask is now your finishing item to every dress up. And speaking of fashion statements, the global fashion industry had a complete overhaul in epic proportions too. Designers, production outlets, manufacturers, suppliers, buyers and fashion shows have all had to stop. Literally, come to a screeching halt in all aspects of business dealings- at least until new ideas, format, opportunities, style of business or creative avenues are revealed or become available.

Will the fashion industry still be here after this pandemic?

Store and outlet closures meant significant losses in sales, leaving many fashion business owners crippled by loss of sales revenue or closing down their business in some cases.

And although it’s very true that the pandemic had this effect on the fashion industry globally, the reality is that it hit harder for African designers (both African and diaspora based) who due to scalability, were particularly more vulnerable to the change it wrought.

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Of course, this was as a combination of factors, including; the scale of the business, the lack of availability of materials (as a direct result of company/ business size) during the lockdown, order cancellations, but especially, lack of funds. Bigger international brands were (somewhat) prepared due to having store house(s) where fabrics and materials were stored.

Also, due to the worldwide lockdown, people stayed home, which meant less need to dress up which in turn meant, less need to buy clothes. Although research has shown that sales online did rise as many looked for avenues to navigate the pandemic and raise their spirits at the same.

In the beginning of year, the unofficial estimate of the African fashion industry put it at a decent 18 Billion US dollars, out of the estimated 3.1 Trillion dollars of the whole global fashion industry at large. In essence, the advent of the Covid pandemic, meant losses of hundreds of thousands of jobs in the fashion industry. A massive blow that literally, meant lack of food, heating, clothing and other living allowance for thousands of workers, but especially in the African sector of the industry, where very little or no form of help or furlough was available.

So, the question on all fashion experts, enthusiasts’ lips is: Has the fashion industry (and all whose very existence depends on it) survived? Will the industry still be here after this pandemic? If so, how and what will it look like? Have brands managed to navigate the pandemic waters and transitioned with the changes we’ve all faced? And maybe most importantly, what is the future of fashion after the pandemic?

Africana Luxury Collection by Afebayo Jones.

Photo credit: Jerimi Jones Photography, Toronto, Canada

The Push before the Mend…

At the height of the pandemic, (June of 2020) African fashion designers and creatives were invited to be a part of a webinar series initiated by the African Development Bank Group and hosted by Fashionomics Africa.

The idea behind it?, to create more jobs and drive growth for the local fashion industry. In the series, the group discussed innovations, including digital, which could help designers and fashion industry creatives to transition their businesses and prepare for the new, but sure to come, post-pandemic reality. But while some believe that there is no going back to “normal” for retailers after this virus is over (which we hope is soon-est), others have or have been forced to use this pandemic outbreak and lockdown, as a mechanism to propel a change and growth, especially for African retailers, many of whom were not online ‘conscious’ or active, about reaching consumers abroad. In the same vein, consumers in most parts of Africa, were very wary of shopping online due to concerns about restrictions on shipping.

Now however, the tide has turned and dynamics have changed, for both consumers and retailers, with both demographics going digital in a very short space of time.

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Christie Brown Ghana: christiebrownonline.com

The Flight or Fight dilemma?

The brands teaching us to face the storm!

But…instead of focusing sol ely, on the negative impacts of the pandemic on the fashion industry (of which we agree are numerous and disastrous) we would rather, explore and curate, some (African born) brands (designers and creatives of the fashion industry) that have gained strength and new insights in forging ahead during this pandemic. Whether small, medium or big, these brands have all navigated the turbulence of this pandemic by restructuring or strategising to stay on top. We especially curated female led/owned brands, because…well, we are Rich Woman Africa after all, and we live for passionately finding, supporting and empowering women from all over the world!

CHRISTIE BROWN (Aisha Ayensu Obuobi) GHANA Christie Brown, a women’s wear brand that is celebrated for their contemporary style and Afro-Western fusion outfits. Started in Ghana, it is now an internationally recognised luxury brand serving its customers worldwide. Since the pandemic however, Christie Brown has moved with the times to implement a strong digital presence and other services, including; 60 minutes home call sessions with a rep in the comfort of your home, 40 minutes private viewing sessions in store, unscheduled store walk in limited to two customers at a time and of course, mobile and web shopping optimised for great customer experience. Their best tactic? Moving quickly with the changes and policies as regards the virus as soon as possible, without compromising on quality shopping experience for her costumers.

Founder, Aisha Ayensu, believes that a lot of great changes that have come about now would not have happened if the pandemic hadn't happened. We couldn't agree more.

TONGORO (Sarah Diouf) SENEGAL Created in 2016, Tongoro is a 100% made in Africa label, designed and produced in Dakar, Senegal, source their materials on the continent and work exclusively with local tailors, creating new dynamics for African based manufacturing and foster the economic and social development of artisanal workers in west Africa.

With the international recognition and fame gained from collaboration with top names like Beyonce, Naomi Campbell, Alicia Keys, Burma boy and more, this year, Tongoro featured in the Fast Company 2020 list of worlds most innovative companies. The listing showcasing Businesses making the most profound impact on both industry and culture, showcasing a variety of ways to thrive in today's fast changing world. Best Tactic? Keeping it local with key emphasis on local artisans.

Sarah Diouf says of the listing, that they will keep pushing for the world to see the #MadeinAfrica as one of the most beautiful way to create and value at the same time.

NKWO (Nkwo Onwuka) NIGERIA NKWO is an artisanal brand at the forefront of sustainable fashion movement in Nigeria.

The brands main focus is on textile waste reduction and it does this by creating artisanal limited edition pieces from up-cycled denim made from cotton grown in Nigeria, end-ofline fabrics and cutting table waste. This has led to the invention of the brand's innovative fabric called the DAKALA CLOTH, made by ‘strip-weavingʼ left over pieces of denim, which makes the fabric look like a hand loom woven cloth. The brand aims to harness the capabilities of technology as a sustainable form of preserving traditional craft skills.

With their ethos of waste reduction and sustainability at heart, NKWO has really worked hard to show how much the health of the world matter to their brand, even more so during this pandemic, when they have dedicated time to raising funds for the Wodaabe nomads of Niger, who are unable to take their cattle to the market (to stop the spread of the virus) and for whom, basic food, such as the millet they depend on as food staple, have become increasingly expensive and difficult to afford. So far, the JustGiving fundraiser page have raised nearly 10 Thousand US Dollars, exceeding the 5 thousand dollar target. Best tactic? The no scrap is a waste attitude core to the brands existence!

Tongoro Ziggy Set,: tongoro.com 28 | RICH WOMAN AFRICA MAGAZINE | Spring 2021

Nkwo Boilersuit: dittoafrica.com

BALM LABS (Baboa Menson) GHANA Balm Labs is a digital fashion house that specialises in digital only media for fashion brands, focused on conceptual designs and visualisations. Services they provide now include, 3D animations (think virtual runway shows for fashion designers), 3D visuals and editorials as well as shoots for product and brand promotions.

Baboa Menson whose expertise is in men and womenswear designs, says she believes that virtual shows will create many more jobs and opportunities within the industry and is excited to see a rise in designers incorporating 3D technology into their design process.

Balm labs best tactic? Jumping fearlessly into the virtual and digital creative world and providing designers with new opportunities to keep on trading. Pure genius!

HANIFA CONGO

(Anifa

Mvuemba)

Staying home as a result of lockdown during this pandemic ramped up e commerce engagement and online sales. This meant that designers scrambled to use digital means to show (and sell) their latest collections as fast as possible.

Hanifa was the first to step up the game by using 3D models, sent down a virtual runway and with the brands impressive social media following testifying to its resounding success, other designers and fashion creatives are now doing shows digitally and virtually, and it is a platform that is now waxing strong, as shown at this yearʼs london fashion week where many designers showcased their collections virtually.

Founder, Anifa Mvuemba started her brand at the age of 21 and even then, kept challenging herself to find new ways to make fashion into statement, using inspiration from her homeland of Congo. Hanifa is the classic example of brands in fashion navigating and strategising the effects of the pandemic and rising higher to become stronger and better, and for that, we give thanks to the strength of the woman.

Best tactic? Consistent and fearless push and willingness to try new ways of doing things!

Olivia Maxi Dreass & Blaire Mini Feather Skirt: hanifa.co

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Lessons Abound…

The above named brands are just the few we really wanted to mention, because we believe their experiences and actions during this pandemic are teachable moments for us all, but that is not to say that there aren’t a million and one more fashion creatives out there pioneering change within the industry. To that effect, and In the same breath and spirit of praise, we say thank you and well done to every business owner out there who have managed to keep their brands going and moving forward, even in the toughest and most uncertain times such as we are currently experiencing. We say you are all superheroes. Well done. And may you navigate these rough moments successfully. Cheers to you!

Gayle Ngozee TV Presenter, Events Hostess, media fashion consultant, is an actress, model and luxury brand ambassador who showcases African Fashion Designers in her regular column for Rich Woman Africa Magazine.

Celebrities, lingerie and the changing face of fashion.

W

ith all the time in the world at our fingertips, women across the world are, secretly or openly, shopping luxe loungewear and lingerie on digital channels to overcome isolation's blues.

Time to step up or compromise your style?

With luxury designers fighting to reach our sense of style and comfort while spending time at home, we are spoiled for choice when it comes to fashionable loungewear that makes us feel good and look good.

Disruption hit hard the retail of luxury fashion/apparel, beauty and luxury markets, and adapting new shopping habits, going all digital, seems to be the default setting of doing business today. Retailers and brands are under added pressure not only to meet but to create the demand of today’s omni-channel shopper.

Digitisation of the supply chain can help thrive in isolation while key industry executives take strategic measures backed by digital intelligence, to navigate this tumultuous time.

The last few weeks are an emotional roller coaster of a festive season, with emotional highs and lows, however, luxe loungewear seems to be thriving in isolation.

We looked into your favourite brands and made a collection that you could give a try.

Love-able, silky soft and floral, each piece is the result of an army of designers who live to create your next favourite piece of choice to express your identity.

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Marlies|Dekkers shuns the lingerie tradition of lace, ribbon and frill

Dutch-born Marlies Dekkers launched her undressed lingerie collection 1993. With her modern vision on lingerie, she started a small lingerie revolution in The Netherlands and later throughout the rest of the world. Marlies Dekkers designs from her own vision of life and aims to accentuate women’s selfconfidence. Her motto is “dare to dream, dare to grow, dare to be”. She considers the woman’s body as her canvas and embraces its beautiful parts with the modern straps in her designs.

Celebrities and artists alike adore marlies| dekkers and love to be seen in it. From singers to actresses and the world’s most in demand ‘it’ girls, these are a few of her favourite followers: Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Fergie, Kelly Rowland, Nicky Minaj, Nelly Furtado, Dita von Teese, Sarah Jessica Parker.

Every collection has a different story behind it. Her main inspiration sources vary from philosophers and artists, powerful women, to her own life experiences. Each story is told by the unique design, colours and print of a collection. Her designs are known for their radiance of power and self-confidence, as well as for their groundbreaking style, perfect fit, detailed finish and the use of modern materials and innovative techniques.

Agent Provocateur inspired by vintage oriental design

Agent Provocateur's Yasuko takes luxe loungewear to a whole new level with Yasuko.

An exquisite classic kimono with a relaxed fit includes wide sleeves and a flowing waterfall front. With cuts echoing traditional Japanese shapes inspired by vintage oriental design, this beautiful range features exclusive new bird print .

Dolce&Gabana- Talent skill, blended together

and

Dolce&Gabbana brings a wave of timeless Sacred Heart accessories and jewels to complement these sexy shirts and tops floral prints and more pastel colours than ever to brighten your time at home. We took an insight look at the process of creating the next masterpieces.

"Once the painting is finalised and printed on natural fabric, it's time to create the pattern and then, to cut the model. Step by step, the final creation takes shape. "

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Next in Fashion Made the Digital Cut

Digital services are blossoming in the isolation age, as we spend time at home and our fashion addiction can't be starved.

Netflix's Next in Fashion, hosted by designers Tan France and Alexa Chung brought together eighteen designers who competed in rounds based on design trends and styles aiming to influence what people wear worldwide.

Inspired by the 10 episodes, Amazon launched an unexpected drive for luxury fashion with a $1,000,000 prize for the next generation fashion design in a competition called Making the Cut. Hosted by Project Runway's Heidi Klum and fashion consultant Tim Gunn and featuring Naomi Campbell, Carine Roitfeld and Nicole Richie, the 12 gifted fashion designers are in good company while they travel to New York, Paris and Tokyo. They faced challenges and tough assignments, but playing along celebrities cameos from the likes of Naomi Campbell, Carine Roitfeld and Nicole Richie, makes it all well worth it.

With the world on lockdown, taking time for yourself, prioritising your bespoke self care, exercising, watching Netflix or spending 'me time' with a cup of your favourite tea is all acceptable now, in a new reality that seems to be a dream for some and a nightmare for others. All depends what you choose to feed ...

&

LUXURY BRANDS

FASHION SHOWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

“L

It would be nice to choose whether to meet physically or not but if we don’t meet in persons, the experience has to be equally intense Alessandro Michele, Creative Director, Gucci

By Asiya Durrani ike many who have worked in the fashion industry for the past decades, I have quite some time before the Covid-19 pandemic, questioned the relevance of the current fashion calendar.

Due to the multiplication of fashion weeks, shows, celebrity and influencers playing central stage instead of the designers creations and the inevitable budgetary costs. Saint Laurent’s decision to opt out of Paris Fashion Week started people talking and rethinking the format of shows.

The Parisian house, whose past shows have included the spectacular backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, opened a sharp debate by announcing it would “not present its collections in any of the preset schedules of 2020”. This has followed with the Gucci brand, opting instead to take control of its own calendar.

Saint Laurent’s move is shifting tides obviously and at stake is Paris’s status as the epicentre of fashion.

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In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, French fashion’s governing body, has cancelled Spring/Summer 2021 men’s fashion week and launched a digital alternative. The principle of the official fashion calendar is maintained, the event intended for professionals will be available to a much wider audience in this format. It will allow to showcase Paris and the creativity of the houses listed on the calendar of the Paris fashion Week with unity. Paris wants to remain the fashion capital where key, creative and leading events take place. Paris is a hub as all the big houses are located there and true business of ordering, pivoting developments and the heart of fashion beats.

In Milan Camera Nazionale Della Moda Italiana announced that it will present men’s and women’s precollections during Milano Digital Fashion Week from 14 to 17 July. The digital platform will feature video content, all organised in a calendar with slots for each brand. For its part previously the British Fashion Council said that London Fashion Week will go ahead during scheduled dates 12 to 14 June, with a digital platform, and will merge its womenswear and menswear shows. Paris’s Haute Couture Fashion Week will go digital this July, translating the craftsmanship of couture to a virtual format for the first time. Videos from accredited Couture Maisons will be aired on a dedicated platform from the Federation. The videos will be accompanied by additional content and a roll out on a schedule, mimicking the flow of a physical fashion Week.

The Spring/Summer 2021 presentations in September will depend on governmental measures and whether there are international flights and no second wave of the pandemic. New York, London and Milan fashion weeks in September are also still in position to go on as scheduled, however most likely in the new format, as for now. As regional organisations make difficult decisions around the future of fashion week, designers are left wondering how a unifying event could be replicated, or a new event invented, to take health and economic conditions into consideration.

Houses that can afford it, either economically or creatively, can say “We can present where we want, when we want and to whom we want.” This is the direction Alessandro Michele Creative Director of Gucci has announced stating,

“It would be nice to choose whether to meet physically or not. But if we don’t meet in person, the experience has to be equally intense.” Hardly even needing to add that rules are no longer appropriate, that from now on, shows will be experimental in format.

For sure, digital will be the prominent player. Several technologies involving the digital experience including Google Glass to watch a show from home, AR, VR, avatars as models and holograms are all in the pool of thought. While these technologies have been tried and applied to some extent, they haven’t fully taken off by fashion shows. Bringing the human element to the shows, with 360-degree sound, vision or new tools allowing the audience to comment on the show live.

VR maybe more suitable to accessories than ready-to-wear which requires staging in movement.

Also again this is extremely expensive for a 20 mins show and possible by houses that can afford as younger, smaller brands will find this an impossible cost. As the fashion world and shows are a “ necessity” in the world and a truly relevant business, we can expect rapid innovations in this short time. The challenge of the physical shows will be to very limited audiences but the relevance of physical shows remain important because of sight and feel.

Fashion Houses will become broadcasters, embodying diversity of content, targeting different audiences and time of airing worldwide. Fashion shows will be smaller respecting social distancing and presentations where you can receive guests 10 by 10. Going back to shows in salons of Maisons or in the Atelier, with an ultra exclusive dimension, with this current era in mind when presented.

Fashion shows are not going to die.

There will be restrictions and much change for some time. Like all group entertainment, sport, theatre and exhibitions social interaction will develop into new evolved presentations.

About the writer: Asiya Durrani is a visionary and creative business strategist with insight for defining and directing fashion/luxury brand vision.

With over 25 years experience as a globally recognised creative business developer and a solid reputation of establishing international brands, Asiya's focus on highlighting trends in order to define ‘brand direction’ gives her an unique insight into the world of fashion.

Best ways to surf an overflowing wardrobe

By Tatjana Kotoric

I

f you are one of those ladies who are desperately looking for the perfect outfit in front of their overflowing wardrobe in the morning, you are not alone! How would you like to build up your ideal wardrobe and to put together beautiful outfits for every occasion?

Here are a few tips that work a long way

Less is more

How do you choose your best outfit in your everyday life to radiate joy and confidence?

When you swim in a very large wardrobe, it is difficult to commit to a clear personal style; you quickly lose track of things and switch between different styling directions.

This means that the desired effect of your style does not come across clearly and you are constantly tempted to make new quick purchases that you later regret or buy clothes that you don’t really need. Somehow the joy of a piece of clothing seems to be dependent on the length of time it takes to consider the purchase. With quick purchases, the joy often fades as quickly as it came.

The overflowing closets are the result of the “fast fashion movement”, which seduces us every day with new bargain offers to make purchases and leads us to believe that we have to try out every fashion trend. We all know the negative consequences of fast fashion and there are several sustainable, environmentally friendly solutions to clear your closet: donation, recycling, and don’t discount selling your gently used clothes. Somebody is going to love them!

To create outfits that make you feel radiant and confident, first, you have to declutter your wardrobe of dated, worn out and ill-fitting clothes. There is nothing more overwhelming than a huge closet filled with clothes you no longer want and no longer can wear. If you want to build up your signature wardrobe and enjoy what you wear every day, it is time to say good bye to your past loves.

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The art of enjoyable shopping

We consume at a fast pace and are conditioned to believe that “more is more”.

Take enough time to think about whether the new outfit suits you and your personal style. Is it even necessary? I often hear from my clientele: “I have a huge wardrobe and nothing to wear” It is nothing wrong with indulging in spontaneous purchases from time to time. But if you don’t want to lose a lot of money and time, try to discover the art of enjoyable shopping, An investment in well-known classics and timeless pieces of high-quality fashion always pays off- it is passed on from generation to generation. For decades they have defied all fashion trends and have retained their reputation and value. If you are enjoying thoughtful shopping despite today’s fast-paced world, Congratulations! You took a big step towards your perfect style!

How to manage your image and signature wardrobe

If you want to learn about how you view the world, your relationships and your future, open your wardrobe.

At a closer look, every dress and belt, every coat and pair of shoes reflect your personality and outlook on life. Take time to think about what you want to wear at the next night out or board meeting. Plan ahead, as the clothes you pick are always telling a story about who you are and where are you going.

Cloths are loaded with memories, good and bad. If you start your day staring at clothes that make you feel negative, this will impact your mood for the whole day ahead. Why not choose those clothes which remind you of a good day out, or a successful day at work?

Always pay attention to quality and make sure you treat your clothes with the love and care they deserve. An army of creatives worked passionately behind the scenes to create your image.

Your wardrobe is our personal business card.

When setting up your signature wardrobe, give careful consideration to who you are and what impression you want to convey through your appearance. Gradually build up your image, one dress at a time. Like an art collector, you look for the perfect clothing and accessories that allow you to present your personality to the outside world in the best possible light.

BURBERRY Check-print single-breasted wool blazer | Available at www.selfridges.com

About the writer: The experienced stylist Tatjana Kotoric is known for dressing the men and women at the largest Swiss media company. Tatjana has developed a completely new styling concept that makes you look and feel just as good. She conveys her knowledge in a very pleasant way so you learn to build up your ideal wardrobe and to put together beautiful outfits for every occasion.

The Real Power of Style

F

ashion, far from being a frivolous or superficial pursuit, can have a profound effect on our day-to-day lives. The clothes we wear have the power to completely alter both our own moods and the moods of others. From the cosy, comforting pyjamas we pull on after a long day, to the trusty little black dress that engenders confidence, to the expensive gym kit we wear to feel strong while we work out, our outfits speak to our inner psyches and the world around us. So what are the clothes that make us feel the most powerful, the most confident, the most fearless and the most ourselves in the workplace and how can we create and cultivate our own style?

The Changing Face of Workplace Fashion

Sometimes to know where we are and where we are going, we need to look at where we’ve been. Women’s workplace attire has been a subject of controversy for many years, with employees suing their employers for discriminatory clothing policies and women’s outfits being scrutinised far more thoroughly than men’s.

You only have to look at the intense media attention bestowed upon the clothing choices of female political leaders to see how much emphasis is placed upon women’s aesthetic appeal. But there is an inherent power to our clothing, a sense that we can do anything in an ensemble that makes us feel bold and full of verve.

SAINT LAURENT double-breasted tailored blazer | Available at www.farfetch.com

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The Colour Palette

There have been many articles written on subjects as diverse as: how to find the correct colour palette for your skin tone, how to match colours, how to use colour, how the colours you wear affect how others see you and many, many more.

But there is some truth to this hidden (in plain sight) truth. The majority of shoppers (over 85%) believe that colour is the single-most important aspect when choosing a new item of clothing. Red is considered to be the ultimate choice for a daring, self-assured look, with blue being the colour of confidence and yellow the colour of optimism. We very often have go-to colours in our wardrobes that we know suit us but it can be an interesting activity to try on new, different hues and see how they make you feel.

Know Thyself

With sustainability and slow-fashion becoming more and more ubiquitous, the idea of following trends and wearing looks hot off the catwalk has, ironically, become slightly outdated. The days when women would have to slavishly follow fashion’s latest styles are, quite possibly, over. With this brave new world comes with it multiple opportunities to create your own style, one that is unique and, most importantly, makes you feel good. In a recent article, published on The Psychology of Fashion website, Anabel Maldonado writes about the prevalence of trends and the tendency for people to fall back on them, when deciding how to cultivate their style. She advises the following: “I always discourage this line of thinking, and come strong with my fashion psychology theory, explaining that better styling can be achieved through an assessment of one’s personality traits and finding the aesthetic that best complements them.”

And she’s not alone, with a piece in Psychology Today, clearly delineating between fashion and style, with style being “a reflection of your unique complexity as a human being.” For example, a beautifully-tailored, bespoke suit may make us feel powerful but we can make it our own by adding dashes of our own personality to it, like adding a necktie for a bolder look or wearing a pastel blouse with softer lines, to create a fusion of masculine and feminine elements. It depends on what you want. Fashion is the clothes we’re told to wear. Style is how we creatively develop our own self-expression through those clothes.

SOFIYYA Shirt style skater dress | Available at www.tedbaker.com

Slowly Does It

One of the best ways to adopt this individual cultivation of style, is to embrace the idea of slow fashion, as mentioned above.

Simply put, slow fashion is a reaction to the fashion industry’s impact on the environment. With the luxury fashion houses continually putting out new lines and high street retailers creating thousands of new products daily, the emissions from textile production account for more carbon emissions than the maritime shipping industry and international flights combined.

For the individual consumer, this means buying less new clothing and, when you do, investing in long-lasting pieces that will weather the storm of passing trends. It’s a chance for us, as consumers, to slow down in all aspects. From genuinely thinking about what we feel really good in to then researching the brands that make good-quality clothing that fit our shape and personal style. It may be a bit of work at the outset but it can have lasting rewards.

Feeling Good

Ultimately, our clothing should make us feel good, both physically, mentally and ethically. The effect of wearing the right clothes for you can be truly transformative, making us stand tall, stride out with confidence and feel totally and completely ourselves.

STELLA MCCARTNEY Lindsey single-breasted wool blazer | Available at www.selfridges.com 42 | RICH WOMAN AFRICA MAGAZINE | Spring 2021

SHOSHANNA Edgemont Dress | Available at www.shopbop.com

Find Your Style This Spring

By Elinor Salter

I

love this time of year. There is such a feeling of hope in the air, from the birdsong to the trees and flowers budding and this year it is especially poignant!

Spring also brings a time to re-evaluate our wardrobes and our outfits as we start to say goodbye to the chunky jumpers and layers we have all been hiding under for the last few months. Again, this year with the Pandemic slowly being beaten by the vaccine rollout, we can start to think about getting dressed properly again and not just from the waist up!

Putting together an outfit can be a daunting task and can make us all just reach for the tried and tested formula that we are used to and feel safe and comfortable in. But it is really worth the effort to try something different and to have fun and experiment. Using an Outfit Equation it is easy to begin and once you have the hang of it, getting dressed in the mornings will become a pleasure rather than a chore.

Outfit Equation This is a great way of sorting out lots of ways to wear different combinations. This can also become a “uniform” if you want it to. Lots of stylish women have a uniform that they stick to over and over. Giovanna Battaglia - one of my style icons - has a uniform of T-shirts and maxi, colourful pleated skirts. Anna Wintour wears sunglasses, printed maxi dresses and chunky boots as a norm. Jennnifer Anniston is a T-shirt and jeans girl, usually topped with a beanie hat. These are their signature looks and the ones they will go to as a default.

JIGSAW Satin Midi Skirt | Available at www.jigsaw-online.com

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To create your Outfit Equation, think about what you feel the most like “you” in. What makes you feel confident and sassy? When you have an idea of this, you can then adapt it for any occasion.

For instance, I have a couple of Outfit Equations for my style. One is the maxi skirt and T-shirt formula. I can adapt this for casual wear, with flat shoes, maybe a slogan T-shirt and a cardigan. If I wanted to make this look a corporate look, I would wear a dark T-shirt, with a jacket over the top, heeled shoes and a statement necklace. For the evening, I might wear a crisp white T-shirt with a long, taffeta, skirt, sparkly slingback shoes and statement jewelry.

My other go-to Outfit Equation is ¾ length trousers and a white shirt. For a casual look this might be ¾ length jeans and I would swop the shirt for a sloppy v-neck jumper, with trainers. For a meeting, I would wear ¾ length trousers, a white shirt, long necklace, a jacket and a pair of high heels. For the evening, maybe a pair of black ¾ length tuxedo trousers, a tux jacket, white silk shirt and a pair of statement heels.

THE WHITE COMPANY Three-Quarter Wide-Leg Lounge Trousers | Available at www.thewhitecompany.com

Do you get the picture?

Start with your statement piece - a great pair of shoes, or a statement piece of jewelry for instance and using the Outfit Equation that you feel comfortable and confident in, start to build your outfit around this.

ZIMMERMANN The Love Struck Necklace | Available at www.zimmermannwear.com

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To work out your own Outfit Equation, consider the following

ZIMMERMANN Joliette Sunglasses | Available at www.zimmermannwear.com

ANDAMANE Velvet Mini Skirt | Available at www.farfetch.com

What are you already wearing? Chances are you already have an Outfit Formula that is tried and tested and is your go-to. Start to analyse what this is. Try documenting your looks for a couple of weeks and then look back through and see what it is you have been wearing and what has made you feel good about yourself.

Which styles reflect who you really are. What do you put on and think “yes, this is me!” What kind of silhouette do you feel the most at home in?

Got your list - then let’s get started. Start pulling out items from your wardrobe that will make up these formulas. Look out for gaps that you might need to fill with new items. Be creative and try not to always go for the same silhouette. For instance, using the skirt and T-shirt example from before, instead of always going for a pleated midi skirt, mix it up with a pencil midi skirt, or an A-line skirt.

If you need more inspiration try looking through Pinterest and making a board of any ideas that jump out at you, or looks you really like.

Once you start to get the hang of Outfit Equations, you will start to see that you only need a few clothes in your wardrobe to make up numerous outfits. You will also get clarity on what items you need to buy to fill in the gaps. This will mean less impulse buying and less overwhelm when you are gazing into your wardrobe trying to find something to wear - you’re welcome!

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Travel

How Powerful Is Your Passport?

What are your Visa Free Destinations in 2021?

W

ith 2021 round the corner, we could only dream of a time when the travel bans are lifted and we are free to discover new places, experience destinations we wanted to visit before Covid-19 restrictions. How far can you go?

Based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the latest Global Mobility Report released by The Henley Passport Index delivers an accurate insight into the possibility of moving around, confirming the countries you can visit without a visa.

If you are a British Woman your passport ranked 7th in 2020 and you have a list of 185 countries to visit Visa Free.

Photo by Braden Jarvis, IG: jarvisphoto

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Where would you travel in the third decade of third millennium?

Perhaps you could try a smaller country, like the Republic of Singapore, a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia, with four official languages: English, Malay, Chinese, and Tamil; with English being the lingua franca. You could experience the beauty of multiracialism (enshrined in the constitution) which is shaping the local lifestyle, the education and welfare system and politics.

If you are a Canadian woman, your passport ranked 9th in 2020 and there are 183 countries where you can travel visa free. But with a country as beautiful as Canada, do you really need to travel abroad?

Our recent survey shows that Europe is always a great destination for women living in Canada.

If missing the sun, Portugal is bordering Spain and makes a great destination on the Iberian Peninsula. Salt cod and grilled sardines are national dishes, dating all the way back to the 16th century when its location on the Atlantic Ocean has influenced many aspects of trades as a powerful maritime empire. Wondering barefoot on the Algarve’s beaches or walking the cobblestone streets in Lisbon, there is always the chance, or the danger, of falling in love with this destination and relocate. You will never know unless you try…

View from rooftop bar at Lumiares Hotel & Spa, Lisbon: www.thelumiares.com

With its winding hills and tram cars, it’s no wonder Lisbon is often referred to as the San Francisco of Europe (bridge and all!)

If you are an America Woman, your passport will take you visa free to 185 countries.

Ranked 7th in 2020, after Japan, ranking 1st, for the last three years. Where would you go?

An Afghan Woman could only travel visa free to 25 countries, and a Woman born in Iraq is able to travel visa free in 26 countries.

Here is the one mystery I struggle to understand: why is your next destination depending on your country of origins? Was it a choice you made before being born?

The Shard, London, United Kingdom. Credit: Aaron Gilmore, aarongilmore.com

Located in Knightsbridge on the edge of Hyde Park, The Bvlgari Hotel London is both a haven of calm in the centre of the city and yet under a minute’s walk from such landmarks as the famous Harrods department store. Since opening in 2012, Bvlgari has set new standards among the luxury hotels of the British capital. www.bulgarihotels.com

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26

27

United Kingdom

United States

Estonia

Slovenia

Latvia

Iceland

179

180

34

33

32

Panama

Macao (SAR China)

Grenada

Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)

St. Lucia

Grenadines

142

144

146

148

150

151

153

154

155

156

159

160

161

166

167

168

170

171

172

174

178

55

54

53

52

51

50

49

48

47

46

45

44

43

42

41

40

39

38

37

36

35

Ecuador

Timor-Leste

Qatar

Kuwait

South Africa

Belize

Turkey

Albania

Georgia

Russian Federation

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Micronesia

Palau Islands

Moldova

Marshall Islands

Kiribati

North Macedonia

Montenegro

Tonga

Tuvalu

Colombia

Venezuela

Ukraine

Nicaragua

Vanuatu

Solomon Islands

Samoa

Guatemala

Serbia

Honduras

El Salvador

Peru

Paraguay

Dominica

The information provided here reflects the 2020 Henley Passport Index ranking on 13 October 2020, and in certain instances, coronavirus-related travel bans may take precedence over the visa information recorded here.

13

12

Slovakia

Poland

181

Lithuania

11

St. Vincent and the

Mauritius

182

Hungary

10

31

Trinidad and Tobago

Costa Rica

Seychelles

Antigua and Barbuda

183

30

29

Uruguay

Vatican City

Bahamas

St. Kitts and Nevis

Mexico

Israel

Barbados

Brunei

Canada

Malta

Greece

Czech Republic

28

25

Switzerland

184

24

Norway

Australia

23

185

New Zealand

Belgium

21

Sweden

22

20

Portugal

Andorra

San Marino

19

Netherlands

Hong Kong (SAR China)

Brazil

Argentina

United Arab Emirates

186

18

Croatia

Bulgaria

Romania

Monaco

Ireland

France

Denmark

Austria

187

17

Luxembourg

Spain

16

188

Italy

Finland

Cyprus

9

8

7

6

5

4

South Korea

Chile

189

Germany

3

15

Malaysia

Liechtenstein

190

14

191

Singapore

2

Visa-free score

Japan

Passport

1

Rank

91

95

96

101

111

114

115

117

118

120

123

124

125

127

129

130

131

133

134

135

141

76

75

74

73

72

71

70

69

68

67

66

65

64

63

62

61

60

59

58

57

56

Cuba

Zimbabwe

Ghana

Philippines

Dominican Republic

Cape Verde Islands

Uganda

Azerbaijan

The Gambia

Zambia

Tunisia

Tanzania

Indonesia

Kenya

Malawi

eSwatini

Kazakhstan

China

Belarus

Lesotho

Namibia

Suriname

Saudi Arabia

Bolivia

Thailand

Oman

Bahrain

Papua New Guinea

Maldives

Botswana

Jamaica

Guyana

Fiji

Nauru

64

65

66

67

68

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

83

84

85

86

88

89

90

89

88

87

86

85

84

83

82

81

80

79

78

77

Angola

Jordan

Algeria

Central African Republic

Turkmenistan

Guinea-Bissau

Comoro Islands

Chad

50

51

52

53

106

105

104

103

26

28

29

32

33

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

46

47

48

49

henleypassportindex.com

Afghanistan

Iraq

Syria

Pakistan

Yemen

Somalia Bhutan

Palestinian Territory Vietnam

102

Niger

Libya Nepal

101

Mali

54

North Korea Cambodia

Sudan 100

Togo

Kosovo

Madagascar

99

Lebanon

55 Guinea

Equatorial Guinea

Iran

Bangladesh Senegal

56

Eritrea

Congo (Dem. Rep.)

South Sudan

Sri Lanka 98

97

96

Uzbekistan

57

58

Gabon

Cote d’Ivoire

Tajikistan

India

Ethiopia

Nigeria 95

94

59

Burkina Faso Mauritania

Myanmar

60

Rwanda

Djibouti

Congo (Rep.) 93

61

Sao Tome and Principe

Liberia 92

Mozambique

Haiti

Mongolia

62

Cameroon

Benin

Laos 91

Egypt

Burundi

Sierra Leone

63

Kyrgyzstan

Armenia

Morocco

The Henley Passport Index: Q4 2020 Global Ranking

Vitamin SEE -

The Best White Sand Beaches in the World

W

hen the cold weather gets the best of you, what could possibly prevent you from dreaming of a white sand beach and your next exotic destination? Must be a paradise kissed by the sun after your own heart, somewhere! Imagine yourself strolling along the white shores of sand and gathering loving memories. Where would you go? Until the travel ban is lifted we give you the Vitamin SEE, packed with the best white beaches in the world! Every single one of these destinations is calling your name!

Credit: Sean O. seanoulashin.com

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North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii

Our editorial team had to agree that if we are announcing the best white beaches in the world, we must start with Oahu, Hawaii. The Sunset Beach and Waimea Bay are a stretch of coastal paradise, the mecca of surfing, known for big waves and professional surfing contests, snorkelling among colourful coral and fish and calm water. When back from the beach you could surf the shops, the Indie galleries, and Hawaiian plate-lunch spots filling Haleiwa town, or adventure into tropical gardens and pineapple fields.

Bora Bora, Tahiti

The turquoise lagoon makes Bora Bora a superlative romantic suntrap. What could be better than being captive to this lavish natural beauty of a Polynesian island and its giant web of active break? Spoiled for choice, it will be hard to prioritise your time at the turquoise lagoon between long walks on the white sandy beach, sunbathe and swim or diving in the natural underwater park among fish and corals.

Make sure you take a break before the midnight dinner on the beach. Matira Beach is an enchanting destination that can spark the magic in your life.

Credit: Julius Silver, www.foto-julius.at

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Credit: Jared Rice, unsplash.com/@jareddrice

Nassau, Paradise Island, Bahamas

Words are not enough to capture the beauty of a tropical utopia, spread across 683 acres of pure euphoria. Nassau & Paradise Island are what the name tells you: paradise. While the beach calls for you to explore its serene beauty, there is a world of fine luxury in the unique culture and equally divine human heritage designed for your enjoyment. Local golf clubs, shops, hotels, restaurants could keep you mesmerised all day long just to lead you into the nightlife.

Saona Island, Dominican Republic

Seriously stunning, the white beach at Saona is a paradise surpassing your imagination. The Dominican Republic’s largest coastal island, with a population of little more than 300 locals, Saona is part of the National Park of the East, memorable for the white sands, swaying palm trees and turquoise waters.

Breathtaking sunsets, plate-crystal azure water, exotic drinks, Caribbean cuisine and Bali beds are equally inviting and comforting. Luxurious Nature and fine luxury define this unique island, its delicate white sand and the forest of coconut palms which bent towards the sea, forming the perfect natural backdrop for your memories.

Credit: Kamil Kalbarczyk, instagram.com/kamilkalb

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Credit: Sean Resa Cahya, unsplash.com/@bagus_resacahya01

Bali, Indonesia

Beach life doesn’t get any better that contemplating a beautiful sunset over one of the 25 beaches in Bali. Salty hair, sun-kissed skin and a good book, are all included in your paradise. What could be better than walk along these stretches of golden sand, and retire into a beach bar or back to your five-star hotel, footsteps away from the mirage of waves.

Himandhoo, Maldives

If you want to live the tropical dream, the beautiful lagoon in the W Maldives, is the right destination. Fully backed by the ocean breathtaking backdrop, its cool collection of vibrant, natural architecture is curated for perfect relaxation.

Swim, snorkel or drift along and bask in the sunshine. Lounge, gaze and sigh in contentment at one of the over-water lagoon villas overlooking the breathtaking turquoise lagoon, or take a plunge from your deck.

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Escape to W Maldives, a luxury 5-star private island resort setting the stage to fuel guests’ lust for life. Imagine waking up to the sound of the waves drumming against the infinity pool, a wonderland of white-sand beaches, turquoise lagoons and breathtaking reefs. www.marriott.com

Credit: Xavier Coiffic, instagram.com/xaviercoiffic

Trou Aux Beach, Mauritius

the Eden Garden could very well look like this strip of white sandy beach, a 35-hectare tropical garden, a turquoise lagoon with crystal-clear waters, on the north west coast of Mauritius. An idyllic setting where any girl dreaming her perfect wedding day, would enjoy dramatic sunsets and romantic breathtaking scenery. Awarded the World’s Best Beach a decade ago, the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’ offers vibrant, spectacular landscapes, snow white sands washed away by turquoise waters. A perfect gateway!

A Spin Into Lisbon’s Royal Love Story

L

ove is the most powerful emotion of all times and while world history is filled with wars and controversy caused by love stories, music and art galleries host priceless masterpieces inspired by love. We went looking into Europe’s most beautiful love stories and made our first stop in 19th Century Portugal.

In anticipation of King D. Pedro V’ s birthday on 15 September, we take a spin into his love story with his Queen, Stephanie Josepha Friederike Wilhelmine Antonia, and the love legacy they left behind. They got married when they were both short of a few month of their 21st birthday. Welcomed with a lavish lifestyle at her new home, Stephanie wrote back to her parents a letter saying that Portuguese understood luxury better than dignity.

Keepers of the happy memories, the gardens at the Royal Palace are inviting for long strolls and nothing could stop you imagining The Royal Prince and the love of his life, Queen D. Estefânia holding hands and sharing concerns about the future of Portugal.

After his loving Queen died, only 14 month after they got married, the King honoured her memory and focused on the development of his country. He became the founder of the School of Letters, getting involved in choosing it’s professors and courses himself.

When Lisbon was evacuated during the pandemic, aristocracy had to leave immediately, but the Royal Prince refused to leave his subjects, and instead of seeking safe refuge, he selflessly helped the hospitals, the ill and payed tribute comforting the grieving families.

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Lisbon is still celebrating the Royal Prince and his Queen’s legacy for love, kindness and compassion. Casa do Príncipe takes its name after the Royal Prince, King D. Pedro V, and each of its 9 palatial suites and rooms refer to a meaningful part of this King’s life.

Authentic frescos, 13ft height intricately stuccowork ceilings, real hardwood floors are enhanced by beautiful restoration work bringing along aristocratic grace, discretion and elegance.

Right at the heart of Lisbon, Casa Do Principe is a place for love and compassion, facing the Príncipe Real Garden. Its spectacular location on the doorstep of fashionable shops and city sights, signature restaurants and historic attractions, makes Lisbon Europe’s most well-kept secret and inspire us all to imagine the next modern love story.

T

ravelling on mountain railways, soaking up the picturesque English countryside or the dramatic Alpine views, it was an old dream that one day came through. As we travel by rail through the heart of the Swiss Alps on the world-famous Glacier Express, stunning scenery regales us. We’re immersed in this journey into different locations of luxury brands but found it difficult to superficially browse through the rich culture and natural beauty of Switzerland; it is simply breathtaking! Time to time, we put our heads down in our laptops to add a short note to the story we are working on.

Flight Data showed a 91.8% decline recorded in July 2020 followed by August air travel international passenger demand plummeting 88.3% compared to August 2019. A web search away from finding the actual price of travel, you could easily learn that there is a price to pay for travels beyond buying your return ticket. Is there a return to the way we used to travel half a year ago? Or we need to go way back in time and re-imagine our travels?

Air travel is one of the fastestgrowing contributor to CO2 emissions and global warming, adding to an all time high alarming body of evidence produced by overconsumption and over- indulgence of industries like fashion or livestock, well known for the harm caused to the planet. Recent studies show unequivocally that lifestyle choices could make or brake the future of the next generation, our own children, in this is not a myth.

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Are Trains Making a Comeback?

Take the train to cut your CO2 emissions by up to 90%

Easy choices to cut your travel CO2 emissions at present and in the future

Eurostar commissioned independent research to assess the CO2 per passenger produced by a London-Paris Eurostar journey versus a London-Paris flight and the conclusion is that taking the train to Paris instead of flying, cuts CO2 emissions per passenger by a staggering 90%.

Eurostar’s ‘tread lightly’ initiative, recycling their own waste and collecting it off the trains, positions Eurostar at the top of sustainable travel choices. What is the difference you make when deciding to become an eco aware passenger? A return trip from London to Paris by plain is 3.5 hours (check in and boarding time not included) and adds 244 kg CO2; same trip by train is 91% less, in 2.75 hours adding only 22 Kg CO2.

You could make similar environmental savings as choosing Eurostar when compared to flying, travelling with Highspeed TGVs across France, which is using electricity from the same sources and are technically similar to Eurostar.

Comfortable, enjoyable and more environmentally-friendly than any flight, with infants going free and great scenery on the way, you will find it hard to travel by plane in the future.

It is no secret that Eurostar offers sustainable choice for short-haul European travel, with a journey between London and Paris resulting in 90% less carbon emissions per passenger than the equivalent flight.

Eurostar is planting a tree for every service that it operates across its routes, making customers active supporters of the reforestation of woodland in Europe.

A city-centre to city- centre journey is less time consuming and if you are a frequent traveller, a quick check-in, up to 30 minutes before departure, it is not just convenient but is adding more life to your days, giving you the chance to enjoy and plan more quality time while away. For your yearly holiday, a generous baggage allowance with no weight restrictions, free wi-fi and onboard entertainment, are all great advantages that your family will enjoy.

Have lunch in London and dinner in Switzerland with a minimum of CO2 emissions

Same way, you could leave London at lunchtime and have dinner in Switzerland without setting foot on a plane. Swiss scenic trains are worth considering as you can stop off at famous Swiss mountain towns, such as Interlaken and Zermatt. For your convenience here is the short list of the most scenic trains in Switzerland for your next journey: Glacier Express, Bernina Express, Jungfraujoch, Golden Pass, Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, Gornergrat Bahn, Gotthard Panorama Express, Luzern Interlaken Express and Mont Blanc Express.

Your travel reimagined: “Sleeping” Trains return with the promise of saving on CO2 emissions

Looking to scale up to even more environmental friendly trains? Sleeper trains across South of France, from France to Italy or Spain, have fewer passengers per car than a high-speed trains and travel at lower speed than Eurostar, having one conventional locomotive instead of two big power-cars plus two more powered bogies in the adjacent passenger coaches. Sleeper trains make a significant saving on CO2 emissions when compared to flying but also take us back to a healthier lifestyle which could bring back the past good times. I guess, this is where our journey takes us a few steps back in time, all the way to a more glamorous age, conducted by brilliant minds who could help us reimagine travel as an unforgettable adventure.

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1. Venice Simplon-OrientExpress

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is quite simply the most famous set of carriages in the world, and on this overnight journey between London and Venice you’ll enjoy it at its elegant best. With its polished wood, sumptuous upholstery and antique fixtures, the train epitomises the glamour and elegance of the Golden Age of travel. You won’t just travel across Europe – you’ll also be transported back in time. www.belmond.com

2. Belmond Royal Scotsman

Embark on a grand Highland fling on the Belmond Royal Scotsman as it travels through some of Scotland’s most dramatic heather-clad scenery. Ensconced in your mahogany-clad car, crystal decanter at hand, you’ll enjoy extraordinary meals prepared from locally-sourced game and the choice of over 50 single malt whiskies from the well-appointed bar. Combining Edwardian elegance with the comforts of a country house, the UK's only luxury sleeper train is an experience you’ll never forget. www.belmond.com

3. Golden Eagle, Russia

This is an unique opportunity to experience one of the world’s greatest rail journeys in unabashed luxury – passing endless steppe and travelling alongside the world's largest freshwater lake as you indulge in the finest cuisine as a pianist tickles the ivories. Your luxury suite features en-suite bathrooms, air-con in the summer, full heat in the winter, laundry services, and an English-speaking doctor on call. Traversing eight time zones has never been more comfortable. www.goldeneagleluxurytrains.com

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www.atmkollectionz.com

www.atmkollectionz.com

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Home

Miami Property Boom as A-List Celebrities Move To The Sunshine State

W

hile shaking off the traumatic experience of an extremely difficult year, A-list Celebrities start moving to the sunshine

state.

As you know, our English singer-songwriter Phil Collins recently moved to Jennifer Lopez’s North Bay Road waterfront estate, to enjoy the sunshine in this sophisticated private mansion on Biscayne Bay, lined up by palms, with spa, wine cellar, seven bedrooms and stunning views of the Miami skyline.

If you didn’t visit Miami recently, you will be surprised to see how much it changed! To say that regular condos are populating the skyline, would be an understatement. With spectacular views and access to exclusive beach services, conference rooms, fitness rooms, spa relaxing spaces and pools, these brand new condos are the algorithm of mastery living. Offering the key to celebrity lifestyle it is fair to say that these condos are the new mansions in the sky.

Covid vaccinations are rolling, and a new, unknown reality is ruling the game of life, but one thing is certain: finally, fear takes a backseat. When the coronavirus spread quickly from the Northeast U.S. to the Sunbelt in early March last year, residential brokers and developers expected sales to shrink and the local residential market started to brace itself for a dramatic fallout. But in Miami, the headlines are confirming a booming real estate market.

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Two story Palatial/Neo-Classical Italian style villa designed by renowned architect Ramon Pacheco. Built in 2012, this Dream home is 18,073 total square feet, with 14,443 adjusted living area, facing south on wide Gables Estates lagoon with marble veneer walls andcustom carved stone elements throughout. 200 feet of new seawall with 140 foot dock. 2,888 square feet first floor covered terrace and1,222 square feet second floor covered terrace area. Huge Master suite with his/her bath with huge walk in closets, 5 additional En suite bedrooms and2 bedroom staff quarter. Exquisite Venetian Plaster with carved plaster moldings throughout, 2 story foyer with crystal chandeliers. Custom crafted kitchen with butlers pantry, 600 bottle custom wood wine cellar. Library/Office with fireplace, private side entry. Huge Gym with full bath.

P R ICE $ 25,850,000

IN TE RI O R 13,216 Sq Ft. / 1,227 Sqm.

BE DR O O M S 8

E XTE R IO R 0.99 Acres / 4,000 Sqm.

BA TH RO O M S 9 Full 5 Partial

P AR K IN G 3 Car Garage

A ME NI TIE S Balcony, Pool, Outdoor Pool, Marble Flooring

F EA TUR E S Water View, Bay View, Ocean View

MA R K E TED BY ONE Sotheby's International Realty / Sandra Fiorenza W: www.sothebysrealty.com M. +1 305.281.4727 O. +1 305.666.0562 P R O P ER TY ID L3QEPW

ML S # A10753353

Buyers can benefit from a price correction that poses real value in today’s market. What just happened?

Any chemistry student could tell you that an influence that gives energy to an object, is causing a change in the motion of the object.

We use force in our lives every day . . . Kick a ball, and your foot makes the ball move by imparting a force on the ball. Kick High Net worth Individuals residing in New York, New Jersey and California under stricter government lockdowns, and they will begin fleeing to the less restrictive confines of the Sunbelt.

This is exactly what happened to the local real estate market when prominent A-list Celebrities and power brokers got pushed.

They pulled away into the Sunshine State and a wild trend began to take shape.

At this time, retired professional golfer Greg Norman and his wife Kiki decided to sell and soon enough their 32,000-square-foot estate at 382 South Beach Road on Jupiter Island got listed in late January 2021 for $59.9 million.

The listing for Norman’s property attracted Leslie Wexner, who, according to the Wall Street Journal, agreed to sell his controlling stake in Victoria’s Secret to a private equity firm last year, and move, you guessed, to the Sunshine State. Perfect timing!

We reached out to Jennifer Nicole Lee Miami based celebrity lifestyle Influencer and luxury home realtor who recently has been recruited by the “gold standard” of real estate agencies, Sotheby’s International Realty, to give us a tour of Miami’s best properties. With 20 years of experience into the luxury real estate industry, she tell us about her passion for property: “ My calling for real estate started 22 years ago when I custom-made my own home on the waterfront, from start to finish.”

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We asked Jennifer what is the future for the local property market. “The numbers speak for themselves.

Celebrities are migrating to the sunny shores of tropical Florida for many reasons, and one major reason is the pandemic. In Miami, luxury home prices were up 42% to an average of $2.8 million in the most recent quarter. And this is just the beginning. Every day we see a new crane starting a new project. The skyline is bursting with growth, and I’m so happy to call the Magic City my home. If you are looking for your dream home, now is the time to relocate to Miami.”

Our first stop is Miami Worldcenter. Mrs Lee is working closely with other leading female power real estate brokers like Irit Daiksel (Paramont ) Sandra Fiorenza and Yaya Balarin. During the VIP tour at Miami Worldcenter, one thing became apparent: this is indeed a “Building You Never Have To Leave”.

As we leave the building and say goodbye to our host in Miami, we can’t help but wonder: What it’s really like to live in one of these Mansions in the Sky?

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PARAMOUNT MIAMI WORLDCENTER is the signature residential tower delivering an exceptional living experience in the heart of Miami WorldCenter which is nearly 27 acres wide and the largest master planned projects in development in USA. This single iconic tower rising 700 feet into the sky featuring 57 floors with over 500 residences and 26 penthouses.

Great design, unique style provides one of a kind experience of living above the city within a city.Today the tower is the world class international destination that offers you one of a kind experience and lifestyle with the most Amenities in the world.

A ME NI TIE S Tennis, Basketball & Racquetball Courts Soccer Field Multiple Resort Style Pools Private Poolside Bungalows and Daybeds Exclsive Villa’s Dog Park Summer Kitchen with BBQ Floating Seating Pods & Sunken Pods Children’s Playground Jogigng Path Business Lounge Yoga Studio Sky Deck & Lounge Infinity Pool Tai Chi Deck Spa & Salon Entertainment Centre Game Room Golf Simulator Recordign Studio

S IZE S & P R ICE S 1 BD + Den/2Bath from $700k 2 BD + Den/3Bath from $900k 3BD + Den/4Bath from $1.5M PH 4BD + Den /5Bath from 3.3M

MA R K E TE D BY One World Properties / Irit Daiksel W: www.owpbrokers.com M. +1.786.385.8677 O. +1.786.580.4200

Crafting a Luxury Living Room

How to give your living room a gorgeous makeover

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ometimes described as a sitting or lounge room, a living room ought to be comfortable, welcoming, and have a touch of luxury. Over time, it has gained more and more attention, and nowadays it is even considered by some designers as the heart of the house. Most modern living rooms serve more than one purpose and are the main area where guests stay most of the time, so it is important to have all the conditions decor-wise to make the best impact possible.

LUXXU gathered some of the most beautiful living room design schemes, from a residential penthouse apartment to a modern minimalist home with a neutral colour palette.

These inspirations will be of great assistance for one to craft the most unique luxury living room space brimming with elegant products and sophisticated combinations.

“

For a house to be successful, the objects in it must communicate with one another, respond and balance one another.

Andre Putman

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LUXXU Crackle Mirror. Available at luxxu.net

Luxury Penthouse with Major Opulence

Perched in the highest floors, penthouses by definition are luxurious, offering beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes from their glass curtain walls. Usually, they match those views with stunning interior decorations, where contemporary design takes on a new life and encourages creativity with unique pieces.

In this interior, the green colouration of the sofas is a great contrast with the golden accents from the McQueen chandelier. It is one of those unique pieces inspired by one of the most irreverent designers of all time, Alexander McQueen. This masterpiece is as powerful as his exhibitions, combining the best of luxury with the most exquisite handmade materials.

Maintaining the opulence that penthouse living rooms bring, the sofa can truly be a focal point of the room especially when it combines beautiful design with practicality and comfort.

The black leather of the Anguis Sofa reflects the refinement of its manufacture and guarantees high levels of durability and comfort while its peculiar shape ensures outstanding adaptability to any design project.

Simplicity is the Ultimate Form of Luxury When given too many choices, people tend to worry that there is something better out there than what they decided on, and that is the main reason why sometimes less is more. In this interior, LUXXU chose as a statement piece the Waterfall Suspension made of brass and crystal glass that matches perfectly with the neutral-toned furnishings, certainly a gorgeous blend between simplicity and luxury.

Everything we create, we believe in redesigning your definition of art.

LUXXU’s Empire is shaping its future by setting trends with timeless pieces and refined elegance. Lighting was the start of a luxury journey stating itself as classic with a modern twist. Today, a new epoch unveils at LUXXU. Daring ambiances are an everlasting aesthetic language shared by every element.

LUXXU now allows you to create those ambiances as the brand uncovers a crucial imperial complement, a Furniture Collection. Offering resembling noble materials and finishing, where customisation blossoms as brand capital. Be our guest and get inspired by a distinctive collection of timeless pieces.

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BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK Is orange the new black? Not if you take into account the enticing character of the black colour, as it is timeless and symbolises elegance, wealth, and power.

That is one of the main purposes of a living room besides comfort, and this luxurious interior by LUXXU assuredly transpires that feeling. The Anguis Sofa pairs beautifully with the Ocadia Armchair, where materials such as velvet and leather create a fluid and rich narrative.

All shades of black merged into this meticulous design get a glimmering touch courtesy of the Shard Suspension, which brings the whole decor together.

LUXXU Shared Suspension. Available at luxxu.net

8 Easy Steps To Beat Chaos and Enjoy Harmony In My Happy Home During Quarantine Times & Beyond

By Helena Zachariassen

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o we’ve all been at home with the family for weeks in a row now, so enjoying it enormously while others are going nuts.

The Internet instantly got inundated with funny videos about moms getting grey hair in no time and drinking wine for breakfast.

How were we, over night, to cope with working from home and at the same time becoming teachers, IT support, chefs,housekeepers, fitness instructors, nurses, coaches, mediators not to mention remembering there might also be a partner in the equation?

Is there a way to truly enjoy the quarantine instead of getting on each others’ nerves every 5 minutes? I believe so. Honestly, there is no right or wrong. The simple truth is that both of these worlds and feelings are profoundly ok, even if they some days might take us by surprise and happen all at once!

The most important thing is to acknowledge them and at the end of the day, accept them for what they are.

Feelings. We are not our feelings. Let’s allow them to come and go. Just like the waves of the ocean. You create your own haven of harmony.

I have 2 young kids, who are now 7 and 4. I love them to bits but with those two a beautiful chaos called life moved in too and hasn’t left since! However, these kids are the purest of joy gifts, and they’ve taught me more than anything that less is more, on so many levels.

In the past few years I’ve decluttered our home and my life so thoroughly that I found my missing peace of the puzzle, became an entrepreneur as a KonMari Consultant & Lifestyle Coach in one go and I now support others choosing joy, organising and creating a home they truly love by simplifying their lives too. And I absolutely love what I do.

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What does it mean to simplify?

Simplifying and decluttering your life is like an artichoke. Little by little you peel the layers away and with time you reveal the heart of it all. The things that truly matter in life.

Are you able to see beyond what you already have in life? Gratitude goes such a long way and being able to cherish, appreciate and enjoy what is already there in front of our eyes. I’ve put together an introduction to simplifying your life, with small, easy manageable steps, doable during a quarantine or after. Whenever you feel the time is right.

1. Take down the expectations, a level or two You can’t expect as much from yourself

and each other as before the lockdown. You still only have 24 hours in a day and one pair of hands.

Relax and take a break. You’re perfectly imperfect just as you are.

2. Presence & grounding To reduce any potential stress levels the first step for you to do is turn off your phone and decide what kind of (stay-at-home) life you really want and need right now. Sit with the thought and let the answers come to you. Your intuition will help you find the most important things for you.

Invite your kids to do the same during a quiet moment. The next step is to take out everything that isn’t what you want right now. And I don’t mean physical items only. We’re talking about social media, TV, the flow of (bad) news, junk food, negative people…you name it.

3. Minimise your to-do list It’s not the end of the world if you haven’t finished your never ending to-do list or that the kids’ homework is not perfectly done every single day. Do me a favour, cut down your to-do list to only a few carefully selected items for each day. You will notice how much more feasible it feels and maybe you tick them off quicker than you’d expected? Regardless: you are still enough even if you don’t finish a single thing.

4. Gratitude and togetherness It’s really helped my family to hold regular family gratitude moments to share and truly listen to each other, even if the needs are quite basic for the small ones, they might mean the world to them!

The biggest wish for the kids has mainly been about doing a small activity together, all 4 of us. It’s the little things that matter most.

5. A tidy home truly equals a tidy mind Clutter is simply anything that stands between you and your ideal lifestyle. Your home can be perfectly tidy and still filled with clutter. Or it can also be filled with things and still provide an ideal source of growth. We’re all unique and one size does not fit all of us.

Simplifying is not about minimalism, the amount of belongings or how it looks. What matters is how all these things help and support you move towards your ideal lifestyle. Think about how your home and environment make you feel? If you could get from feelings of overwhelm, maybe even hopelessness to light, happy, airy and joyful…would you do it? Lead by example for your family and start with any small (or big) tidying project that support you feeling amazing in your home.

Tidying is contagious, you might be surprised…

6. Be more with less Be mindful about what comes in to your home. Shop less if you can, and if you do need to shop, be aware, do some research on the origin, material of the items and working conditions. Make sure you choose well, long lasting and environmentally friendly.

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle-Repurpose is a concept that works perfectly well in any household, especially when you don’t have direct access to shops right now. And honestly, the less material possessions you own the easier your home and life is to manage and maintain.

7. Tidy tips and slow living When your home gets (too) messy invite your kids and family to take responsibility of a task or area, share the tasks and be involved. Let each family member visualise their ideal home and make a list of the most important organising goals for everyone. Make a visual list if helpful. Make sure that all things are returned to their homes after being used. As soon as people start leaving things around it will quickly get untidy. Ultimately the aim is to have less to do and to do more of what makes everyone happy!

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8. Find your inner Sisu Sisu is Finnish and has been defined as the word almost describing Finland. It has a vast amount of different meanings, from having guts to strength of will, determination and perseverance to sustaining courage.

Sisu is in my Finnish DNA, it’s almost magical to us. Whatever your worries may be, find your inner Sisu – it will encourage and help you face your challenges. For more tips on home organising, a well balanced happy home and nordic living, head over to my blog, or follow me on Instagram.

Stay healthy and happy in your homes!y

About the writer: Helena grew up in Helsinki, in the capital of Finland, as a part of a small 5% minority of the country, the Swedish speaking Finns. Since she was born her family spent all their summers out on a remote island in the archipelago in the Baltic Sea, with no electricity, running water or other commodities but the sauna. She learned to love the simple and beautiful nature life there, loving the rough island climate, picking wild blueberries for breakfast, waking up to the sounds of the sea and the sea gulls, and falling asleep with the never setting sun during the summer days of endless light.

With a Masters in sociology and social psychology from the University of Helsinki, as well as a certification in life coaching, Helena is constantly seeking the magic of joy in all her endeavours. I the last 15 years she worked in different fields of the corporate world, mainly in international business consulting with a special interest in career and personal development and growth. At resent she lives in Switzerland from where she runs her own consultancy practice with the desire to inspire, support and help others living a healthy, balanced and happy life to their fullest potential.

Helena Founder and Owner of My Happy HomeCertified KonMari Consultant and Lifestyle Coach

Exceptional Design Trends You Can’t Miss This Spring

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ith many people’s attitudes on life changing during 2020, and many wishing they could get away this year, we take a look ahead at the interior design trends for 2021.

From the growing significance of sustainable materials to elegant elements and a celebration of personality and uniqueness, our 2021 trend selection will provide you with a curated look that will bring your home into the New Year with a luxurious style.

It’s time to update your home and bring in the freshness of this season into your home with these inspirations for LUXXU 102 | RICH WOMAN AFRICA MAGAZINE | Spring 2021

Notes from Nature – Biophilia Design Natural elements have been creeping into interior trends for years now, and that interior design trend will remain through 2021 at least.

The biophilic design began as a way to bring the outdoors in. Research suggests a strong link between natural elements and mental health, and in today’s tech-driven world, this connection becomes even more important. When it comes to biophilia, organic and natural materials and an earthy colour scheme are the predilected features.Colo of the Year 2021

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Ultimate Grey

The season of 2020-2021 will be highlighted with grey tones, a cool neutral colour proper to connect technology and modernity for elegant spaces. Used by fashion, graphic, and interior designers, the Pantone Institute’s colour matching services are a resource for predicting palettes that might prove popular with consumers. Their colour of the year choices is often contentious. This year, the combination has been likened to the shades of hi-vis vests, road markings, and “screaming sickly urban melancholy, a brutalist facade, cold sunshine, and cement”. Vogue described it simply as “really weird”. Still, it is a beautiful neutral colour nonetheless, that can inspire you to create and develop new ideas.

A Statement Piece This design trend will be proper to elevate any division, for a more sophisticated room. Open spaces are becoming more desirable for decor enthusiasts.

While the matching decor has always been a no-no for top designers, the desire for uniquely curated and crafted interiors is at an all-time high. So, choosing a statement piece with a bold design and luxury feeling can make the difference in your next design project.

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Black and White are Timeless After decades on the scene, why are designers still so entranced by black and white? Because it is timeless, classic, versatile, and always a show-stopper interior design trend. Currently making a splash in the form of bold kitchens and bathrooms, graphic artwork as well as striking patterned flooring, rugs, wallpaper, and fabric, this trend adds drama and dimension to any space in the home.

The Home Office is getting noticed

“A home office must be designed as a space to induce thought.” says Andrew Martin's Martin Waller Due to the coronavirus outbreak, for some working from home is the new normal. As such, upgrading your home office decor is a must in order to create an inspirational environment and consequently increase productivity. The perfect fusion between function and beautiful design is the pinnacle that every home office room should aim for.

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Naval Tones

Classic Blue was the Pantone Colour for 2021 and it will still be relevant in the next year. Naval Blue creates a calm and grounding environment infused with quiet confidence; this colour fuses the striking and bold opulence of Art Deco with the awe-inspiring power of nature: from the infinite night sky to the mysterious depths of the sea. This deep shade evokes a prominent sense of confidence that fuses timeless colour with a fresh mix of natural materials and textures that bring navy blue into a new era.

Get more incredible home style inpiration at www.luxxu.net

Inspired by Nature

Design Accents for Your Home

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rchitects and interior designers, craftsmen and engineers who create our bedroom furniture and our open plan kitchens start with the human experience in mind.

New trends are inspired from finding the balance inside our homes, harnessing creativity, driving new technology and innovation, reimagining our relationship with each other, ourselves and the outdoor world.

When imagining your Post-Covid home, they all understand that everything changed already, and is evident that many households and organisations have undertaken radical changes and that includes the way we live. Spending more time at home, staycations and interactions are conditioned by a holistic approach to all human activities.

Due to the pandemic designers have already started to consider a more holistic approach to the way we live in our homes, challenging the new reality of forced social distancing and spending so much more time indoors.

Not surprisingly, the latest trends are human centred and focus on the welfare of the “bubble” in each household, attending to your loved ones emotional needs and wants, mental health, physical fitness, interior designers use human-centred approaches to address how we live today.

Aristotle was one of the first to advocate for “love of life”, at the early stages of biophilia, delving into the term philia (friendship), the concept of reciprocity and its benefits to all involved in seeking happiness.

Pre-pandemic lifestyle involved an average of 48 weeks or almost 400 hours a year in an office space, and yes, you brought your plant and placed it on your desk. As we approach the end of 2020, the time we spend inside buildings, cars and other small spaces is increasing and with it, our desire to connect with all things in nature, redefining the way we interact with nature, seeking a deeper connection with nature.

With the technological advancement, there is a growing concern for a lack of connection with the rest of nature outside our reach; re- connecting with nature has become important, and we try to re-create that connection with nature at home. We are attending any available green spaces indoors, seeking more and more an interior design revolving around nature. The number of domestic and wild animals adoption is on the rise, the up-keeping of plants and flowers in and around our homes is very fashionable and reflects our natural love of life and a growing desire to sustain life.

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Human inclination for natural beauty is easily found in our desire to reestablish a connection with nature, in the way we decorate our homes. There are clinical evidences that it helps the neuro-endocryne and immunological system, and we show more consideration for nature when we are social distancing and spending less time outdoors.

A good example would be the introduction of handles inspired by nature for every room in the house, a sustainable design strategy that re-connects people with nature, brings the natural world inside our homes and, at the same time, diminishes the side effects of living indoors for longer hours or travelling less than before the pandemic.

You might be surprised of how little you need to fulfil your natural need of outdoor life and the vibrancy of natural beauty. At a closer look, every handle inspired by nature is able to re- connect with a specific natural environment.

Every handle is designed to strengthen indoor life, unburden our cognitive system and recognise more information from experiences we had in the past in a natural environment.

Same way having plants or murals with scenes from nature in patient's room in hospitals could speed up their healing process, having handles inspired by nature in every room, could help you relax and enjoy your time indoors.

Top Destinations for Design Inspiration

In a recent survey by world renowned jewellery hardware designers, Pullcast, designers often quoted their sources of inspiration coming from some of the most wondrous destination on Earth.

Their favourites included:

Douro Valley, Portugal

Listed as World Heritage Site, The Douro Valley is known as the enchanted valley for its magical beauty. The Douro is a majestic wilderness, one of the oldest demarcated wine regions in the world. Wine lovers and those looking for beautiful sceneries will certainly enjoy a trip to this beautiful part of the country.

Koh Samui,Thailand

Thailand’s second largest island, lies in the Gulf of Thailand off the east coast of the Kra Isthmus. It's known for its palm-fringed beaches, coconut groves and dense, mountainous rainforest, plus luxury resorts and posh spas. The landmark 12m-tall golden Big Buddha statue at Wat Phra Yai Temple is located on a tiny island connected to Ko Samui by a causeway.

Glenorchy,New Zealand

Just 45 minutes from Queenstown, Glenorchy is nestled on the northern shores of Lake Wakatipu & is the gateway to hiking trails and Middle-earth™ magic. Set against a background of native beech forest and towering mountain ranges, Glenorchy’s surrounds are nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Culture

Hard work runs in the blood

Surinder Arora

by Arti Halai

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elf-made billionaire Surinder Arora is an entrepreneur with an extraordinary and inspiring story.

He is founder and chairman of Arora Group, one of the UK’s largest private hotel owner-

operators.

Surinder arrived in the UK at the age of 13 in 1972 speaking no English. His parents had arrived a few years earlier and called for him from Punjab once they had settled in West London.

Hard work runs in the blood. His mother held down three jobs and was extremely ambitious for her son. Surinder left school and had jobs with British Airways and Abbey Life.

He saved and invested in property, buying derelict houses and converting them into bed and breakfast for airline staff.

He eventually bulldozed the houses and built a hotel from scratch, convincing both lenders and British Airways to give him the contract to run a hotel for the airline’s crew. It wasn’t long before he was on a roll both buying and operating hotels and the rest as they say is history.

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Five Star Insights

Location

Surinder has said in the past he worked 16 to 17 hour days but now he takes time out to relax and go on holiday and so I start by asking him where his favourite holiday location is in the world?

Two places he answers. “One home and second my favourite place is Dubai as it is easy to get to and involves no jet lag.” It is also close to India where he spent his childhood and still likes to visit family. “Dubai has got all the comforts, good food and climate and I love being by the water.”

So can he really switch off?

Like any entrepreneur, he says, “not really but as long as I can check my phone once or twice a day for about 30-40 minutes in the morning and evening I am fine.” The phone is then put away, something he is learning to do with the help of his wife Sunita. He also says it is good discipline.

The couple have a son and two daughters who are all married along with six grandchildren and the family often holiday together having just come back from a resort in Greece. This year Surinder suggested to Sunita that they take a trip to Japan, just the two of them as neither have ever been before. However, that was put on hold as the couple welcomed their sixth grandchild.

Surinder says “I missed out watching my own children growing up so I want to spend as much time as possible with the grandchildren.”

Cuisine

Moving on then to his love of food and Surinder says he likes all sorts of cuisine as long as it is hot and spicy!

He loves Chinese, Thai and Iranian. Of course he grew up eating Indian food but they don’t have that everyday at home. What he has to have is something spicy. He says sometimes he goes to really nice, fine dining restaurants, whether they are French cuisine or English and he sits there thinking whether he can ask for some Tobasco sauce or chillies.

Growing up his mother cooked the meals, in between doing her different jobs but he never once saw his father cook during his lifetime.

He says “I learnt to cook from my mother.”

When I asked him what he cooked he said “I remember one year we were at our special friend Sir Cliff Richard’s vineyard in Portugal and Cliff was really missing a curry so I said to Sunita, I’ll cook for you all and I went to do the shopping. I cooked five or six dishes, Cliff loves okra, chicken, dhal, rice, chapati and then I went off for my chicken piri piri at my favourite restaurant, Ramires in Guia where the chicken piri piri dish actually originated from.”

His most memorable meal takes him back 38 years to when he first met his wife, Sunita.

The families had introduced them both for an arranged marriage. Surinder says without telling anyone, he took Sunita to Hatton Garden where he brought her a ring. He then took her to McDonald’s in Marble Arch and with their take-away they sat in Hyde Park on the day they got engaged, eating their happy meals. All I can say is “memories, are made of this!”

the Artemis Fountain in Hyde Park, London. Credit: Chris Dorney 120 | RICH WOMAN AFRICA MAGAZINE | Spring 2021

Five Star Insights

Music

Our third section brings us to music and I ask Surinder what he enjoys listening to?

“I like music inspired by different occasions” he says. “I listen to all types of music from Bollywood to Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shreya Ghosal. She is my favourite singer and I couldn’t believe my wife, Sunita and son, Sanjay convinced her to perform at my surprise 60th birthday party because she doesn’t do private events. It takes me back to Sunita’s 40th surprise birthday party we held for her at Madame Tussauds. I thought I would get Lionel Ritchie to sing for her but his fee was £450,000 for an hour. Well I couldn’t afford that! Anyway, Sunita arrives and she sees a man with an amazing voice at the piano on the other side of the room and she’s so excited until she gets closer and sees that he is a Lionel Ritchie look alike, that I paid £3,000 for! So, naturally I thought Sunita was playing a trick on me but how she convinced the original Shreya Ghosal to sing live for my birthday, I’ll never know.”

I ask Surinder about his long term friendship with Sir Cliff Richard, which dates back to 1999. “I wanted someone famous to open my hotel and my mum knew of Cliff who was born in Lucknow in India and his songs and since then, Cliff has opened all my hotels, except one.” When I ask him about his favourite song by the artist, he diplomatically says “I love them all, there are so many…of course, Congratulations, Summer Holiday, Devil Woman. Sometimes I joke with my senior team leader, if we haven’t spoken for a while and I say “We don’t talk anymore!”

Surinder count’s some of the world’s biggest stars amongs his close friends, incluidng Sir Cliff Richard. Credit: Eva Rinaldi

Art

Well, I’ve got every intention of talking more with Surinder as we steer into our section on art.

He admits that he would like to learn more about the art world.

Surinder turns his attention to where we are sitting in the Sofitel Hotel at Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

“I’m hopeless with colours, styles, textures, when it comes to choosing the interiors for my hotels” he confesses outright. We take a moment to view our surroundings with the light sandstone colour, use of chrome, high ceilings and dark wood panels. Surinder says “I like the fresh, crisp quality with clean lines. I want buildings that will be there for generations. This building is more than ten years old, yet it still looks new.”

I ask Surinder if this style is what we would see in his home to which he replies, “I’m very indecisive. I’m happy to build buildings but the interiors I leave to my wife.”

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Five Star Insights

Literature

Our final section brings us to literature and knowing Surinder enjoys biographies, I ask him whether there is a special book that comes to mind.

“The first book I took on holiday was about the Oberoi Hotels. I was in the process of building my first hotel in 1998 and so much of the book related to my story. I’ve read every one of Richard Branson’s which I found really interesting. Another person I really admire and respect is Allen Leighton and his thoughts on leadership. I never had any qualifications and I really look up to people like that.”

Surinder goes on to talk about his time as a football referee, “I know I have the power but I want the players to respect me and I know I have to respect them first. This is a principle I apply in my business today.”

I ask Surinder if character is more important than qualifications?

He says “Yes and no. I wanted my children to go to university and do their best because money can come and go but nobody can take away your education and qualifications.” He understands that not everybody is cut out for university and “silly degrees from the last 15 years are of no use to anyone.” However, he says “apprenticeships are just as good and if you are willing to work hard then nothing can stop you.”

Talking about autobiographies, I mention that I have just finished reading Michelle Obama’s book, ‘Becoming…’ He is full of admiration for her, “I’ll be taking that on my next holiday with me. Thanks for the recommendation!”

Finally, I ask Surinder about whether he has any intentions about writing a book about his life story? “I want to share my life experiences.

Life is like Valleys and Hills. The real winners are not those standing at the top of the hill, they are those pushing themselves up the hill.

All entrepreneurs say, never give up in life. I say it makes you stronger and a better person. I just need to find the time and the right person to help me write the book.”

You heard it here first!

I thank Surinder Arora for the very insightful, memorable and entertaining interview and for sharing his Five Star Insights with us.

The Spa at Bvlgari Hotel

The Ultimate Daycation Package

G

littering pool, glass in hand, that holiday glow – you don’t need to board a plane this autumn to kick back and recuperate.

The Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge has reopened its spa, with a tempting menu of revitalising treatments Positioned around the corner from Harrods and Harvey Nichols, the Bulgari Hotel London is one of six Bulgari properties across the world and it is every bit as glamorous as one might expect. In contrast to its Edwardiana neighbours, the five-star hotel is recognisable by its Portland stone exterior, while inside confidently mixes modernist angles and a highshine palette of black granite, polished mahogany and steel, designed by Italian architect supremo Antonio Citterio.

'Spa' is a modest term to describe the beautifully scented, subterranean wellness retreat hidden in the basement of the hotel.

One of the largest spas in London, it is set over two levels and boasts a luxurious fitness studio, nail bar and 11 treatment rooms with one double spa suite, all enveloped in handsome chocolate and caramel hues. Belgravia society salon, Neville, also has a residence within the spa and offers everything from simple shampoos to cut and colour.

The pièce de résistance is the 25-metre colonnaded swimming pool, lined with shimmering mosaic tiles in green and gold, evocative of Bulgari’s jewellery collections. It is framed by cabana daybeds that can be curtained off for privacy, thus demonstrating the level of discretion sought by its well-heeled guests. Guests can press a nifty button for champagne, smoothies or light dishes including mixed salads, fruit platters and puddings.

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Priced at £910, the new B.Beautiful Daycation package includes a 90minute massage, during which you are scrubbed, kneaded and polished to absolute, serene perfection; a 90minute reviving facial; a manicure and pedicure and a cut and blow-dry in the intimate Neville salon. Guests will also receive a 111Skin gift and 10 per cent of proceeds are donated to the Virus Free Found – a new corporate philanthropy fund by Bulgari, which supports Oxford University’s research into manufacturing and testing vaccines.

Guests can also upgrade to the overnight B.Beautiful Staycation package, priced at £1,140.

Agnes Binagwaho (Prof)

Vice-Chancellor, University of Global Health Equity Agnes Binagwaho is a Rwandan pediatrician and currently the Vice Chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity. Since 1996, she has provided clinical care in the public sector as well as held a number of project management, health system strengthening, and government positions, including Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health of Rwanda from October 2008 until May 2011 and Minister of Health from May 2011 until July 2016.

In September 2016, she was appointed as Professor of Global Health Delivery for the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Kigali, Rwanda and, in April 2017, she was named as UGHE's Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive.

With a focus on research in the intersection of health, social, and political sciences, her studies and publications aim to improve access to prevention, care and treatment for HIV/ AIDS and other diseases. Binagwaho has spoken frequently about the significant role research has played in improving health in her country. She actively fights for children's rights and equality in Rwanda and around the world. She is at the vanguard of the fight against HIV/AIDS, and striving to disseminate implementation research methodology to advance interventions to diminish and eliminate the burden of the disease. Her PhD dissertation focused on the analysis of missed opportunities for children affected by HIV to fulfil their human right to health.

In 2010, in her role as Minister of Health, Binagwaho launched a national campaign to vaccinate children against HPV — the human papilloma virus that causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer. The program reached more than a 95 percent coverage rate in 2012.

She has also spoken on the need to rethink end of life care to allow people to die with dignity. At the Salzburg Global Seminar, she noted that: "To reach that, we need to have national debate about it, led by spiritual and community leaders, and we also need to educate all clinicians to respect death and to stop being afraid of it.”

Agnes was ranked #1 Most Influential African Women in 2020 by Business Insider Africa

Women & society

Living the dream: Valerie Ajala

Passion, confidence and compassion.

by Dr. Evelyn Okpanachi

W

e all remember a time, not so long ago, when Google was busy tracking every destination people choose to have every day, from home to their office, to meetings and restaurants, city breaks and holidays. It has seen a severe drop lately, and everybody got into the habit of travelling an imaginary route every day, seeking an exit from the confines of so many lockdowns. If you are seeking the next big story, we hope our carefully curated selection of cover stories can inspire you.

Say what you want about social media, but it helps us make new connections, find someone we can trust to guide us through the buying process, especially when browsing luxury products and services. We looked into how these savvy luxury lifestyle influencers create meaningful connections by generating emotion, closeness, and confidence. With that in mind, we have compiled a list of RW Africa’s top 100 luxury lifestyle influencers and Africa’s most wanted Goal Diggers’ girls to be interviewed on luxury fashion, travel, health, wellness and lifestyle. Prepare yourself to be inspired…

If targeted properly, influencers can sparkle trust and more personalised relationships between luxury brands and customers. They are the actual “ gold dust” building brand trust and authority. While inspiring their followers, they build a bridge of confidence between their followers and the brand they endorse, and a new multi billion industry is rising: influencer marketing, purposefully driving and growing the ideal niche audience.

Official reports show that 91% of millennials trust online reviews as well as their friends or family, making this a milestone strategy that luxury brands can’t afford to ignore.

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Perhaps you are already one of the 18.2M followers of Chiara Ferragni– Luxury Fashion – Milan. Chiara Ferragni is an Italian fashion influencer, who in 2013 launched her own highend clothing and accessories brand, The Chiara Ferragni Collection. Renowned for the unique “mix of motifs, prints, glitter and patches”, four years later, Forbes ranked her as the “Top Fashion Influencer”. Since then she has collaborated with fashion brands such as Prada, Dior, Dsquared2 and many more.

At present, we witness a powerful wave of Influencers and nobody knows how high they can go...We invite you to navigate into this uncharted territory, and follow the exclusive story of our rising star, Valerie Ajala, who is the first Luxury Lifestyle Influencer to grace RW Africa’s front cover, Our Editor in Chief, Dr Evelyn Okpanachi spent a day with Valerie at her beautiful home in the UK. Mother of three beautiful children, celebrities in their own right, adorable wife, friend and women advocate, Valerie is a serial entrepreneur and a philanthropist at heart, In this exclusive interview, Valerie shares her passion for luxury, exciting new business development activities between top-end companies, her drive and affinity for luxury lifestyle, while serving high net worth private clients.

Originally from Lagos Nigeria, Valerie has lived in the United Kingdom since she was a teenager. A sophisticated entrepreneur and the founder director at Cribs Day Nursery, she is also the founder of Inspire Luxury Consulting. With a bachelor of law degree with honours, she also has a masters in corporate and commercial law and marriage.

The mother to three amazing children, Valerie needs to stay fit and healthy, enjoys working out, travelling, dining out and always finding time for her friends No doubt, Valerie loves life.

Valerie transformed her life working with affluent women and high performance people, and we hope you will enjoy reading about how she discovered her passion for building a luxury lifestyle for herself and others and why she enjoys her world. Here is her story.

Who is Valerie?

I'm originally from Lagos Nigeria. I have lived in the United Kingdom from when I was a teenager. I'm an entrepreneur and the founder director at Krickstein nursery. I'm also the founder of Inspire luxury consulting. I have a bachelor of lore degree with honours. And I also have a masters in corporate and commercial law and marriage and the mother to three amazing children, two boys and a girl. I enjoy working out, travelling, dining out. I enjoy meeting up with my friends and just having a good laugh, I enjoy all things luxury, all the finer things in life- that's who Valerie is. I love life.

Who was Valerie as a little girl?

I had the most amazing parents and it is fair to say that I had a healthy, loving and a beautiful childhood. My dad was an adorable father and my mother was such a wonderful homemaker and mother. I'm the only girl. I have two brothers,and our parents gave us the best life a child could imagine..

My parents loved hosting friends and family. I was surrounded with that kind of lifestyle where a lot of entertainment was going on, and, on reflection, I think that's where I got my passion for entertainment. Anyone who knows me knows how much of a good hostess I am and how much I love throwing a good party.

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?

I have always been someone who liked the idea of being able to set my own rules, create my own environment, see an opportunity and take it. For example, almost 14 years ago , I've just completed my corporate and commercial law master's program, I've got a few job offers and I needed childcare.

I was a young mother, my first child at the time, was about six months probably. I needed to find a good daycare for him so I could work. I went around the local area where I lived at the time and was full up. When I went home I had a conversation with my husband and I thought, “seems like there's a gap here, that needs filling.

This might not be such a bad idea” This is how we started, 13 years ago. We've been running successfully ever since. It s fair to say that looking for daycare for my baby boy was the beginning of my journey as an entrepreneur.

“

“I love just having a good laugh, I enjoy all things luxury, all the finer things in life.”

You realised there was a gap in the market and for the next 14 years you made your daycare business a success. What is the story behind your luxury consulting business?

When I started my law degree I also loved to work in Harrods, at the luxury department store as a part time senior sales consultant for fine jewellery.I had met amazing people, celebrities, the rich, the famous, and that environment inspired me . I developed an interest for the finer things in life, and as a student, would work hard and save up to buy myself luxury items, accessories,pieces of clothing, and beautiful furniture to decorate my flat. At the time, I shared a flat with my older brother, I would invest in nice little pieces of luxurious , interior, home ware.

Since I was a young adult, I just naturally worked on developing my sense of quality and I surrounded myself with elegance. I didn't know much about life, but I'd love to be surrendered by beauty and connect with people who share my love for art and beauty.

I think that period is what inspired my luxury consulting business.

What is different about your bespoke luxury living solutions?

We are designing quintessential timeless spaces with a Difference!

Inspire Luxury Consulting is a distinguished luxury interior design company, which specialises in conceptualising, visualising, and realising highend interior design for private individuals and property developers.

Luxury is our passion! We combine style, creativity, functionality, and years of experience in luxury interior design projects to deliver highly customised and sophisticated living spaces that precisely reflect and enhance your personality, lifestyle and home. We do not compromise on quality, and each luxurious interior features are sourced from the best luxury home ware and interiors makers worldwide.

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Over the years, followers, friends, family, would ask me questions about personal styling and interior styling. That's actually one of the reasons why I decided to lunch Inspire Luxury Consulting.

We guide our clients into the right direction and give advice on redefining their space, using existing pieces in their home, as well as personal styling. We create the white glove experience for our clients.

You are a very accomplished woman. What is your take on women's transformational change, confidence and self love?

I think a lot women, have been on that journey of self hate, at some point. Like most women going through challenges, I took the self love route and I dare to re-imagine my life every day. I am embracing a transformational change process, as a result of nourishing my mind, my body and my spirit. Many times, I experienced lack of confidence, being wrapped up in that feeling of unworthiness before reaching a ray of light on the other side, and becoming the woman I am today.

Self-love has evolved through the years and when you are a mother you have to allow self awareness to flourish. I've influenced our daughters and the way our daughters selfperception. Because of my daughters I’ve made a deliberate choice to practice self love regularly.

I appreciate myself more and I do not compare myself to others. I have noticed that many women around me are also letting go of toxic relationships and are taking every opportunity at present, making the most of it. So I think it's a good thing.

We're getting there. Things are different now, life is not what it used to be. We're loving ourselves more.

We're partnering more, where we're supporting each other more and that's actually making us stronger and loving ourselves more. I used to complain about my weight, but now I tell myself “It is what it is. I love the way I look, I'm doing something about what I don’t like.”

I'm working on more, taking the necessary steps and that is a positive attitude. I keep in mind that our daughters are picking that up on what I do, I am their first pool of inspiration Are you mentoring other women?

I've been mentoring for a couple of years. It started actually when I two young ladies reached out to me and asked me to mentor them.

I've realised that younger women know what they want, what to do with themselves, their talent, but don’t necessarily know how to get there. I never had a mentor, especially being a young mother, starting up into entrepreneurship. I didn't really have anyone who could really take me through the process of personal growth. I had to figure it out by myself, and I made a lot of mistakes along the way.

So I make myself available and offer the help I never had.

I think it's very important that we don't shut the door behind. We guide these younger women who are starting out in this journey of life. Help them find the balance while overcoming challenges. I think it's very important for us to give back to young women, those coming behind us. We need to mentor them. Our mentees have to have other women in their life who have their own best interests at heart.

It's not about telling my mentees where they're going wrong, but being able to challenge them to better themselves. Mentoring is something I really enjoy doing and I developed a lot of beautiful relationships. I love empowering other women.

Guiding them to be the best version of themselves,it's my way of giving back.

You are involved in philanthropic work. Can you tell us more about it?

If you know what is happening in Nigeria now, you would know that the declining standards of the educational system should trouble anyone's mind and I think that's where this desire to help came for both myself and my husband.

Over the last couple of years, we started a project in my husband's hometown, in Nigeria. to improve the education system.

We help provide better education in secondary schools and sponsor children going into higher institutions, such as universities, polytechnics, How do you balance your family and work commitments?

Having the right mindset. goes a long way and having a supportive family and good friends. My husband is my support system and I think that helps me maintain a good balance. Sometimes I might have to work at home and my family gives me that extra space, but, I make sure that I spend quality time with them. I think juggling everything comes with experience. It helps taking one day at a time, but it can be very challenging sometimes.

How do you relax as a family?

I try to work out a couple of days a week. I take up yoga and I spend a lot of time travelling with my family when we can. We don't compromise on quality time, we really enjoy each others company. we try to make time for one another. The kids are getting older, it gets slightly easier to go on dates with my husband and I meet up with my friends.

I have the most amazing circle of friends. I look forward to seeing them and catching up, chatting, talking about life.

You live your best life, what would be a piece of advice for our readers?

I feel that I'm actually living my best life. I truly am. I enjoy the inner peace that comes along with experience, surrounding myself with the most loving people.

Getting rid of those toxic relationships I had in the past, minding my own business, makes a big difference. It really does.

LIBERATING THE AFRICAN QUEEN SERIES

Re-Writing the Narrative of The African Woman and Her Leadership

Learning Leadership from the Lioness

A

t sunset on the 23rd of December 2007, I found myself and my wife on an open train with no barriers moving slowly through an open park in Santosa Island, Singapore. Despite being assured of safety and security by my tour guide there is still the flow of adrenaline through my veins as I behold the wondrous creation of an artificial jungle and the many sound vibrations of wildlife gushing through the wind.

My ear drums were simultaneously struck by the trumpeting and rumbling of elephants, the gargling and grunts of the buffalo, the barking and braying of Zebras, the beats and bellows of antelopes and the inevitable roars of the King and Queen of the jungle: The Lion and Lioness. Fascinated and flabbergasted by all happening around me, I unconsciously sunk into my subconscious mind to have a private conversation with myself.

This moment of suspected innovation is however, abruptly interrupted by a Lion on my right which seems to bob-up from no-where.

Like a plane jetting off a runway, my heartbeat triples; the silent beats of my heart suddenly become as loud as the drums of the night roaring from the fields of the Igala Kingdom (A Nigerian tribe in the middle-belt). Is this an emotion of fear, excitement or a mix of both?

Did I almost get torn into pieces by a Lion during my honeymoon?

My wife burst into laughter at how scared she felt I was. Until this day I am fascinated by the Lion and Eagle family; my two favourite animals which represent two kinds of Leadership. One I consider the Lord of the skies and the other I consider the King and Queen of the Jungle.

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by Dr James Okpanachi

The Maned Liones of Okavango The Mane is the fur that grows and covers the facial area of a Lion. Any member of the Lion family with a Mane is male. FEMALE LIONS DO NOT HAVE MANES. It is an exclusive right of the male Lion. It represents Leadership of Lion prides reserved for the male; it is a visual display to all wildlife of the dominance of the Lion over the Lioness. It is a physical attribute that the male is bigger and better than the female.

Does this resonate with my African Queens?

Are there characteristics and attributes associated solely to Men? Is the male better than the female? Should we have ladies in leadership? These are questions that have led to many debates and gender equality movements in our world today. Could this puzzle not only resonate with African Queens but also the Lioness, the Queen of the jungle?

I get my answer from a group of “Maned Lionesses” in Okavango in the jungles of Botswana.

The “Maned Lionesses” of Okavango in Botswana are a group of Lionesses who dared to defy the norm. Not only did they grow Manes, their roar is deeper and louder than the usual Lioness. Lion specialists, Veterinary doctors and Zoologists have all tried to postulate theories and reasons for these Lionesses. Experts have had to acknowledge the “The Maned Lioness” reality as a mystery.

“

No one can make your inferior without your consent Elenor Roosevelt

Studies and analysis are still ongoing on the possibility of this reality. The best results are still labelled as hypotheses and no nailed down theories. These are Lionesses who have refused to be limited and prohibited by biology and philosophy. They have decided to stand out rather than blend in to the crowd. The “Maned Lionesses” have made a Paradox their reality.

The Parables Vs. The Principle The “Maned Lionesses” reminds me of Queen Amina of Zazau (Present day Zaira in Nigeria) one of the few Warrior Queens to emerge from Africa. She was ruler for 34 years in the African Kingdom in the 1500s; a window of history when Women in Leadership was indeed an anomaly. During her tenure, she exceeded all limitations and expectations; she did not only remove all impediments to her nation’s direct access to the Atlantic Coast for trade-related reasons, but she also enlarged Zazzau’s territory up to Nupe and Kwarafa. To guarantee this, she personally led military missions of over 19,000 warriors.

There are 4 D’s to glean from the Lioness. In this edition we would look at Queen Amina who exemplified the first D like the “Maned Lioness”. She dared to be different. She became famous due to her inspiring leadership skills and for the fact that she dared to become a female warrior and she became a champion.

Female warriors and leaders were rare but she refused to be intimated and inhibited by a male dominated field. She dared the use of metal armour for warfare in Hausaland (Northern tribe in Nigeria), as well as erecting fortifications around Zazzau and her mission camps, some which still exist today.

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She dared the practice of erecting defensive walls which became prominent throughout the Hausa states (Northern Nigeria) and these walls are known today as Amina walls. If Queen Amina could DARE to develop Manes in the 1500s with little or no Human right groups and gender equality movements, you can do the same today.

In more recent history, the names of Leading African Ladies are too many to mention though not sufficient. I’m inspired by Leading Ladies like Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who broke all odds to rise to be the President of Liberia. She did not

“

If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia (2006-2018)

give up after losing to Charles Taylor in the 1997 Presidential election. She dared to contest again and again, in a male dominated field and, eventually, won. A Harvard educated leader, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made history by becoming Africa’s first female elected president of state in Africa in 2006 and was re-elected in 2011.

The 2011 Noble Peace Prize laureate “for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work.”

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf attracted millions of dollars of Foreign direct investment and established a truth and reconciliation committee to probe corruption and heal ethnic tensions. If others did it you can too.

“

The most effective way to do it, is to DO IT

Amelia Earhart

The Clarion Leadership

Call

for

Like the “Maned Lioness” of Okavango, this is a challenge to all African Queens and readers to defy the norm and refuse all limitations society has enforced on the female gender. It’s time for the African Queen to break off their chains and believe they can Lead.

It is an attempt to awaken the Leader within or for some sharpen the Leader without. It is sparking a revolution by the written word in the heart of every reader to realise and release their Leadership contributing to the productivity and prosperity of communities and societies in our world today. The clarion call is to dare to be different, dare to be confident, dare to be prominent and watch a new you emerge and your Leadership evolve. It’s time to Lead, it’s time to fly.

Dr. James Okpanachi, published author, philanthropist and visionary is the founder of RLC-Royal Leadership Consults and RIAPS-Royal Initiative Against Poverty and Starvation. These entities were spun out of his passion to bring transformation to the continent of Africa. RLC was born to raise Leaders that transform Nations.

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EV ERY CH I L D DESERV ES AN EDUCATIO N

RIAPS is a non-governmental organisation (NGO), which specialises in providing the finest resources for the purpose of social economic development and inspiring members of society for value. Our corporate goal is to help individuals, organisations and countries translate available human potential into national and organisational results. We are working in concert with the United Nations and stakeholders to accomplish the sustainable development goals with a focus on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger (SDG’s). http://riaps.org

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How a ‘Skinny Black Girl’ Summed Up The Hopes of An Entire Nation

P

resident Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris's inauguration ceremony was a star-studded affair, with the likes of Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez stepping up to the mic. But even amidst such fanfare, a relatively unknown figure managed to steal the show: Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate and the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history.

Gorman finished the poem, titled "The Hill We Climb," the night after pro-Trump rioters sieged the Capitol building on the 6th of January.

“In my poem, I’m not going to in any way gloss over what we’ve seen over the past few weeks and, dare I say, the past few years. But what I really aspire to do in the poem is to be able to use my words to envision a way in which our country can still come together and can still heal,” she explained to the New York Times. “It’s doing that in a way that is not erasing or neglecting the harsh truths I think America needs to reconcile with.”

The poem was a complete show-stopper and easily the most memorable moment of the innaguration.

The 23 yearold is an American is also an activist. Her work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization, as well as the African diaspora. Gorman was the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate. She published the poetry book The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough in 2015.

You can follow her on instagram: @amandascgorman

The Hill We Climb When day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade?

The loss we carry, a sea we must wade.

We’ve braved the belly of the beast, We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, and the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always just-ice.

And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it.

Somehow we do it.

Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished.

We the successors of a country and a time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president only to find herself reciting for one.

And yes we are far from polished.

Far from pristine.

But that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect.

We are striving to forge a union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.

And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us.

We close the divide because we know, to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside.

We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.

We seek harm to none and harmony for all.

Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true, that even as we grieved, we grew, that even as we hurt, we hoped, that even as we tired, we tried, that we’ll forever be tied together, victorious.

Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division.

Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree and no one shall make them afraid.

If we’re to live up to our own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade.

But in all the bridges we’ve made, that is the promise to glade, the hill we climb.

If only we dare.

It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit, it’s the past we step into and how we repair it.

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We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it.

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.

And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated.

In this truth, in this faith we trust.

For while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us.

This is the era of just redemption we feared at its inception.

We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour but within it we found the power to author a new chapter.

To offer hope and laughter to ourselves.

So while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?

Now we assert, How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?

We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be.

A country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free.

We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation, because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation.

Our blunders become their burdens.

But one thing is certain, If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy, and change our children’s birthright.

So let us leave behind a country better than the one we were left with.

Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest, we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.

We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west.

We will rise from the windswept northeast, where our forefathers first realized revolution.

We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states.

We will rise from the sunbaked south.

We will rebuild, reconcile and recover.

And every known nook of our nation and every corner called our country, our people diverse and beautiful will emerge, battered and beautiful.

When day comes we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid, the new dawn blooms as we free it.

For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it.

If only we’re brave enough to be it.

Why Frontline Workers Keep Working When They Retire: Interview with Dr Joan Myers OBE

by Dr Marina Nani

S

uccess means different things for different people. Defining success after the Covid-19 pandemic tells a very different story; a story about people who dare to re-define the present reality, how they are dealing with the crisis, the bouncing back period and the recovery, how they conduct themselves through immediate survival and long-term resilience.

Success is no longer about being at the rains of your industry or being financially rich, but it comes with a different focus : empathy, compassion and community. We followed Philanthropists from around the world who found the right approach and who’s constant focus is to help total strangers overcome challenges during these tragic times in our lives.

Businesses large and small as well our way of life came to a sudden stand still. Leaders, executives have come together looking for solutions that go beyond their professional role as everything has changed. In doing so, it became clear that a recipe for survival is not possible outside a deep transformation of the entire society.

At the same time, we realised that there is a world of philanthropy on its own and it also means different things for different people.

Philanthropic Minds is a section specifically designed to deepen your understanding of giving and at the same time to connect you to likeminded individuals, one story at a time. Today we reached out to Dr Joan Myers OBE from London, UK. Who was Joan as a little girl? What do you remember about your family home?

I grew up with in London with my five siblings and my Jamaican mother, I had a happy childhood and knew at age of 3 years old when my mother gave me a nurse’s uniform as a Christmas present that I wanted to be a nurse. I actually carried a small tin of plasters to school every day to put on my friends. I am proud to say I have been a nurse for over 35 years and retired recently from my last nursing role as an Associate Director for Health Services and Chief Nurse in August 2019.

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What brings you joy in life?

I love encouraging, edifying and empowering people to excel and do well in their chosen career, that is why I enjoy doing motivational presentations and find it rewarding mentoring and coaching. Anywhere I am able to inspire others with my knowledge and experience brings me joy.

This is because as a young girl at school I was always told I was not good enough and would never amount to much. I was able to prove my teachers wrong. You can do it if you want to, it’s up to you not anyone else. However, it helps if you have someone to encourage you along the way and be your cheer leader. But firstly, you must have inner belief and self-esteem, self-worth and selfconfidence.

You had to overcome numerous challenges and we both know that life never gets easier; what keeps you strong throughout to the finishing line?

I am optimistic and have a positive outlook on most things. I see obstacles as opportunities to explore things differently to come up with new ways of doing things. I like to prove things can be done especially if challenged, so one of my mottoes is to be persistent, insistent and consistent and you will win through in the end.

You are a legend when it comes to helping others. What drives you and keeps you motivated when times are tough?

I qualified as an adult trained nurse then specialised in paediatrics and worked in the hospital setting for over 5 years before moving to the community to set up and develop Community Children’s Nursing services in 5 boroughs across London. I believe sick children can be safely managed at home with the right resources and qualified nurses to support them. Or if they need to be in hospital their length of stay can be shortened so they can be cared for in a home environment with nursing support where needed.

I became the first and only Nurse Consultant for Community Children Nursing in 2003.

I set up the first nurse led eczema clinic in one area so parents or General Practitioners could refer children to me directly, this reduced the need for them to be seen by a Dermatologist in hospital.

I was truly surprised and humbled to receive in the Queen’s birthday honours list in 2013 the Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for services to children and nursing. This was for both my work in the community across London but also for my charity work in Kenya.

You are contributing and leading numerous projects and charitable organisations. What is your best project so far?

My best project so far is the Rehoboth Children’s Home Charity in Kenya which started in 2002 initially to help one child and her family but has extended to 25 children and young people and their family. I feel really proud that these children are being fed every day and have an education which they may not have had the opportunity to have without the generous support of sponsors.

The first girl called Sharon, I sponsored when she was 3 years old in 2002 is now 21 years old. A few years ago she told me I was her role model and she wanted to be a nurse like me. She is now half way through her nurse training in Kenya and her younger sister will be starting her training soon.

Her older brother always wanted to be a lawyer.

They grew up in the slums in poverty, but today he has his diploma in law and is completing his law degree. That family administers the work of the charity in Kenya today.

Melda the mother of Sharon was a phenomenal woman although she had 9 children of her own and lived in the slums in poverty, she was always looking out for others and how she could help them. Melda identified most of the children from the village she felt needed support and between her and her children helped me to run the charity from Kenya.

Sadly Melda passed away last year but not before realising our dream of purchasing land. When the children’s home is built on the land it will be named after Melda as a lasting legacy of the great work she did in her local community to support vulnerable children and their families.

What are your wildest dreams? What would you do if you had a magic wand?

My vision and dream are to build a school, health centre, church and children home in Nakuru, Kenya where I have purchased land with the support of my church. Its not a wild dream it’s my vision for the future, I don’t need a magic wand just faith in God who can do all things. My favourite scripture verse is I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I believe it’s important to leave a legacy and do all we can when we can to help others who need it.

We are only here on earth for a season but for a reason so we need to find our purpose, have a plan and fulfil our dreams. My passion is to touch hearts for Christ by loving people in action, demonstrating God’s love.

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I am most proud of the medical mission and evangelism event we held on the land in Nakuru last September where we were able to provide medical treatment 3 days for over 400 people who would not have opportunity to see or doctor or would not have been able to afford the medication prescribed. I led a team of six and was supported by the ministry of health in the local area which is providing doctors and nurses to help. We also gave out food and clothes and prayed for people and demonstrated the love of God in action.

Who are the three top Caribbean Women coming to mind?

The top of my list of Caribbean Women who I look up to is my mother, the matriarch. She was very strict with me as I was the eldest girl, so I had to set the example for the others. My mother was my first mentor and coach and her words of wisdom and prayers have helped me to be the person I am today. I believe my confidence and resilience come from my mother’s faith and belief in my ability to do better. The motto I live by is “Good, better, best. Never let it rest. ‘Til your good is better and your better is best.”

Lynette Phillips OBE, an independent management consultant who became my coach in 2008 and has supported me in my career progression especially when dealing with challenges in the work place.

Dr Neslyn Watson-Druee CBE FCGI FRCN, has been my executive coach who challenged and stretched me to excel in my career but especially so in my last role as Associate Director & Chief Nurse before I retired from nursing in August 2019.

These powerful women help me to stand by my belief to go where you are celebrated, do not stay where you are tolerated as anytime you are denigrated you would never be appreciated.

These phenomenal women were the main people who coached, mentored, counselled and prayed for me throughout my career.

Would you do what you do without being paid for it?

One of the areas I like to support nurses and others in is to realise they are all very important – one of a kind, born to make a difference. In the NHS the majority of Black nurses are often overlooked for promotion and very few get promoted to senior management or director of nursing or chief nurse position.

I have been really blessed to be able to progress but I received support from my mentors and coaches as it was challenging. So my passion is to help nurses to be promoted and progress in their careers if this is what they want to do. I offer interview preparation and support in developing their confidence. Therefore my desire is to see more black nurses represented at all levels in decision making spaces where they can influence positive change for other black nurses.

What is exciting and happening as we speak, either in your organisation, career or personal life? Can we help you break the news?

When COVID-19 started I found out a lot of frontline nurses especially those who work in the community or in care homes did not have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) this includes masks and gloves and gowns. I join up with Ascension Trust a Christian initiative with a group of nurses, doctors, social workers and counsellors and we formed Five2Medics.

The Ascension Trust and its CEO, Rev Les Isaac OBE have partnered with Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI), Christ Hospital Ministry (CHM), and Marva Bell, MBACP (Counsellors Inc) to raise funds to purchase PPE equipment for frontline workers.

Our aim is to provide PPE and psychological support for frontline workers who need it. We have been running webinars on topics such as “who is caring for the carer?” and have provided Mental health and welling support, education and information. I enjoy working with ambitious professionals who are generous with their time, knowledge and skills and want to use it to benefit others.

About Dr Joan Myers OBE Joan has over 35 years’ experience as a nurse consultant and educator in community children’s nursing settings across London. She has worked as an advisor to the Chief Nursing Officer for England in the NHS for over 10 years.

Joan recently retired from her post as Associate Director for Health Services and Chief Nurse in Kingston and Richmond last year.

Joan is a 2018 Florence Nightingale Foundation Leadership Scholar and became a Trustee and Director with the Florence Nightingale Foundation in 2019.

She is on Royal College of Nursing Council representing over 62,000 nurses in London.

Joan is an inspirational speaker and is passionate about motivating and challenging people to excel and do well in their careers. Her Independent consultancy company offers mentorship and career support.

Joan received an OBE for services to children and nursing in the Queens’ Birthday honors’ list in 2013, she is a Queen’s nurse & has a honorary doctorate from Middlesex University.

Joan is a pastor at Rehoboth International Christian Centre in Croydon and is also a member of Five2Medics affiliated with Ascension Trust.

Joan has a children’s charity providing education and support for over 25 vulnerable children & their families in Nakuru, Kenya Dr Joan Myers OBE retired and launched her own Consultancy firm in August 2020.

Stock Market, Futures, Bonds And All That – Interview With Jasmine Birtles

By Roxana Mohammadian-Molina

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“

ith the summer in full swing, we are finally leaving our homes!

Money worries, futures, stock market, bonds and all that stuff could wait- it is time to buy that new dress, have that new look, lift your spirit and help the economy; after all “Money must go round!”

But how far can money take you in life?

On reflection, perhaps you remember yourself as a young girl, decades ago, asking your mother: “Can I have a new dress for my birthday?” and her immediate, automated reply: “ Ask your father.” Or your best girlfriend confessing: “I hate money. My parents always fight over it. I don’t want to be rich. I want to be happy.”

As the last few generations of women started to develop an interest for financial literacy, more women understand money and appreciate the freedom to create an enriched lifestyle. While men see money as the means to a secure future, they don’t like to spend, instead, they invest. For the most part, we woman are not as interested in investing. Sure we like to save money and we are really good at it but why do we not see money as a tool of growing our wealth?

Official statistics show that most women find investing daunting, especially if they don’t come from a finance background. It is no wonder than that most traders are men and on a whole, trading floors throughout the world are mainly filled with men.

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If I put a bit of effort into spending less than I earn, I can make money quite easily.

So why aren't women investing? We reached out to find women who went through a similar journey and now are at the top of their financial game, helping other women navigate through uncertain times and build their financial freedom.

One such extraordinary women is Jasmine Brtiels. A celebrity financial and business journalist, TV presenter, owner of money investing website Money Magpie, is well known for her column My Glossary of Weird Financial Terms.”, Jasmine is no stranger to trading and the possibilities it offers.

Surprisingly, this was no longer the case and after leaving university, she had a rude awakening about money management.

Over a virtual cup of coffee, I sat down with Jasmine Birtles who shares her financial journey, her experiences and precious tips to anyone looking to start building their investment portfolio. I started by first asking her about how this journey into money and trading began for her.

“

What can you tell us about how this journey began for you?

I don’t come from a numbers background, I did English at university and I’m really selftaught when it comes to investing. Like many people, I grew up in a family that knew nothing about investing. My parents didn’t teach me very much about it, so when I left university and I was freelancing, very quickly I got myself into debt. That was quite a rude awakening which I had to work myself out of.

Then, I was working at the BBC business unit and started reading up about investing and money. And I had this sort of light bulb moment. I suddenly realised that money management, investing it’s not hard. It’s not the complicated thing it seems when you hear all those difficult words about the stock market and things like future and bonds and all that sort of stuff, it’s not that complicated.

And I thought: “Gosh, really the principles are pretty easy to understand and quite logical. And I’ve just been wasting my time for all these years, sort of just managing day to day. If I put a bit of effort into spending less than I earn, and just regularly putting a certain amount of money away into different things, I can make money quite easily. How come I didn’t know this?” And I realised, well, nobody had taught me. This wasn’t something I was taught at school. This is not the sort of thing my personal friends would talk about. And so, I thought, well, I’m going to learn more about it, I’m going to do this.

The first thing I did once I got out of basic debt was to focus on paying off my mortgage because I considered that was an investment in itself. And in so doing, I also set up a pension. And I understood the importance of spreading your money into different types of things just to cover yourself. And, so I started to learn some basics about investing in the stock market.

“

Sadly though, women are still not talking about money as much as they should.

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Invest your money and spend what is left; don’t spend your money and invest what is left “Never depend on a single income. Invest to create a second source of income”- has always been my mantra. What are your thoughts on investing as a way to secure a second source of income?

Well, I’m all in with that mantra and as I said because I was a freelancer and was trying to build a career as an actress, I really needed to have more than one source of income. So, I agree that is very important.

Especially for us women, the idea of being financially independent is essential. Sadly though, women are still not talking about money as much as they should. I would say women tend to only start thinking about that seriously in their thirties or when they start having children. But even then, there’s still a reticence to openly discuss financial goals and ambitions. There’s still a narrowness of expectation and women keep going to savings.

There’s that saying, “men invest, women save” and I think it’s a lack of confidence. It’s not something that has been in the culture so much. And it’s not the sort of thing you talk about in the playground or around a coffee with friends. Fortunately, this is slowly starting to change as there are more wellknown female investors and women are talking about it more – certainly older women are, but there’s still a long way to go.

You touched upon some of the factors why women tend to invest less, and you mentioned the generational differences. I was wondering if that may have something to do with the younger generation’s perception of investing? Investing still sounds like a big word and younger generations who are only getting started in their career may not have a lot of cash spare to invest after paying for their rent and lifestyle. What are your thoughts on that?

I think you’re right. That’s a big myth that you need to have money in order to invest. But there is also a perception among young urbanites that they’re never going to get anywhere, that the baby boomers have already eaten all the goodies and that they’re not going to be able to make big money, so they might as well spend what they’ve got now. And that is really holding them back, yet I think it is a mistake because they actually can gradually get the money together to have a deposit on a house and at the same time, create a little pension for themselves. All they have to do is start investing small, consistently set aside some money to invest and spread their bets across different products.

One of the key issues we are facing is people not saving. People, especially the younger generations, would always argue that there’s never enough money left at the end of the month to save. Of course not, nobody has money at the end of the month! That’s why I think you need to pay yourself first and use standing orders. I love standing orders! I just set them up into this, that and the other and then about day three of the month, I’m thinking, golly, I’m poor, but it means that you then have looked after your future self by transferring money from your current account into that particular investment for later on. And then, you cope with what you’ve got left. So, my advice always is to invest your money and spend what is left; don’t spend your money and invest what is left.

I couldn’t agree more about the need to consistently set aside some money and invest regularly, yet start small and diversify. Tell us about your ideal investment portfolio.

If you’re starting off as an investor, the first thing to do is to have your savings, your safety net, your cash buffer. Ideally that should be an account with at least six months’ worth of money, enough to cover you for six months if you lost your job and couldn’t earn. And then after that, I think one needs to have money put going into a pension and ideally one should have one’s own property, possibly another one if you’ve got the extra cash. I personally am a big fan of index tracking funds, stock market funds. I think it’s good to have some money in the stock market in some form. I also invest in your company, Blend Network, which is a higher rate of return.

Let’s talk about portfolio diversification, which essentially is a fancy term for not putting all your eggs in one basket. I know that you are a big fan of spreading your bets both in terms of investing in different products and in terms of having different investment horizons. Tell us a bit more about that.

Yes, absolutely. There are a few myths and mantras that I have when it comes to investing.

One is: “never invest in anything you don’t understand.” There are a lot of investments where just a little bit of reading and talking to one or two people will enable you to understand the basics of it. Frankly, if you can work out which is the best value out of 10 tins of baked beans in the supermarket, you should be able to work out which is a good value investment.

My other mantra is: “Spread your bets” because there is nothing safe, no investment is fundamentally safe. So, the only way you can defend yourself and defend your money is to put some money into a number of different types of products, like cash savings accounts, shares, pensions, bonds, property, etc... because all of them work in different ways. If one product tanks, then you’ve got a few other products that you can fall back on. Oh, and my other mantra is about managing your money: “spend less than you earn and invest.”

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I love that quote. I actually have it as well: “Invest money and spend what is left. Don’t spend your money and invest what is left.”

I want to touch a bit on due diligence process before investing in a new product. In particular, something we have seen at our company Blend Network is that women tend to spend a lot more time doing the due diligence and the research before they invest.

But once they invest, they tend to be stickier to the product because they have done a lot of due diligence while men tend to do shorter due diligence, but they tend to do more shortterm trading. What are your views on that?

Well, they say Warren Buffet invests like a woman because he looks at how a company is going to do long term and women have a tendency to do the same. I mean, every study I’ve seen into the difference between the genders, when it comes to investing shows that women do slightly better than men. It’s not a massive difference, but I’ve never seen one that said the opposite. It seems to be because as you say, women take more time looking into an investment product but also, they trade less.

Every time you trade, certainly with the stock market, it tends to cost you. Women are “buy and hold”. I’m a buy and hold type of a person.

In my case, I don’t want to spend too much time fussing about these different types of investments. I want to do it and leave it.

Yes, they say “investing should be like watching paint dry”!

About: Roxana Mohammadian-Molina is an advisor to tech companies across the GCC, Chief Strategy Officer and Board Member at London-based FinTech company Blend Network. A former banker at Morgan Stanley in London, she now sits on the Board of Women in Finance 2020 and focuses on investing in, growing, and advising tech companies.

Dream BIG Start Small

by Dr Marina Nani

W

hen I first met Sarah Sabraoui at the Arab Chamber of Commerce in London, it was the beginning of spring. I remember when she spoke, the sunshine greeting her face with a gentle uplifting confidence. I was at the end of my recovery, and that day was my last day as an outdoor patient, still feeling a bit fragile but listening to her story, I couldn’t help but thinking “No winter survives spring…”

Sarah Sabraoui is kind and compassionate, an extraordinary woman who is not afraid of dreaming big. Together with her husband Khalil, Sarah made her family a top priority and she simply adores her three lovely boys Yusuf, Mohamad and Karim.

Originally from Lebanon, Sarah speaks Arabic, French and English. With a BA in industrial psychology, she launched her teaching career in Dubai and six years later she joined a digital media marketing company in Saudi Arabia, where she advanced her corporate life. After living for more than sixteen years in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, her family relocated to the UK, three years ago.

Moving to a different culture was tough: “Though I delivered my eldest In Watford hospital, settling in the UK was one of my biggest challenges.”

Listening to Sarah again during one of the seminars hosted by Sterling Marketing Consultancy Ltd this autumn, I found myself reflecting on the vestiges of the economic winter thrown at us unexpectedly by the pandemic which brought the world to a sudden halt. And yet, that gentle uplifting confidence I noticed when we first met, reminded me of the promise of warm summer days ahead...

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Finding the perfect balance Who was Sarah as a little girl?

I was born in Lebanon and have grown up in Beirut, the capital city. I have three sisters and two brothers and I can say that I am grateful for my lovely childhood. Like scattered seeds, memories bloom forever back to my loving parents, my sisters and my brothers.

My parents taught us that the family is everything, and we always cared for each other, loved each other and supported each other.

This is how sisters and brothers should be...

We all loved our father, even though he was working away most of the time, in Ivory Coast.

My father taught us to be kind with others, to be strong when we face challenges in life and be open-minded, which helped us along the way adapt to new cultures and respect others for who they are.

My mother was a strong lady; she took care of six children alone, due to the absence of my dad for long periods during the year. She was great in every sense, as a mother, as a wife, as a friend. We all loved her delicious food. When I got married, she offered me a handwritten recipe book with my favourite meals that she used to cook while I was at home.

From an early age, you went on a quest to find the secret to a balanced, happier and healthier life. Why does finding a perfect work-life balance matter so much to you?

I was only 21 years old when I got married and we had our first child one year later. At the same time, I have started my career, my family, a new place and I became a mother. My first son was my sunshine .

I was looking to build my family and my career equally. Honestly, I didn't have time for as little as a coffee in the morning. I had to learn to prioritise and manage my time well, focus on what really matters for myself, my family and my career. Between all the commitments, finding time for my friends is very rewarding (having coffee with a friend is all the therapy you need sometimes).

What solutions do you have for women seeking a better work- life balance?

Covid has changed us, the pandemic is a new reality for my generation, for my kids' generation and I found that most people, including myself, are embracing a different mindset. 2020 was tough for everybody, it is so easy to feel overwhelmed with all the redundancies, job cuts, furlough and so much sad news from around the world. I couldn’t find any good news in the outside world, so I started to think about initiating something positive, in a way, creating the good news myself. This is how I decided to launch a new beauty business and at the same time, help other women become successful entrepreneurs.

Your logo is “Dream Big. Start Small”. Is nurturing your business similar with nurturing a child?

Dreaming big is important; the challenge is to make that big dream a reality. In my own experience, you have to start small when you dream big. You nurture that dream until it grows and, like your child, will be there for you when you grow old.

It is never easy to build a business, especially during present times. The truth is that when things get difficult, I get better at managing those challenges. Our children are watching, we are their life model. I always ask myself “What do I want my children to learn from their parents?”

Of course, it is easy to give up and it takes courage to succeed. The main aim for me is to inspire them to never give up, despite any circumstances.

Tell us about a day in your life. What are your daily rituals?

I usually wake up at 6.30 am and have my own time, praying, planning the day ahead so when my family wakes up, all is well organised.

At 9.15 am, I start my office work, from home. I love the idea of working from home. I found that there are lots of benefits for a working mum: you can take a quick break and turn on the laundry machine or prepare a quick meal for dinner before the children return home.

I love jogging in good weather, and working from home gives me the time to exercise.

Dinner time is my favourite time, as we get together around a healthy meal, share what we did during the day. I rarely watch TV, but I love reading a book before going into a deep sleep.

What is your relationship with food? Do you spend time in the kitchen? Who is helping you?

Cooking healthy meals is very important in our family. I have grown up in a family where my mum used to cook healthy and delicious meals every day. Although I don't have the luxury of time, I cook every other day, and I make sure that my children enjoy their food. Is no secret that I have a passion for baking. I really enjoy baking a cake on their birthdays, or I make some cookies at home, during weekends or holidays.

How did you stay active during the pandemic?

During the lockdown, my main concern was to take care of the family, I pressed the pause button for my professional life. My three boys had their zoom classes every day, including my youngest, who is five years old. My husband was working from home as well. I had to make sure everyone was logged in on zoom on the right time every morning.

I had to stay alert for my youngest from 9 am to 3 pm and help him do his daily work. I am satisfied to see him enjoying learning with me and starting his year one with confidence.

My middle child had to practice the piano after having his lesson on skype but it is all worth it! He passed his grade six piano exam with a merit!

I am happy and proud to see my eldest son who graduated from 6th form, starting his first year of Accounting and Finance at Queen Mary University..I believe that education is key to our children’s future. Knowing they are healthy and happy is the greatest reward for any mother.

You worked in the digital industry and gained vast experience in marketing. Now you are building your business in a very different industry: beauty. What are your plans for the future?

Digital marketing helped me gain experience in this field and now there are very few industries, if any, which are not digital.

The digital world is evolving every day, and there are constant changes on all social media platforms; live streaming is becoming essential to promote a service, a product or a brand. We live in a demanding era, in terms of content, in terms of creativity and imagination.

I love everything natural and it is my firm belief that the wellness sector is booming in the UK and is growing fast all over the world.

My dream is running different projects at the same time and I work hard to achieve my goals.

I am working with fellow mums, we work flexible hours and our efforts are paying off. We started small but we dream big.

You relocated to the UK three years ago.

How difficult was it to settle in the UK? I was always looking for a perfect balance between family and personal dreams. While living in Gulf countries, a wonderful nanny stayed with us for fourteen years, she helped me a lot at home and I counted on her during my absence as she was great and lovely with my boys.

When we moved to the UK, I found that I had more responsibilities at home and my children realised that we need to work together as we have no one to help us here.

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Having two teens and one youngster, we had to adapt to a new country and find new friends.

I joined my husband in our family business, I attended different networking events and connected with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

I also attended various workshops. I took business coaching to define my personal business goals. At the same time, I went back into teaching and I have worked hard on my UCAS application and passed successful interviews with a non salaried route .

The lockdown period gave me a lot of scope for introspection and considering what is happening around us, I decided to postpone this plan, and pressed the reset button.

Time to re-imagine my life on new terms.

What are the main lessons you learned during the lockdown?

Success is not only based on a good salary, position or possession. You need to achieve personal fulfilment, you need to find a work life balance to be confident and believe in yourself.

What are you grateful for?

Being a present mum and still being able to work on my big dream gives me a lot of joy: my children are supporting me in my new venture. This is especially important as they learn from a young age how real efforts enable us to achieve big dreams. They can see that every start is difficult but your life experience makes you stronger. I think it is healthy for them to learn that there are ups and downs in life. I am grateful for building their self esteem and confidence, knowing that they are stronger than any life challenge.

I count my blessings every day and I believe that better things will come at the right time.

What have you learned during the lockdown that you want to share with our readers?

I loved the quote “When you fear something, dive straight into it” Psychologists say, go with the choice that scares you the most, because that’s the one that helps you to grow . Be grateful every day and enjoy every moment with your loved ones.

Changing the World: Unlocking our Full Human Potential

by Susie Poole

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e exist in two worlds, the external world, what we see and touch, and our internal world, our thoughts, emotions, and self-care. These two worlds are constantly interacting and shaping each other.

The external world can consume our lives – the demands of work and family, rushing through each day, conforming to social norms, trying to keep up with everything, leaving little time for ourselves. We tend to believe the external world drives and dominates our internal world. And here’s where it gets interesting.

Scientists now believe, and are proving, that our internal world significantly influences the external world. In other words, when we feel valued, respected, loved, and supported, we feel nurtured. And it is this nurturing that is the key to unlocking our full human potential.

Nurturing shapes more than our daily behaviour – it shapes our internal world for life. Before we reach the age of seven, our brains are operating at low frequency, like hypnosis, yet developing rapidly: still absorbing without constantly questioning. What we take in becomes our belief system and how we speak to our children becomes their inner voice.

From age seven, the developing belief system drives our subconscious mind – our behaviour, our perception of ourselves and the world, our ability to connect and form meaningful relationships, even the circumstances we are drawn to in life. When we nurture our children, delight in them, laugh and play together, they learn to delight in being themselves and in life.

We have three “brains”: the head, the heart and our gut. They each have their own intrinsic nervous systems and neurons, and can take on information, process it, store it, change and adapt. Together they span what we think and what we feel. The head is our source of thinking and rational processing; it makes meaning of things. The heart is our source of processing emotion and home of our values, from which we connect with others; and the gut is where we park safety and self-preservation, courage, and motivation.

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Women & Society

According to renowned executive coach and mentor, Brian Gorman, all too often business leaders are either disconnected from their heart and gut brains, or if they are connected, they still screen messages from the heart and gut through their head, because rational thought must win at all costs. They veer away from depending on gut instinct and rule emotion out of the equation.

Conversely when we consider some of the most inspiration entrepreneurs, innovative thinkers and leaders around the world, it is clear that the “other two brains” the heart and gut, have been a major influence on the decisions they’ve made and subsequent actions they’ve taken.

A name that is probably popping into your head right now is Sir Richard Branson. On a local level I would also put our own inspiring Carla Kaufmann of Get Diversity as a “three brain thinker”. Effective leadership requires all three brains, especially during times of change.

When we connect to all three brains, it can improve clarity, create a connection and evoke conviction. At a corporate level, learning when to utilise each of the three brains and which ‘brain’ Is best suited to deal with any given situation is increasingly being recognised as a powerful tool for effective decision-making or driving change.

If all three of these brains – head, heart and gut are equally valued in how we think and make decisions, then emotion and nurturing can also play a key role in driving change and optimising our lives.

When we feel connected and ‘nurtured’, for our brains, which evolved to keep us alive in the wilderness, this equals safety. And when we feel safe, this allows our brains to be engaged, we become more productive, innovative, creative and we reach out to others, optimising team work and collaboration.

Leaders who connect and nurture relationships spur innovation and productivity.

At a personal level, using all three brains, allows us to fully engaged with our work, our lives, and our full selves. Connecting to our heart provides what we all seek in life: our happiness and well-being. The clearest message from the longest study on happiness of 75 years conducted by Harvard University is: ‘Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.‘

More than money, recognition and fame, it is having relationships with mutual love, appreciation, and a feeling of connection – simply having relationships with heart coherence – that matters most.

So, if our thoughts, emotions and behaviour create our reality, how do we create what we want from life?

How do we make our world a better place for us and future generations? Neurobiology and epigenetics are telling us that we achieve this through nurturing, being in heart coherence and at a more profound level changing our self-limiting belief systems. Science is finding our belief systems are not fixed for life! There are now ways to re-program these to ones that support us to help us achieve our goals and aspirations.

Essentially science is revealing that when we live more from the internally driven world than the externally driven world, this shifts us from a fear-based consciousness to a heart-based consciousness.

Living by the externally driven world, we live the Darwinian paradigm that life is about “survival of the fittest”. It assumes that the essence of life is about survival and conjures up the image of the lion chasing us. We are in stress mode. Our fight, flight and freeze mode is activated, driven by fear. Fear closes down our “thinking brains”, eventually numbs the body, disconnecting us from ourselves and others; and

ongoing stress can cause all sorts of health problems. In the external world, we are in reaction mode, relying on brute force and physical strength. We are operating at a sub-optimal level.

In the internally driven world, we seek “heart coherence”. This is a highly efficient state in which, according to the Heartmaths Institute, all of the body’s systems work together in harmony, increasing the alignment of our mind, body, emotions and spirit. The process is the object – the enjoyment of life. In the internally driven world, we are at our most powerful when we operate from our imagination and have our mind, body and spirit fully engaged to create a better reality. We are operating at peak performance.

Shifting from fear-based external consciousness to a heart-based internal consciousness is not about hugging trees, but rather about elevating humanity to a new level of consciousness to fully realise our human potential.

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For centuries, women have been disempowered, often dismissed as “too emotional for a man’s world”, limited to the role of nurturer and carer, while men assumed the roles of providers and rule-makers.

Thankfully over the last one hundred years or so, the women’s movement has been a considerable and persistent force in influencing change. Opportunities for women to step beyond these limitations have increased substantially but sadly, gender-based stereotypes of emotional vs. rational still exist.

The women’s movement has been instrumental in changing how society views gender roles, but this has been more focused on the external factors of equality and pay. Nurturing is seen as an emotional task and while appreciated within the family context, it has until recently, been grossly undervalued and seen as a weakness or “soft skill” in the business world. Because of this, insufficient value has been placed on women’s role in nurturing and the valuing of others.

When we begin to understand the benefits of nurturing, it becomes clear that this emotional work is not only a woman’s strength, but also has the potential to change the way we as humans live on this planet.

The role that nurturing plays in shaping our internal world has an impact on our external world. It comes as little surprise that studies show that firms with women on the executive board are more profitable. Only last year, the Swiss parliament mandated that on publicly traded companies, boards of directors should have better female representation, which will be good for those companies and the Swiss economy.

By elevating the importance of nurturing, it opens it up to greater accessibility and alignment with both genders. It frees up men to have greater choice in choosing to be a homemaker or part-time worker and to share in the nurturing role with their partner. Just as valuing nurturing liberates women, it liberates men, giving them permission to fully access their hearts and whole selves to reach their full potential. Where governments mandate paid paternity leave as well as the more traditional maternity leave it further endorses the value placed on nurturing as a powerful influence on how we raise future generations. It recognises that nurturing need not be solely the domain of women.

Yet despite women’s traditional role as the nurturer, women are neither taught how to, nor encouraged to explore, utilising caring for others as a significant strength. This secret superpower influences not only the family and the home, but also the workplace, the community, and the very foundations of society.

However, nurturing is not just about the gender issue.

It is about nurturing ourselves as well as others.

Some of the issues we are facing in 2020 – Black Lives Matter, the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing and dealing with the consequence of climate change – all require change. Major change is now our new normal. To manage the challenges of a global pandemic, or to rapidly transition to a postcarbon economy, we need all the benefits that nurturing provides: tapping into our potential for a boost in creativity, innovation, productivity, collaboration with others and effective change management. World leaders who have earned some of

My vision is to help women recognise where our power lies, so we can learn to use our power mindfully, understanding the impact and creating realities we want for ourselves and all of humanity. And when we collaborate, our impact is magnified and multiplied.

We can be the drivers of change for the world we want to live in. We are more powerful than we realise.

the highest praise for their responses to the COVID crisis are women, such as Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern.

Earlier this year I was delighted to be invited to join the board, in October, of one of Switzerland’s largest women’s business networks, Womenway, as Director of Environment, Social and Corporate Governance.

Board-members and executives make up 43% of Womenway’s community. In this role I will be driving a new strategic imperative called “Women Leading the Way” by collaborating with partners, the focus of which is to empower and inspire individual action and collaboration on local and world issues; and to create a nurturing community among Swiss and international women.

About the writer: Susie Poole is a climate change/energy thought leader and an advocate for women empowerment, particularly for leading the transformation to a post carbon and sustainable economy. She is a partner of a global permaculture climate change initiative – 52 Climate Actions, a partnership of 10 International organisations.

Together with her role at WOMENWAY, Susie aims to empower women and organisations to create a better today and a tomorrow to look forward to...

Living a Double Life

Fear, Shame, Mental Health Issues and Eating Disorders

by Patricia Ordody

L

one day…

iving with mental health issues and addictive behaviours, made me live a double life, to protect my social status, and hide my fears, shame, mental health issues and eating disorders, until

My truth shall set me free – which truth is keeping you imprisoned?

I am not a health coach, who came from a healthy place. I am a Health Coach who beat the odds of a 17-year battle with an eating disorder, depression and severe anxiety. I was successful on the outside, yet terrified, alone and broken on the inside. This article is not only to honour my personal journey, because I am no longer afraid or ashamed, but also to give hope to those struggling. Be it a bad habit, personal, professional or health challenge, or an addictive behaviour to whichever degree, there are many of us who have struggled, who share your pain, who have overcome, who understand. Knowing that can already make a difference.

I was always a perfectionist and thought negatively about myself, even though to everyone else I was a happy kid with a great life.

The negative thoughts spiralled from anxiety into obsessive compulsiveness at age 10 and at age 16, I developed a severe eating disorder that followed me for the next 17 years, sometimes extreme, sometimes I managed, but I never felt like I could overcome it.

There were countless moments of despair.

The loneliness, guilt, shame, rejection, fear, and self-hatred that I often experienced is not something I wish upon anyone. Be it anorexia, orthorexia (obsession with healthy eating), bulimia or a mixture of disordered eating, whatever overwhelmed me was numbed by abusing food. Restricting it, shovelling it down, purging it, controlling it, ignoring it, lying

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about it, hiding it, throwing it away, buying excessive amounts of it. Something would trigger me and it was as if a switch went off in my brain. I was on a mission to just focus on food in one of the previously mentioned ways.

In my worst episodes, I was in such a state of delirium that whatever happened over the next few minutes, or perhaps hour, was literally a blur when I came to my senses. It was uncontrollable and terrifying, yet often my only way out of feeling whatever it was I thought I would not survive feeling.

This is a reality I know I am not alone with.

Nevertheless, the tolerance and understanding for eating disorders is low in our society.

Alcohol, drugs and gambling are understood as dangerous. For those suffering like I did, food is or was that numbing substance. I was judged for wanting to be skinny, despite my slim frame, and for not being logical.

Food is normal, it is necessary. How messed up must I be not to be able to manage this basic need on Maslow’s hierarchy? We do not need drugs and alcohol to survive, yet food is constantly in our face. It is part of practically every social setting on a personal and professional level. Being social meant I had to lie, cheat, pretend and hide even more in order for the truth not to rear its ugly head. Being social meant I had to persistently control my addiction in front of others, because my greatest fear was losing face: to have others look at me with the contempt, disgust, hatred, fear and shame that I saw staring back at me in the mirror every day.

Especially in Switzerland, where I have lived for the last 14 years, this issue is still shoved under the carpet. Nevertheless, many people struggle with eating disorders, disordered eating and, as in my case, the often related issues of depression, severe anxiety and insomnia to only name a few. Mental health issues, addictive behaviours, or whichever category you want to select, the problems are real and too often kept quiet.

Women & Society

I tried every form of support from alternative methods to classical psychology and am still grateful for all the help, input and inspiration I received. I made progress, but not feeling understood made me doubt if I could be helped at all. Furthermore, I lived a dual life the entire time – successful, competent, social and pretty on the outside versus lonely, depressed, terrified and broken on the inside. I felt like a liar and a fraud. I often wished I could speak to someone who has overcome the illness successfully, but never found anyone around me. Why? Sharing your truth and struggle means letting others know about these real issues no one wants to discuss.

Whatever is not understood, real and different is feared and shamed. Opening up means being vulnerable and it means taking responsibility. While I did a lot of work on finding out the cause of my illness, this did not give me a peace of mind. The reality is that the emotions and fears driving my illness were not resolved with a simple answer to a question.

Who cares about the “why” when you cannot get through the day? I blamed myself for how and who I was, but this was as useless as blaming someone else, since the outcome is the same: victimisation and inaction. It had nothing to do with taking responsibility, but no one told me that, or perhaps I could not hear it since I felt completely alone and not at all understood. I could write a book on the countless ways I tried to cope, improve and recover.

Often the process was two steps forward, three back, but there was progress. When I felt like I had come to a good point in my life with a more suitable job, healthier family relationships and friendships, and somewhat stable food habits, things took a turn for the worse.

Over three years my health disintegrated and I was shoved into the “burn-out” bucket, because my symptoms made no sense to anyone and to be honest, no one really wanted to take time to take a closer look.

A blessing in disguise What I experienced thereafter is what pushed to become a Health Coach. Getting physically ill to the point of struggling to move, digest or sleep, forced me to slow down, to study, to research, to ask the difficult questions without the help of a doctor, since I had lost hope and had no more strength to seek out anyone else.

Getting help and truly taking responsibility are two different things. I had to stop searching for answers outside, thinking “if this…then that,” and do the hard work of taking my anxiety, emotions, traumas, experiences, relationships, habits, thoughts and beliefs apart with the right questions. The process forced me to understand the signs my body has been sending me for so long and to slowly learn to accommodate what I need.

Things did not change from one day to the next, but setting goals and taking committed, concerted action every single hour of every day, will lead to progress. I stopped planning one year ahead and focused on getting through hour by hour, day by day. I tried and tested dozens of tools, questions, healthy coping strategies until I was equipped with those that got me through those difficult days. They still show up, but I accepted that an addiction does not disappear.

I remain vulnerable, I remain honest. There is still too much shame attached to addictive behaviours and mental health issues, even when someone has beaten the odds, which quite frankly should be celebrated and shared. Today I celebrate and share my success of making the impossible possible, of making my pain my purpose. I had to learn that in order to heal, I don’t need THE truth, I need to honour MY truth. I was scared to share this story for years and realised that as long as fear and shame dominate, I have no real chance to live fully. Fear and shame are prisoners to our souls. My truths may not be yours, but I urge you to honour your own.

Which truth is keeping you imprisoned? Discover it, honour it, work through it and allow that process to set you free.

About the writer: Patricia Ordody is a holistic Health Coach supporting busy, career-driven people in making nutritional and lifestyle changes to improve their mental, physical, social and emotional health for a happier and more successful personal and professional life. She founded her company Health is Wealth because of her personal health journey, through which she became passionate about helping anyone with similar struggles related to work-life balance, addictive behaviors, weight management, hormone health, stress management and more. Visit her website to learn more and contact her today for a free discovery call: www.healthiswealth.ch

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Why Evolution Depends on Diversity

By Carla Kaufmann

A

t some point we have to decide who we want to be. What is important to us and where the journey of our life should lead us. Which doesn’t mean that we will get there. All of our plans are of no use if things turn out differently than you thought. COVID 19 is currently showing us another side of our ability to adapt and change. It is not better, it is not worse, it is different.

We have to learn to deal with new circumstances and we have to get involved, and this is the only way we could take the next step into the unknown.

I remember a scene with my father where he asked me over and over again: are you sure that your statement is correct as it is? Why do you think it is so, why can’t it be different? – Frighteningly fast I didn’t know what to say to him anymore. I was 12 years old at the time. When I was 16 I had a neardeath experience. I saw myself from above.

Wrapped up in pain, as people rushed to me to try and bring me back. Although I didn’t actually decide to come back myself – I did. Why? We don’t question ourselves enough. We don’t question the status quo enough. We live merely to survive, whereas we should create, improve, innovate. We take it for granted that things are how they are. Why? The long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on our economies are not yet foreseeable. It hit our global economic system like a tidal wave and led to lockdowns all over the world. During these trying times, many entrepreneurs are likely to have seen their entrepreneurial existence from above as well.

An entrepreneurial near-death experience, so to say, wholly unexpected and unprecedented. – What now? Do you keep on going? And, if so, why?

In Switzerland, the Federal Council declared the lockdown on March 16 and upheld it until May 11, 2020, thereby shutting down a large part of economic and social life during almost two months.

Only four weeks later, on June 9, 2020, the Swiss parliament passed the “Aktienrechtsreform” bill and thus implemented gender guidelines for listed

companies. Without people noticing. 67% of Swiss public limited companies with more than 50 employees do not have a single woman on their board of directors (Diversity Report 2020). Why? Evolution is not a status; it is a process. We are in the middle of it and we are part of it. What evolution is in nature, innovation is in business. But we have only one primary source of innovation, and that’s our imagination. The imagination of the people we interact with, the people we discuss our challenges with.

Evolution has caught us off guard – what innovations do we respond to it with? And, more importantly, how do we imagine to respond to it in the future? Widen your imagination and surround yourself with inspiring people, men and women. If there has ever been a time to enlarge your perspective, to include different, diverse perspectives it’s now. – while we are still alive.

About the writer: Carla Kaufmann has an masters degree in law from the university of St. Gallen. After working for PWC she bought 2010 the online platform companymarket.ch and is ever since working in a highly specialised e-commerce business. In 2012 she also founded the association geschaeftsfrau.ch where especially women get trained in taking over a business.

My Journey into

The World of Fine Art Jewellery

by Lesley Calvo

H

ave you ever felt transformed when putting on a statement necklace, a beautiful diamond piece, or a strong amulet? You know it goes beyond the pretty looks, or body adornment, it can make you feel attractive and powerful, takes you into a deeper joy and allows you to shine within. Since before recorded history, humans have been adorning themselves with pieces of jewellery designed to become somebody’s treasure.

Every piece of jewellery has a meaning and a never ending story and each time you wear it, it sparks an emotion; it is an expression of spirituality, reflecting wealth, being a tool of trade or a priceless talisman to heal, cherish and protect loved ones.

As a little girl, I had a deep fascination with jewellery. I remember sitting with my grandma playing with her jewellery box, seeing the rainbow lights twinkling in the diamonds as I moved them round. I felt its magic. To my young mind these beautiful works of art held so much beauty and unwavering strength, the power to transform the wearer into a queen, a goddess or a warrior.

When I first started studying jewellery design I carried years of research into the spirit of adornment which inspired our ancestors into the art adornment, fashion and jewellery.

What fascinated me back then and mesmerises me now is the human imagination, the ability to create treasurable beauty of lasting worth.

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Going back 100,000 years to the Nassarius shells, from the iron age to today’s generations of excellence, a jeweller is breaking the limits of craftsmanship, becoming an alchemist transforming metal, gemstones, diamonds and leather into messages of love and beauty for eternity.

Research helped me delve into different cultures through the ages and I learned how jewellery became a way to validate status and wealth, a symbol for spirituality and strength.

If the art of adornment was always used to send out sophisticated messages of love and beauty, the wearer has a magical chance to experience confidence and self awareness.

The process of creating a piece of jewellery is nothing short of magic. I have always been in awe admiring generations of excellence in fine art at Boodles or Dior, each one of these masters being a true visionary, unlocking their own creativity and developing the science of jewellery-making and the technology behind the scenes. One of the latest exciting innovations like labcreated diamonds, are expected to become much more common in the next few years but nothing will take away the priceless mastery of ancient jewellery.

“

If you wonder what it takes to sell Your Fine Art Jewellery in Harrods, or to build a global brand that stands out, you have to unleash your creativity, become creative with your own creativity and deliver authentic value.

Playing host to the world’s of Cartier and Bvlgari, De Beers and Boodles, Boucheron and Christian Dior and the “the most heavenly creation after women”, being home to the most spectacular fine art in the original Gem Rooms since 1911,Harrods was an awe-inspiring moment in my carrier but little I knew that one day I will become a reference in their archives…

Inspired by generations of excellence of fine art who brought their own story along while gracing the shelves at Harrods, I took a deep breath and began creating my first jewellery collection. I knew that each piece of jewellery I will create will uplift the wearer, make them feel confident and fabulous. Needless to say that I was terrified of entering the luxury jewellery market, but I couldn’t help myself. I was asking myself while dreaming with my eyes wide open: “Am I ready to create something unique, something of beauty and value that had never been seen before?

I wanted to create magic. I started to think that a piece of jewellery is not just another object, there is more to it. What if people wearing my creations would feel there is a heart beat to it?

So, I began the first steps on the journey that led to building a global brand. The interesting thing was, that was not the driver for me. The driver was to create something completely unique and to push the boundaries of what was already there…I wanted to work with the delicacy of lace and the strength of metal, creating something new and authentic, something memorable and priceless.

If you wonder what it takes to sell in Harrods, or to build a global brand that stands out, you have to unleash your creativity, become creative with your own creativity and deliver authentic value. You need that and the passion and self-belief to follow your dreams, no matter how crazy they seem. If you have a gut feeling that you are onto something then you need to grab hold of that feeling and not let go until you break new grounds.

At the time, I was doing my work experience for Erickson Beamon in Belgravia, the owner Vicki Sarge came to see my graduation collection and asked me to create a collection to put in their store. The first of a set of dominos lining up for me.

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The second domino was that the buyer for Harrods came into the store and my collection caught her eye. I remember so clearly as my clammy palms held the jewellery case while I rang the bell of her Knightsbridge home. My heart thumped against my chest. I walked into her immaculate home, my hands shook as I lay out the beautiful filigree pieces before her. She studied them carefully, punching numbers into her calculator and picking up each piece individually as it twinkled in the light. “I will take it all” she said after an age of quiet deliberation. My stomach somersaulted as I knew what this meant.

To have Harrods as my first stockist was the biggest seal of approval I could ever imagine!

Over the next few years many more dominoes lined up, I had the honour and privilege to work amongst some of the greatest names in fashion. I became a design consultant to many of the fine jewellery and fashion houses in Paris and my life was a whirlwind of collections.

Through all the ups and downs and twists and turns that life threw at me, the one thing I knew was that I had to follow my passion.

Sometimes in life we have an idea, a spark inside of us. A tiny seed that needs us to breathe life into it. And that is my advice to anyone who is starting up now, follow your passion! Your soul knows what you are here to do. You and only you have that unique gift that could bring something authentic, valuable to others. If you have a whisper in your heart that you are here for more, then listen to that whisper until it becomes a roar of courage. Put one foot in front of the other. Look ahead. You don’t need to see all the dominoes lined up before you start. Know this, if you already have the desire to be more, all the resources, knowledge and abilities will align with your desire.

Remember, I would love to hear from you! I am here to listen to your story, which like any diamond will spark an emotion in our readers heart and become far more than the sum of its precious parts.

Dr Neslyn Watson-Druée, CBE business psychologist, widely acclaimed executive coach and international professional speaker specialises in enabling aspiring directors to achieve director positions through focused assessment of leadership strengths underpinned by the use of cuttingedge psychometric tools.

Neslyn develops the whole person’s vision, goals, person qualities, skills, well-being and spiritual connection. neslynwatson-druee.com/

La’za is a family run Eritrean restaurant. Our unique name symbolises great beauty and exquisite taste. We have over 20 years of experience cooking in traditional East African foods. We blend traditional spices with the freshest ingredients in our foods with a British twist. Laza’s delicious dishes are suitable for vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters. Our exquisite pancake like flatbread ‘Injera’ is eaten with every meal. Traditionally ‘Injera is made with the oldest grain in the world that grows in Eritrea and Ethiopia called ‘Taff’ it is gluten free and has a lot of health benefits.

La’za is located in the heart of north London N1 Newington Green. La’za aims to give you an authentic Eritrean experience.

Come and enjoy and feel like you are part of the La’za family, full of delicious food and traditional Honey Wine and lots of lovely conversation.

Ethnic Fashion Made to INSPIRE The online store specialising in curating high quality Contemporary Ready to Wear Clothing and Accessories using African Ankara/Wax Print. Based in the UK and founded by Chinelo Kachi-Nwogu, ATMKollectionz was born out of Chinelo’s love for celebrating her Nigerian heritage and culture through fashion. From the Head wraps (Turbans) an historic tradition for Afro_American which has cut across all gender and tribe and reinvented itself in both the fashion and music industry to the custom designed ready to wear styles. Come join the African experience redefining your style through our textiles and love for colours. We promise to deliver quality and unique pieces providing good value for your money. www.atmkollectionz.com

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Dr Joan Myers OBE is the director of Joan Myers consultancy which offers mentorship and coaching to empower people to excel and do well in their chosen career.

Joan has over 35 years’ experience as a senior nurse and strategic leader and is a much sort after motivational speaker and pastor. www.drjoanmyers.com | joan@drjoanmayers.co.uk | 07956454290 | @joan_myers

Esther Adesanya is an Entrepreneur and Creative Strategist who started her own business in 2007, running a creative business designing and printing apparel. Operating ‘JPSL Creative Space’ taking workshops, helping the youth, aged, advising them on setting up their own creative business, this is where the creative strategy was conceived. Connect on instagram @jpsl_creative_space

Gayle Ngozii is a TV Presenter, Events Hostess, media fashion consultant, is an actress, model and luxury brand ambassador who showcases African Fashion Designers in her regular column for Rich Woman Africa Magazine

Brenda David is the founder of Brenddaisy Foods Limited, a company that produces food Sauces and Condiment. The main flagship of the Brand set is called CELARIO - a Delicious ready to eat all-purpose cooking sauce made up of fresh Peppers, Tomatoes, Onions and tantalising spices to satisfy anyone's taste buds. This was specially created for you to enjoy a tasty meal with less time in the kitchen hence we call it " Joy in a jar, sauce versatile". www.celariosauce.co.uk Are you looking for a Staycation? Need to get away for an anniversary, or just a break away from the everyday routine? Elsie Ibekwe might have the answer! Her Island Apartments (www.islandapartments.co.uk) are located right in the heart of London.

Close to restaurants and fantastic transport links, this selfcontained Serviced Accommodation studio offers the privacy and luxury of a home away from home and Covid-19 complaint. To book online, please visit https://cutt.ly/book-IA Tega Enai is a digital marketing specialist by profession, a potential enabler by passion.

She is an aspiring billionaire and an entrepreneur. Tega founded Fab Innovation in 2013 - a digital marketing agency committed to helping SMEs gain online presence via fully integrated yet affordable solutions that includes Website Design, Branding, Social Media Management. Tega was born and raised in Nigeria but now lives in Dubai, UAE. www.fab-innovation.com Klaudia Maafo is the founder of Divas by Claudia. An wardwinning Hairdressers based in East London. Renowned for their impeccable weaving techniques and custom made wigs, Divas By Claudia are committed to excellence, providing the best service to clients from all over the world.

Above all, they aim to ensure that every woman experiences a taste of luxury! Contact: www.divasbyclaudia.com IG: @divasbyclaudia +442070182829

SHE TRADES Feeling Great Has Never Been So Easy!

Health Tribe is a family run business providing healthy supplements for people who want to improve their lifestyle, their appearance and their overall health. You see, the problem is that most people think that they eat healthy. However, research shows that only 1.8% of people eat healthy. So, it is very likely that you fall in the 98.2% who does not. Staying young, fit and nourishing your body and mind is what you will achieve with a balanced diet and exercises.

Health supplements can be a good addition too. If you wish to improve your health, look great and feel healthier, get in touch. www.wearehealthtribe.com

Lisa Labi is a singer and songwriter based in London. Her work is greatly influenced by the city’s rich culture, where music is at the core of our existence. Her work is a fusion of my musical passion and the different sound of the cosmopolitan city of London. She is focused on leaving an indelible mark of the power of music to heal, bring about unity and love. You can check out Lisa’s music on Spotify

...food

Want To Release The Quarantine Weight? Don’t Skip Breakfast!

By Anna Cortezi

A

ny weight gain in quarantine (for some just a few pounds, for others a bit more) should not keep you worried as it can be easily lost if you just follow some day to day, simple and reasonable advice.

I know it sounds cliché, but DON’T skip breakfast! Systematise your breakfast intake so that you gradually boost your metabolism and therefore your calorie burning ability, and don’t fall head over heels for the next bigger meals.

Ideas for healthy breakfasts:

• Breakfast cereals, fortified with fibre (rye, barley, oats, etc.)

• Wholegrain bread and 1 boiled egg with vegetables • Yogurt with honey and cereals Or fresh/dried fruit Say goodbye to the daily prolonged couch breaks that until now took hours of your time, accompanied by unhealthy delivery, take away or fresh-cooked meal choices that you made with so much mastery using mainly fat and sugar. To get back to a healthy routine, a good idea is to avoid frequent food delivery orders or even eating out once possible, no matter how much you have missed your favourite restaurants and fast food diners. Usually in these circumstances it is very easy to get away with overeating certain food combinations, going down with sugary or alcoholic drinks and desserts.

Avoid high-calorie drinks and beverages that have no particular nutritional value, such as soft drinks and milk or cream based drinks that do not cause the same satiety that a solid meal can give us, but will definitely give us all the extra calories that we do not want, especially at this point. Drink plenty of water and herbal teas to get the most out of your daily fluid intake. As for alcohol, we know that it provides a lot of calories and no nutrients at all, often causing dehydration during consumption.

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Do not leave your stomach empty with no food for more than 2½ to 3 hours. Start consuming quality snacks of around 100-150 calories (fruits, nuts, yogurt, wholemeal crackers, etc) that will help balance your blood sugar levels, increase your metabolism and prevent you from feeling intensively hungry.

Don’t skip dinner for that promising, faster weight loss you’ve read about – this is a myth and in no way does this theory apply when practised. Aim for a lighter dinner that has half the energy value (calories) of your lunch and always consume it 2-3 hours prior to sleep.

I will not dwell on the importance of sleep, because more or less, we all have enjoyed lots of sleeping in self isolation. However, going back to your work routine, don’t forget that good quality sleep will help you balance your hormones and of course, your weight!

If you want to lose the quarantine weight fast, it is important to understand that the first 2-3 kilos may be lost in a short time after you start paying attention to your diet, but in order to continue having positive and healthy results, you should try to focus on a balanced diet that will improve your metabolism, body composition and your overall well-being in a realistic and sustainable way.

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anna.cortesi "I have chosen to be happy because it is good for my health." - Voltaire #AnnaCortesi #Dietitian #healthy #nutri‐ tion #health #lifestyle #happiness #gratit‐ ude #healthquotes #nutritionist #loveyourbody

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12 Good Reasons To Meal Prep

By Danna Levy-Hoffman

W

ho hasn’t left work late, dreaming of a good meal but feeling energy depleted and very little desire to shop and then cook? A quick takeout meal could be the answer, even if that means turning a blind eye on the expanding waistline and calorie-laden trap that you are deliberately stepping in. Nothing stops you from imagining yourself walking through the door where waiting for you is a delicious home-cooked dinner, every day of the week! Meal prep is a great planning tool to help keep you on a healthy eating track.

While there is no one master formula, planning your meals is effortless, depending on your food preferences, love for cooking and mindset, but it will help you create your own style and take deliberate control of your waistline.

To truly be healthy and feel amazing in our bodies, we need to give it the nutrients it needs, in a sustainable way that doesn’t make us feel deprived.

Unfortunately, we are vulnerable to living out the unhealthy habits and conditioning from our parentsthis includes what we eat, how we shop, snacking habits, food pre techniques and emotional eating tendencies.

Each person ticks differently and I’m there to help you discover the path that’s right for you.

There are many good reasons for Meal planning and here you could find a few tricks Disclaimer: I’m going to give heaps of advice and good tricks in this article. They will not all work for you! You have to find that happy spot where meal planning takes the edge off, rather than put more pressure on your daily life. Doing everything I advise here is too way too much. You will find what works for you, and you will use it to your benefit. Until then it’s all about trying new ways in a slow and sustainable way!

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Why meal plan?

Meal planning saves you time when shopping – you don’t have to look around too much, think about what you’ll be making while checking out all the options out there. The 30 min a week it will take you to plan out the week, will be totally worth while, as you’ll be shopping once for the whole week.

No more standing holding the refrigerator door, hoping a recipe will somehow jump at you.

Everything will be planned, and if you do it smart, you can also make enough to rely on leftovers!

Saving money AND food waist – When you go shopping with a prepared list, you’re more likely going to spend less money, as you will not be inclined to buy things that are not on the list. You can also avoid food waist as you don’t buy something you already have at home or will not be using.

Healthier Eating – You’re more inclined to eat healthier, as you base your menu plan around good healthy recipes, rather than the frozen pizza that’s on sale this week.

Reduces Stress – Everything is written down and planned out. There’s no reason to stress. Not about food anyways! This is especially true if you have an online supermarket that delivers to your home and offers high quality, local organic ingredients, which means you can do your shopping in your pyjamas.

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So how do we go about it?

01.

Make sure you have an organised place where you save recipes. If it’s in a hand-written recipe book, a special app, or saving your loved recipes on Pinterest, having them all in one place makes life much easier.

02.

Make sure to come up with enough recipes to have a nice rotation. Having seasonal recipes will help not get tired of making and eating the same meals over and over again.

03.

Dig through old recipes and “healthify” them to add more to your repertoire.

04.

Revolve around ingredients you already have. Check out the pantry and fridge for ingredients that should be used, and work from there.

05.

If your house is bare naked and has zero ingredients (which sometimes does happen), revolve around favourite veggies . That way you base meals around the healthiest part, and add side dishes of grains or protein.

06.

Plan around fruit and vegetables that are in season. There’s no point in planning on guacamole when avocados are overpriced, taste like Styrofoam, and had travelled half the world to get to your plate.

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07.

Know your schedule – Book specific dates and times for shopping and cooking! Mark it in your family calendar, with a permanent marker, and make sure to activate your family members to get extra hands helping.

08.

Figure out what time of day you are have more time and energy to do the planning and shopping.

09. Always make extra! If you’re already going

to spend time in the kitchen, you might as well make enough to last you a couple of days. Alternatively you can make a larger amount of just one part of the meal (either whole grains, protein, or vegetables), and reinvent the leftover as a whole new recipe.

Make sure leftovers are also in the plan. There’s no need to have something new every single day.

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10.

Speaking of leftovers, make sure to have one day where you simply pull out all the leftovers for a “fridge clean” meals.

11.

Only focus on 1-2 new recipes a week. The rest should be recipes you know and love. That takes the pressure off and keeps things realistic.

12.

Use your freezer wisely! Broth, sauces, beans/legumes, prepped veggies, or whole prepped meals to simply warm up or cook are all great ways of using your freezer.

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Elements of Good Nutrition

W

ith the amount of information that exists about good nutrition, you would think it was a big mystery.

The truth of the matter is, there is no mystery involved in getting the proper nutrients that your body needs. Why should you care about getting the proper nutrients? Many people are under the misconception that eating healthy is for the young because they are growing.

Tissue and cells are constantly being renewed in both children and adults. The failure for these elements to repair themselves can result in diseases of lifelong misery or worse, death. To lower your risk of developing a disease, you simply need to follow three simple steps of good nutrition.

Proper Hydration

Plain and simple, your body needs water. Being properly hydrated will benefit you from head to toe.

Water keeps your cells hydrated and flowing throughout your body. It doesn't take long to witness the benefits of drinking sufficient water. Just a week of being hydrated and your skin will have a new glow.

If you need to lose weight, water can help you achieve your goal. In many instances, people misinterpret thirst for hunger. Unless it's been a few hours since you have eaten, have a glass of water the next time you have hunger pains.

There are numerous guidelines for how much water to drink. Consuming eight glasses of water each day is the most popular guideline. People have different needs. A better indication of how hydrated you are is your urine. When you are properly hydrated your urine is almost clear. There is the possibility of water intoxication so you don't want your urine to be completely colourless.

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Eating Healthy

In addition to being hydrated, you need to eat a variety of foods. Forget fad diets that restrict certain foods. The key to healthy eating is to eat in moderation and variety. Your food choices should include a large percentage from complex carbohydrates, which is sufficient for energy. You should also consume several servings of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy every day. You should limit your servings of protein and fats to two or three servings each day. By including all of these food groups in your diet, you are less likely to be hungry or have cravings for sweets and other nonnutritional foods.

Vitamin Supplementation

As long as you live in a country where food is plentiful and produced safely, you should have no problem obtaining the amount of vitamins and minerals your body needs. However, food allergies, dislikes, and illness may prevent you from eating certain foods. Some people, for example, are lactose intolerant and cannot consume dairy products. In these instances, supplementation should become a part of a plan for healthy nutrition. You don't need a prescription to purchase vitamins, but it is a good idea to discuss your particular needs with your medical doctor. Consuming excessive amounts of some vitamins can cause toxicity and unpleasant side effects.

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Eat right, keep moving.

P

erhaps you have read all that you need to know about how to prevent being overweight. That simple set of instructions should be easy to follow, but not for the 60% of Brits who are unable to prevent being overweight.

Of course, once we are overweight, we usually want to trim down for a whole lot of reasons, some related to health, others having to do with looks.

In addition, it is never too late to lose weight. But the fact is, it is a whole lot easier to prevent putting on pounds than to try losing them later on. And if there is one thing we all know, it is that weight gain is likely to happen if we do not take forward-looking steps to stop it.

Health experts say that most people who are into losing weight usually stray. They tend to go back to their old eating habits even after they learn to enjoy low-fat eating. They tend to return to sedentary ways even though they enjoy exercising.

But despite the momentum toward weight gain, you can stop it from happening, experts say. And there are plenty of good reasons to avoid excess weights, reasons that go beyond vanity or social acceptance.

In fact, some health experts contend that the significance of excess weight is more than cosmetic.

They say that it takes a huge toll on people’s physical health.

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The Way to Losing Weight…Naturally The nuts and bolts of eating right and maintaining a healthy weight is not all that complicated. In fact, it is a good bet that most people know pretty well what is best. Hence, losing weight the natural way should not be a problem at all.

Consequently, a reasonable approach for losing weight naturally is to stick to a diet that is high in complex carbohydrates, high in fibre, moderate in protein, and low in fat.

A complex carbohydrate is a baked potato. Fat is the sour cream and butter you should not put on it.

Fibre in vegetables. Fat is the oil you should not fry them in. Protein is a lean cut of meat. Fat is the gravy you should not pour over it.

Moreover, health experts say that dietary fat promotes weight gain because it is a very dense source of calories. Also, when you consume excess calories from dietary fat, you store those calories as body fat more efficiently than excess calories from other sources.

On the other hand, it can also help you lose weight naturally if you will not fall into the so-called “fatfree” trap. Manufacturers keep coming out with lowfat or fat-free versions of their best-selling foods, but Americans keep getting fatter anyway.

One of the greatest delusions of the 1990s is that “no fat” means “non-fattening.” The truth is, you are often getting just as many calories from the no-fat version, even if the calories are not coming from fat.

The term fat-free can be a trap if you start to believe that you can eat any amount of the foods that are advertised that way.

What’s more, it is best to respond to hunger with healthful snacks. Health experts say it would be better to try eating every three to four hours, which may mean a nutritious low-fat snack between lunch and dinner.

When you feel the urge for food coming on, snacking on something healthy such as a slice of whole-grain toasted bread is a better alternative.

Never skip a meal and eat snacks instead because that is the worst thing you can do if you are trying to control your eating habits and weight.

Remember, if you want to lose weight naturally, you have to keep track of every food you eat and of every activity that you do. When you say natural weight loss means that you do not have to use some accessories or helpful aids just to lose weight.

Losing weight naturally is a process and not a fad.

Hence, it would take a lot of dogged determination, self-control, and discipline just to achieve your ideal weight.

15 Delicious and Easy Healthy Snaks to Make at Home

By Danna Levy-Hoffman

Y

ou might be surprised, but it is possible to lose weight without giving up snacks. Even more than that – some snacks can even help you balance your weight and accelerate the weight loss process.

To make it easier for you, I’ve created a list of snacks that would work for everyone. Some of them are low-calorie snacks, some of them are high protein snacks, and all but one will be highly appreciated by vegans. But what unites all of these snacks is that they are both healthy and delicious!

1.Raw Nuts

Nuts are a great source of protein, unsaturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, and vitamin E. Moreover, the Mayo Clinic emphasises that eating nuts can lower your cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease overall.

Just mix and match raw nuts, enjoy your favourites and make sure to try others too. Just make sure not to overdo it with Brazil nuts. Keep to only 4-6 a day, as they are very high on selenium, which when consumed in high amounts, could lead to selenium toxicity.

2. Fruit and Nuts

Yes, we’ve covered nuts in the previous paragraph, but the combination of fruit and nuts will not only be delicious and full of nutrients, but it will also help the body break the fruit sugar slower, allowing you to feel more saturated and have more sustainable energy.

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3. A Piece of Fruit With Nut Butter

Same as above, yet enjoyed in a slightly different way. Apples and almond butter with a bit of cinnamon, banana and peanut butter, pear and tahini, anything goes! You’ll love the taste of it and there’s so much room for the experiment!

4. Overnight Chia Pudding

Chia seeds don’t contain many vitamins, but they’re a great source of calcium and they are also gluten-free, which makes them a popular protein source for people with whole-grain sensitivities or celiac disease. And the fun thing about chia pudding is that you can play around with any flavors you want.

Berries cinnamon lemon zest, peanut butter banana walnut, tahini cinnamon medjool dates, mango coconut pecan, cacao raspberry orange zest… the sky is the limit!

5. Homemade Smoothies

There are so many benefits to drinking smoothies. For example, they can help you lose excess body weight without skipping any meals, they can prevent your body from dehydration and let you be in control of your cravings. Simply make sure that in your smoothie, you don’t use more fruit than you’d be having in one go if you ate them whole.Just make sure to have one cup of fruit to 3 cups of greens, adding nut butter and other healthy fats to the equation for a well-balanced delight.

6. Hard-Boiled Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are extremely low in calories and rich in many important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that are so necessary for you to feel well. What makes the hardboiled eggs better than the fried eggs is that they are prepared without additional oil or butter, so they’re lower in calories and fat.

So, if you’re not sensitive to eggs, you can enjoy a couple of hard boiled eggs without feeling guilty.

7. Avocado and Tomato

During the right season, this combo will be super nutritious and crazy delicious!

I love making a quick guacamole mixing my crushed avocado with salt, pepper, turmeric and good quality olive oil (and a squeeze of lime if I have one at hand). Then I cube the tomato and mix it in. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

8. High Quality 70% Dark Chocolate

Yes, it’s not only tasty (even though it is a bit more bitter than milk chocolate), but it is also rich in fibre, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and a few other minerals.

Even exercise capacity increases when consuming dark chocolate!

All in all, the 70% dark chocolate will, by default, have more cacao and less sugar. If you’re lucky you can even find chocolates that use healthier replacements to white sugar and will taste delicious!

If it’s a raspberry season, I recommend getting some organic raspberries and placing a small piece of the dark chocolate inside the hole. Best combo ever!

9.Homemade Hummus

Homemade hummus is just great for a snack or as a meal! Hummus can help you help improve your bone, muscle, skin, and blood health. There are many ways to make hummus at home, either using canned chickpeas, or going the extra mile to soak and cook dry ones. Whichever way you prefer making your hummus, make sure to use high quality tahini, and extra virgin olive oil for best results!

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10. Veggie Sticks

Mindlessly eat as many vegetables as you want, your body will only thank you for it. There’s really not much else to say .

11. Olives

Olives are an ultimate heart-healthy snack that helps you improve circulation and has anti-inflammatory benefits.

I recommend buying olives with the pit as they have more flavor. A great combination of the healthy fat and delicious umami flavor.

12.Roasted Veggies

Even though roasting or steaming vegetables can change their nutritional profile, they still keep the majority of their nutrient values: they stay full of fibre, low in calories and rich in minerals.

Play around with different spices, or roast with just good quality sea salt and avocado oil.

Eggplant, Brussels sprouts, carrots, zucchini, Jerusalem artichoke, kohlrabi, green beans, kale, anything goes! I challenge you to try roasting a vegetable you usually don’t like, and see if this method of cooking changes your mind.

13. Homemade Energy Balls

It’s as easy as taking a bunch of nuts, and some Medjool dates or any dried fruit you like, whizzing it all up in a food processor, adding cacao or lemon/orange zest and a bit of cinnamon, and there you have it, the perfect snack!

14. Roasted Chickpeas

The best part about chickpeas is that they are high in protein and fibre, which makes them a filling food that can help lower appetite and reduce calorie consumption at meals. Just as with the roasted vegetables, play around with spices and flavors.

15. Edamame

Edamame is a delicious, nutritious bean that’s an outstanding low-calorie snack option. The best part – cooking it is extremely simple. Unlike most other legumes, edamame doesn’t require a long time to cook. Just boiling it for 3-5 minutes is usually enough, but it can also be steamed or panfried.

I hope my article helped you complete your shopping list. In the meantime, if you’re looking for a safe nutrition program, I’d be happy to assist you. My Urban Cleanse Program will help you lose weight, feel energised, control your health, and enjoy every single bite! And YOU WON’T BE LEFT HUNGRY, GUARANTEED!

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9 Ways To Get More Antioxidants Into Your Diet

I

t’s no secret that antioxidants are incredibly beneficial to good health. It’s believed the antioxidants in food can help prevent cancer, reverse or slow ageing, enhance your immune system, increase your energy and improve heart and other organ health.

Given all we know about antioxidants and their beneficial properties, it’s amazing more people don’t get enough fruits and vegetables, the primary sources of antioxidants. Experts recommend a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, but say getting 7-10 servings is best.

01.

Breakfast

Breakfast doesn’t have to be a hurried toaster tart on the way out the door. Throw some strawberries, 100% juice and yogurt into a blender; pour your delicious mixture into a cup and head out the door. You’ve just added one to three servings of fruits to your daily intake. Or throw some berries onto your cold or hot cereal.

Say you truly have no time in the morning and usually grab something on the run. Even the Golden Arches can be of some help here. Order a fruit and yogurt parfait and some apple slices. For about £2, you have a breakfast providing one to two servings of fruit.

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HEALTH

02.

Snack s

Here’s an easy way to get more antioxidants in your diet. How about a handful of raisins for a snack, or some fresh red grapes? Dip some strawberries in yogurt. You’ll feel decadent, but the berries provide the colour you’re looking for.

Need crunch? How about some baby carrots dipped in hummus? Consider a handful of pecans for crunch and a nice antioxidant boost.

03.

Lunch & Dinner

It might sound trite but adding a salad to each of your main daily meals can add loads to your overall health and well-being. They do not have to be boring, and they do not have to be just salad greens. If you are going classic, add some red pepper slices to your green salad, some tomatoes to the Greek salad, or tart cranberries to your field greens. Whip up a broccoli salad for lunch or be adventurous and mix up a rice salad with a mélange of fresh vegetables like string beans, tomatoes, peppers, and red onions.

04.

Des sert

Berries, with or without whipped cream or chocolate are a wonderful way to end your day of healthy, antioxidant-rich eating.

05.

Beverages

Replace your soda with tea or coffee, both of which boast antioxidant compounds. Have a glass of wine with dinner, or for a real change of pace, pour a glass of chai tea.

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06.

Think outside the box

We know we can get our antioxidant fix from berries, salads and the like, but researchers say powerful antioxidants can also be found in a variety of unexpected foods, like russet potatoes, artichokes, and small red beans. The beans, in fact, may have more antioxidant power than blueberries, experts say. So, to your rice salad full of vegetables, add some beans for even more antioxidants.

07.

Cook Lightly

You think you’re being good, preparing vegetables each night for your family’s dinner. But if you’re overcooking the vegetables, you’re cooking out a lot of the beneficial properties of the antioxidants. Steam (do not boil) vegetables and stop cooking them when they will have all their bright colour and most of their bite.

08.

Plant a garden

Experts believe that people who plant and harvest vegetables from their own yards are far more likely to eat more vegetables and fruits than people who buy their produce from the store. So plant a garden, watch it grow and eat the fruits (literally) of your labour.

09.

Take your healthy diet on holiday

Too many of us consider going on holiday an opportunity to take a break from everything, including healthy eating. Think of your holiday as a way to be introduced to new foods. Order interesting dishes and meals and experiment with the local food culture. After all, what’s the point of eating the same old thing you would at home? Plus, you never know when you may discover something totally amazing you can bring back with you.

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Beauty & Wellness

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3 Tips for an Emotional Spring Cleaning to have a Glowing Year

By Martina Fink

S

pring is a great time to get ready for a beautiful year. Nature gets ready to sprout and blossom, and so should we, because we are nature as well (yes, it’s true, but we often seem to forget!).

When we accumulate a lot of “stuff”, our energy might feel cluttered and heavy at times.

With “stuff”, I am referring to clothes, books, skin care and makeup products, and other things we think we need or will use one day.

This might result in you feeling overwhelmed, mentally cluttered, distracted and uninspired, fatigued, or even lazy to get anything done at times.

By “stuff”, I am also referring to emotional clutter, such as holding a grudge against someone from a past conflict, spending too much time with ‘Debby Downers’ and energy vampires, or continuing to be hard on yourself when you don’t achieve your goals as expected.

This might leave you feeling energetically drained and exhausted, easily irritable and frustrated for no reason, or angry with yourself on a regular basis. Holding on to these intense emotions can directly affect your relationships, the quality of your sleep, your overall feeling of wellbeing and contentment, and your performance at work.

The reason why cluttered and low vibrational emotions, such as anger, sadness, and frustration, affect us is because of the universal law that says “as within, so without”, which means that your inside world and how you feel affects your outside world, your work, your loved ones. And vice versa: a cluttered home makes you feel mentally cluttered just by looking at it.

So what can we do to rid ourselves of emotional baggage and get ready to get out of the cocoon this spring like a colourful butterfly? Here are 3 ways to spring-clean your

emotions:

Emotional Spring Cleaning Tip #1: Allow yourself to feel what’s there In today’s busy world as successful individuals, we’re so consumed by our work, mobile phones, and other screens, and heavy thinking that it’s so easy to push away our emotions. In our high performing society, it is often believed that having and showing emotions is “bad”, and that we should always be happy. We have yet to create a world and a work space where it is safe for women to fully show how we feel emotionally. We can only really experience true happiness when we allow ourselves to feel - which includes the entire spectrum of emotions.

TO DO: Here’s a simple journaling exercise to tune into your heart and connect to your emotions (especially if you feel you’re a little disconnected). Every morning, before you start your day, or in the evening, before you go to bed, write this question in your journal: How am I feeling today?

Then answer this question without logically analysing your words and keep writing whatever thoughts come to your mind without judgement. There is no end result or perfect answer to this, the goal is to give your emotions space. The practice is the goal.

Emotional Spring Cleaning Tip #2: Write an angry letter If you can think of a situation or a person that you’re still holding onto emotionally that lets anger, frustration, or sadness rise every time you think about it, it’s time to close that chapter and release that emotional baggage.

TO DO: Take a piece of paper and a pen, and write a letter to the person that triggers these feelings in you. Don’t leave anything out, and write down everything you want to say to this person (they will not receive your letter, so I really mean everything!), so that the anger can energetically get from your body onto the piece of paper. If emotions come up, let them be there without judgement. This is part of the cleansing process. When you’re done, go outside and burn the letter in a safe place, so that you can release it from your life.

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Emotional Spring Cleaning Tip #3: Set clear boundaries in your relationships It’s often when our boundaries are loose that we find ourselves in emotionally difficult and draining situations over and over again, because we are afraid we might lose people if we said “no“ to an invitation or cancelled last minute to prioritise ourselves. People pleasing is one of the most low vibration activities you can do for yourself - you put everyone else before you, and suffer as a result, because your cup of love, energy, and compassion is empty after giving to everyone else first. It’s time to switch things around and make sure your own cup is full to the brim first, and you give to others only after you’ve taken care of yourself.

TO DO: Make a list of the people you spend the most time with (including people at work). From 110, rate each of them based on how much energy, love, and support they give you, 1 meaning they only drain you and suck the life out of you, and 10 meaning they’re you’re all time best friends you can trust and talk to about anything.

Based on your results, decide where you need to have stronger boundaries to preserve your own wellbeing and happiness, and where needed, have a loving conversation this spring.

Saying “no” to others means saying “yes” to yourself. Happy Spring Cleaning, beautiful!

The Power of Luxury Self-Care Rituals

R

By Deborah Hladecek

e-discovering yourself as a mature woman, mother and a truth seeker is never easy unless you understand the power of luxury self care rituals for renewal and vitality.

When I first heard the term, ‘Luxury Rituals’, it felt somewhat contradictory. What exactly is a luxury ritual? I had to unpack the individual meanings to make sense of it. My understanding of ritual was grounded in tradition, symbolism, discipline and healing with intention. While I equated luxury with style, opulence, grand expense and posh comfort.

How could these intersect in a meaningful way? The deeper I explored this paradigm the more I had to redefine what luxury means today. I realised that time is the new luxury.

Not the fancy car, designer handbag or holidays, but time to do whatever sparks joy for us. Feng Shui expert Alex Stark, says that “a ritual is a way of connecting with the earth and calls for a re-balancing of male and female energies to help our species survive”.

One of my ritual teachers, Daniel Foor, says that “ritual is a way of re-balancing the integrity of a space or a situation in order to create a potentially better outcome”. Put in this context, it doesn’t feel selfish to take time out for self care rituals. But, self care isn’t something you do once every 6 months and check it off your list. A key component of ritual, although not wholly defining, is repetition. Doing them daily, even in small ways can help bring us back into balance and soothe our souls.

The Dalai Lama, for example, is committed to sustaining his lifestyle of self care by knowing when to say “no” to others to preserve his daily self care rituals.

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I Celebrate Myself And Sing Myself WALT WHITMAN

If only we had more time to follow the Dalai Lama’s lead; to be present with our children, to read that anticipated book, to have a quiet cup of tea or to just have 10 minutes alone in the bathroom. For most of us, finding the time or the energy to take care of ourselves is a challenge; even when the benefits of self care are clear. If you could make more time for self care rituals, what would that look like for you? Self care has been shown to strengthen our immune systems by activating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest + digest), it makes us more productive, boosts our self esteem and causes us to be more compassionate to others. When we fill our own bucket, we are then able to fill another’s.

Daily Sustainable Luxury Self Care Rituals

I like simple self care rituals because it makes them more likely to be sustainable. For a simple, daily practice try experiencing a cup of herbal tea, mindfully, with all of your senses. Breathe in the aroma and feel the warmth of the tea cup in your hand. Focus your attention and all of your senses in the moment. Rituals don’t have to be elaborate. The practice can be practical rather than poetic. It can just be 10 minutes, but will give you so much more in return. Or, try walking barefoot on the earth and feel the grass under your feet, grounding you. If you take your cup of tea into the garden, your feet will connect you to the yin earth energies, while the volatile components of your tea will connect you to the yang sky energies. I suggest looking at your motivation and intention of your ritual to be better connected to its power. Rituals are dynamic, so allow for unexpected things to happen. This way we are not attached to a particular outcome.

The healing power of Luxury Self Care Rituals

My favourite self care ritual takes a little longer, so I aim to do it weekly, rather than daily. I renew myself with a 20- 30 minute mineral bath soak with essential oils + flowers. Water energy is associated with the sacral or second chakra and is about fluidity, empathy, femininity and connection to our emotions. For thousands of years mineral salts have been used to detoxify the body and assist with cleansing the aura, along with crystals or the ancient practices of smoke cleansing with aromatic plants. The cleansing and healing powers of water make it a regenerative self care ritual. I always feel like a reset button has been pressed after emerging from a bath.

There are many simple rituals you can begin to incorporate into your life; from elevating your nighttime skin care routine by adding an intention or affirmation to dry brushing to promote cellular renewal and vitality. You could try the practice of alternate nostril breathing, called Pranayama in Sanskrit or yoga and meditation. You may already have a meaningful ritual and need to prioritise yourself to make it happen. Giving yourself the luxury of time and attention with intention regularly, is an act of self love.

If you agree with the poet and author Rupi Kaur, who says “How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you”, then it’s time to prioritise your time.

The shift into Sustainable Luxury Self Care Rituals

Finally, when I think of luxury in its original meaning, I think a shift towards ethical and sustainable luxury is the future. This means luxury products or services with conscious, sustainable values as their ethos. There are products and services that aim to generate meaningful moments to support you on your quest for re balance or self improvement. These can be useful in your self care rituals, but you shouldn’t feel as though you need anything outside of yourself to fulfil your luxury self care ritual.

5 Best Self- Care Tips To Feel Rich, Luxurious And Confident

By Martina Fink

M

aking sure that your daily rituals make you feel rich and luxurious – in my words I would say „glowing“ – I have put together my top five selfcare tips for you to be productive and feel confident and radiant, so you will never again feel like an unmotivated couch potato!

Now that a lot of us have spent quite some time at home, maybe you got a bit in a rut, put on yoga pants every day, had your hair in a messy bun, and skipped the makeup, unless you had to show up for a call (and sometimes even then!)

To feel rich and confident upgrade your skin care to clean, green and ethical products

Your skin is a reflection of your soul and of how well you’re taking care of yourself. It is the biggest organ and is what separates our inner body and organs from outside impacts. It is how we regulate our body temperature, and is therefore important that we take care of it. My skin care routine is one of the first things I do every morning. I cleanse, tone, and moisturise my face every day, mornings and evenings. The products I use are clean, transparent, and come in luxuriously designed glass bottles, and this ritual just makes me feel so radiant from the inside out.

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Start your self- care rituals with a glam breakfast

In my Glow world, I like to make every aspect of my life glowing. This also includes making a breakfast that is not only healthy and delicious, but also looks pretty, is colourful, and like you added a lot of vitamin L (love) to it! So this can be a green smoothie with spinach, banana, silken tofu, plant-based protein powder, oat milk, and hemp seed topping, an oatmeal bowl with frozen cherries, banana slices, and cacao nibs topping, or a smoothie bowl decorated with fresh kiwi, banana, cashew nuts, and flax seeds. Nourish your body with as many organic and fresh plants and fruits as you can and stay away from anything toxic, packaged, and processed.

Confident clothing make you feel rich and glamorous throughout the day when you work from home

While yoga pants and hoodies are comfy and just the right thing to wear at times, they often don’t give us a very confident, rich, and luxurious feeling about ourselves. I’ve found that wearing jeans and a cute t-shirt, or my favourite robe can make such a difference in how I feel! I then also put my hair in a braid or a high pony tail, use some organic hair spray to fix it, wear my favourite earrings, and do my makeup – just because. These little things have the power to boost your confidence on days you need it a little more! As without so within – change how you look on the outside, and it is going to impact how you feel on the inside!

Make your home a reflection of the rich and luxurious life you desire

If you desire to up level your life, manifest more abundance, better relationships, a higher income, more success, peace, and happiness in your life, you need to align yourself with that vibration before you get it. Like attracts like, so when you’re on the vibration of the rich and luxurious life you dream of, you will attract the rich and luxurious things you desire.

Home is a place where we spend quite some time at and it’s where we start and end our days. Making your home a reflection of the life you desire is the first step to getting there. Now what exactly that means depends on exactly what you desire.

Want to feel more grounded and peaceful? Get yourself some beautiful plants.

Want to feel feminine, nurtured, and beautiful? Get yourself fresh flowers every week.

Want your home office to reflect the success that best version of you will have? Add little elements like a plant, wall prints, and a journal that resonate.

Want to create space to receive all the abundance you desire? Declutter your home and release, throw out, get rid of anything that keeps your shelves full, your tables messy, and your wardrobes overflowing.

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What is the best tip to end the day with confidence and feeling rich and luxurious?

We can’t feel rich and luxurious if our bodies are exhausted and you wake up in the morning feeling like you got run over by a truck. Getting good quality beauty sleep every night is just as important as moving your body daily and drinking enough water. While lots of people turn their phones off the minute they turn off the lights, this can pretty much guarantee that you’re not going to get into restful and deep sleep. Get some no-phone time before bed and turn it off at least an hour before you go to bed.

Your bedroom should be an oasis for relaxation. Don’t work from bed, don’t turn it into an office, and keep your electronics out of the bedroom. You’re saying you use your phone to set your alarm? Just get an alarm clock.

Upgrade your bed sheets and pillows to organic cotton, and use a calming pillow mist. Rub some lavender oil onto your wrists and inhale deeply. When you close your eyes, go over your day and think about all the things that went well and that you’re proud of. Express gratitude for the people in your life, your health, and the life you get to live on this earth.

About the writer: Martina Fink os the founder of the transformational program Perfectionist Rehab and the host of The Glow Life Podcast, Martina helps perfectionist and high achieving executives, managers, entrepreneurs, and celebrities like you overcome overwhelm, trust your intuition, and feel great in your body, so you can work and stress less, love yourself, and feel alive again.

How To Boost Your Resilience To Become A Happier and More Fulfilled Woman

By Claire Corbett

I

n the new world we find ourselves facing changes beyond our personal control that have impacted our small businesses in a big way. Many of us have frozen in terror as a large part of our revenue stream has suddenly disappeared. If you like me, panicked and felt paralysed with fear and hopelessness in the first days, as the reality of the impact of the COVID 19 virus sunk in, keep reading.

Moving from that gripping place of fear to a place of hope and action

Have you ever felt in awe of how some women seem to be able to ‘ride the storm’ better than others? Why some come out on top, regardless of how bad things get? Don’t be fooled that this is by chance or indeed, that it is easy. It takes a magical blend of hard work, selfawareness, attitude to stress, peppered with a good dose of optimism.

Let’s take a look at the common habits of these resilient women so that we can learn and use their ways as a guide on how we can boost our resilience to become happier, more successful and fulfilled women in business and life.

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Stand your ground

Growing up with 4 brothers, I learned early on how to stand my ground, be resilient and tap into my natural source of power. It didn’t happen overnight, this took years of trying, falling and getting up again.

I remember learning the hard way, how to choose my battles and deal with disappointment when things didn’t go my way.

However, it was not all plain sailing. In my late 20’s, my personal and business life went pearshaped overnight. The company I was working for folded, my 7 year relationship ended and I was not longer happy with my life. I was surprised and disillusioned that my childhood learning didn’t rescue me. I realised that there was more work to do.

The days and weeks that followed, I fought my new reality like an over-tired child that can’t sleep. Then, I slumped into a paralysis of sorts, where I did nothing and stared into space for hours, then something changed, something finally shifted in me.

I dug deep, real deep and found a very faint light at the end of the tunnel. Slowly, I got up, got dressed, got on my beloved yoga mat and asked the million dollar question “what now?”

The light grew brighter.

During what was sometimes a painful process, I started to look inward, which I hadn’t done much before this. I began asking questions like, “what makes me happy”, “where is my passion” and “what can I do to build my life back up”.

At this point, I realised that the way forward involved accepting and, dare I say embracing, my new reality and still come out with something good, meaningful.

Looking back now, this was a couple of the most enriching years of my life. I learned how to re-frame what I perceived as failure, whilst developing invaluable skills such as selfawareness, relying on my intuition more and prioritise where I put my energy and focus.

“

You are not born with resilience, you learn resilience Adapt to change

As I got back on my feet, I moved continents, prioritised my family, changed careers, became my own boss and most importantly learned to thrive and adapt in turbulent times.

Over the years, I became really curious about how we can develop these life and business skills of being resilient, optimistic and brave, especially in work where women have to work in challenging, often male dominated environments.

Through my research and case studies, I uncovered some very interesting facts that shattered some of pre-conceived conceptions.

You are not born with resilience, you learn resilience.

I discovered, we need to learn the adult version of resilience, in order to successfully navigate the challenging terrain of modern life.

How do you continue to boost your resilience in turbulent times, like a global pandemic, slump in our business, missed promotion or personal crisis, like loss of a loved one or divorce? Read on for some of my guidance below.

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Be kind to yourself

The first step is to acknowledge what is going on. Denial is tempting and often a coping mechanism but believe me, it doesn’t increase your resilience and reality will surface one way or another. If we ignore our reality, suffering comes… eventually. So, as painful as it is, acceptance is the first major step to getting back on top. Be kind and give yourself time to accept what’s happened or what’s happening right now.

Get clarity on your Purpose

The next stage involves figuring out your priorities and values, which, like your life, ebb and flow. Use them as your roadmap to get clear about your purpose and become more resilient. Stay in touch with your core values.

Focus on what you have

Refocus is the next phase. Shifting focus to what is good or going well in your business and life is a great way to re frame your current situation. Be thankful for the clients you do have, the kind colleagues in your company or your adorable child or pet that makes you heart melt. This refocus will make you stronger and motivate you to go on.

Allow yourself to dream

My favourite phase of this process is reenergising. This is about ‘blue sky thinking’.

Remove all barriers and negative self-talk.

Allowing ourselves to dream and think outside the box opens the door to the possibilities.

Here’s where the magic happens.

Be brave and take action. Now this is your time to use your new resilience skills, weather the storm and take positive action. The tough times gives us a chance to sharpen our resilience skills, refocus and adjust our sails!

About the writer: Claire Corbett is based in Zurich. Originally from Ireland, has lived in the US, France, the UK and now Switzerland. With a vast start-ups experience in the Silicon Valley and corporate banking, Claire is the founder of Golf Morocco and Right Point, and is helping other entrepreneurs to adapt their business in this time of change.

Parents & Quarantine: What Is It About Teenagers That I Just Don’t Get?

By Annette Ebbinghaus

C

OVID 19 has affected each of us in different ways, while in self isolation. For families with teenagers you may be experiencing an increase in push back about the “rules”, high emotions that seem to come out of the blue or watching them make breakfast for lunch, and finding the WiFi extremely wobbly at times.

If you are working and managing school schedules quarantine could really be testing your fortitude.

What is actually going on in my teenager’s brain? Their body seems fully developed and their brain has to catch up. It is one of the reasons adolescents live more in the moment, act impulsively and take risks.

The adolescent brain has an amazing capacity to learn. This is due to the teen brain having more neurons and excitable synapses (grey matter) than it ever will again. It is like having an overgrown hedge of grey matter. The brain begins to prune the hedge when puberty begins and continues until your teen is 25 to 30 years of age. This pruning happens during sleep and is why teenagers need 9 to 10 hours of sleep each night.

Signals in the brain pass through what is called the myelin sheath (white matter), a protective fatty layer protecting the neurones in the brain. In adolescents this layer is about 80% developed where signals take longer to move around the pre-frontal cortex where judgement, decision making, inhibitory control, assessing danger, empathy, understanding consequences, and goal setting all take place.

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Photo by Anthony Tran

@anthony.fotography

Think of white matter as the brain’s WiFi system. If the WiFi signal is weak and you’re online streaming your signal gets stuck causing you start to lose interest in the show or the plot.

This is why quick decision making can be challenging in teens and why situations can go from being awesome to out of control in a matter of seconds. When you ask your teen “What were you thinking?” the answer is, they were not.

The limbic brain, referred to as the seat of emotions and the cross roads of the brain is fully developed in the adolescent. This is where the amygdala are located. The amygdala are the oldest part of the brain and their main concern is survival. When we are under “perceived threat” the amygdala activates our body’s stress response. The overly excitable adolescent brain combined with increased hormone secretion and the lack of rational brain development is like driving a car with a fully functioning gas pedal and a half-installed set of brakes.

This leads to adolescents craving intense experiences be it; social media, extreme sports, romantic relationships, experimenting with drugs. Combine this with the fact that adolescent brains have more dopamine and cannabinoid receptors than adults, it is easier for teens to become addicted to substances or form unhelpful longer-term habits.

The way the adolescent brain works is amazing and it does not set up excuses for them. Our understanding of their brain helps us to help them on their road to adulthood.

How does this impact us during quarantine you ask?

Your adolescent is used to having a certain amount of freedom and time away from the family when they are at school. They might feel like they are under a microscope in our current situation. Teens are social and their relationships with peers and other adults helps their development.

Remember, their brain is all about individual survival and pleasure seeking.

Below is a list of tips for getting the most out of quarantine with your teen. If you have an adolescent that is showing signs of depression, seems overly concerned with COVID or is cutting themselves off from friends or you suspect substance abuse, seek professional help.

TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF!

Give everyone time to not be productive. It gives the brain some time to reset and that is when we can access our creativity and ponder life itself.

STRUCTURE

Humans need some form of routine. It is what relaxes the amygdala in the limbic brain and the teenagers is already super charged. Work with your teen to support them setting up routines for themselves.

FUN & CONNECTION

Schedule time for fun and social connection everyday. Adolescents are tribal and they need to check in with their tribe regularly which will keep the dopamine receptors happy and fed.

Ask them what they think is reasonable.

FAMILY TIME

Give everyone the opportunity to suggest some family activities with no judgements. Set the ground rules ahead of schedule about phone use during family time.

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SLEEP Now is your chance to help them get those 9 hours of sleep. Allow your teens to sleep as long as possible before online classes begin.

CHORES Use this opportunity to teach them how to cook, include them in housework and yard work and do not expect them to be as thorough as you are. These are teaching moments, not pressure moments.

RELAXATION & REFLECTION To truly switch off and let the amygdala really rest, I suggest practising a form of meditation. It can be Sophrology, Mindfulness or other meditation practices. This time off helps us be more creative, solve problems quicker, strengthens our immune system and can smooth out the release of hormones and emotions.

EXERCISE The dopamine and endorphins that are produced from exercise are the only drugs your body really needs. You can make this a fun little competition or it can be a ritual family walk after dinner, a bike ride, hula hooping, use the stairwell in your apartment building and see how long it takes it to you climb the equivalent of a nearby mountain peak, skip, set up an obstacle course, With exercise it is just like Nike says “Just do It”!

About: Annette Ebbinghaus is an ASCA certified Master Sophrologist as well as a Hypnosis and NLP Practitioner, Mindfulness and Cardiac Coherence Coach working with adolescents and adults since 2008. Her professional life progression went from MSc Civil Engineer building bridges, MBA working in industry and academia to a complete shift to mind and body health when she became a mother while living in Singapore.

Her signature work is teaching adolescents techniques to support their mental and emotional health.

9 Ways to Balance Your Sleep Cycle and Stay Focused While in Self- Isolation ByAnandi

I

t may seem like a dream working from home, but it can also become very stressful when there’s no structure.

When working from home, it’s important to create rhythm and rituals that support balance, wellbeing and sleep. It’s tempting to be disorganised, stay in your pyjamas and simply get nothing done.

Avoid home jet lag

Keep bedtime and get up time the same as if you were going out to work. This will keep your sleep cycles balanced and you’re more likely to wake up feeling refreshed. Chopping and changing your ritual will create a type of ‘home jet lag’!

Going to bed one day at midnight, the next day at 10pm, then 1am, will play havoc with your sleep cycles. You’ll likely to get pulled out of a deep sleep by your alarm clock which will make you feel groggy for the first few hours of the day. This is called ‘sleep inertia’.

However, if your body is used to sleeping between 10pm and 6am, it will adjust your sleep cycles so you wake up practically without an alarm from a light sleep. When you wake up naturally from light sleep, you’ll feel refreshed and ready for the day.

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Start your day with meditation or yoga

This might sound scary if you’ve never done either. However, yoga doesn’t have to mean standing on your head or sitting for hours in lotus pose. It can be just simply sitting and watching your breath. This will immediately calm your nervous system and refresh your mind. Try at least 15 minutes in the morning before you look at your phone or your computer.

Finish your day with a wined down

In order to sleep well, your mind needs to slow down. You won’t sleep well if your mind is still busy.

Working on your computer or surfing the internet will inhibit the release of your sleep hormone melatonin.

Dim the lights, turn off everything off instead. Do something relaxing like reading or listening to a meditation.

Create a beautiful work space

Make sure your work space is tidy and remove clutter. If possible have your desk near a window so that you can open the window on a nice day. Make sure it’s freshly dusted, light some incense in the morning to create a nice energy or even a scented candle. This will encourage focus and creativity.

Plan your day with your top three priorities At the end of every day, plan your priorities for the next day. This will keep you focused and you’ll have a feeling of achievement when you tick them off as done. If you wander through your day, with no priorities, you’ll feel like you’re not achieving anything.

Eat fresh healthy food and cut the stodge

In order to stay positive, feel energised and sleep well, you need to pay attention to your diet. Sugar will rob you of your energy, give you brain fog and create inflammation in the body. Focus on fresh vegetables and organic food if possible.

Drink plenty of water and watch the wine!

Practise gratitude

Have a gratitude journal. Gratitude keeps the mind positive and improves mood. You’ll be nicer to be around!

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Have work time and off time

Set up your day and week where you have work time and off time. Working at home often means you get nothing done, or your work spills over into the evenings and the weekends. With no travel, you should be able to get more done in less time!

Work on yourself

This is a great time to work on yourself.

Check out inspirational speakers or inspiring books to improve your mindset and inspire your contemplations!

I recommend Jo Dispenza, Deepak Chopra and Anthony Robbins.

About the writer: Anandi is the creator of ‘Sleepology® which is designed to resolve sleep issues using a specific methodology using principles done in a particular order. Anandi is an Ayurvedic consultant, NLP practitioner, Senior yoga teacher and teacher trainer and has been in the wellness field for 30 years. She’s also the author of ‘Breathe Better Sleep Better’. Anandi has appeared in the press all the major glossies including Cosmopolitan, Women’s fitness, Psychologies, Daily Mail, In the Moment Magazine, Spirit and Destiny and the London Evening Standard.

A Girls Confessions

on Self

Mastery

by Sarah Kopinsky

I

see how many women are demonstrating enormous resilience, patience, clarity of mind and hard work to help themselves grow through this time, and that many of ussomehow- find it in them, to help others where possible.

During the last year, I learned to get out of my own way. I stripped bare what I am not and I realized who and what I really am, reminding myself of my own potential along the way. This second article of Confession of a Girl is designed to assist you on your path to self mastery.

A beautiful tree, lover or child changes forms many times, but it’s essence is the same. My ability to see it requires resisting to try to control this, my surrendering and emotional maturity.

To balance (not absorb) my surroundings and thoughts, honors my real self. I see both the light and darkness in my own humanity. And carefully choose with what I fill my heart. Because what I consume has a way of nurturing me and bringing out my beauty or depleting and diminishing it.

I decide what is acceptable for me and not. I am the sky, not the weather, whether I remember it or not. Some will find my light and make it brighter, others will try to dim or ignore it as they pass, What I allow in and what I choose to see and not see depends on the quality of my being, actions, words and thoughts. I often ask myself this challenging yet, powerful question: am I the agent of my life?

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“

We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.

THE TALMUD Salvador Minuchin said: “certainty is the enemy of change.” When I am certain that I am right, don’t require inner work, or am never wrong, that’s when I stagnate. Growth only becomes possible when I embrace an ever-evolving identity.

As I learned to navigate my inner world, I gained confidence, let go of false core beliefs, and became myself. I learned to embrace my emotional states and its causes and to detach from spiraling thoughts. As I compassionately held myself -with flaws and all in high regard- my perception of myself, the world and others also changed.

The degree to which I now create relationships, where I flourish as a distinct separate individual, reflects the growth, spirituality, happiness, and love which I have achieved in myself. It embodies moments I sat with my emotions and empathically connected with them without confusing it with my being or at the expense of my innate worth.

Self-mastery narrowed the bridge between myself and “others”. As my internal world expanded, I got unstuck. My emotions became messengers and teachers to direct my decisions towards what and who truly matters most and to being who and how I want in this world. I wasn’t confined by preordained rules, dogmatic moves or others perceptions. I became the rightful owner of my life and goals. I self-determine how I connect, work, set boundaries, stand up for myself and others and how I inter-am. By choosing skillful careful responses instead of reacting, again and again, I choose freedom and to hold space.

The deeper I nourish, care and attend to my deepest needs and desires, the higher the quality of the love I radiate and accept. Seeing into my truest being, breaths intimacy. How I pay attention -what I experience- to me holds the key to moments of awe, love, trust, hope, forgiveness, joy, and deep care.

Belonging means I stopped fitting in a certain template to be seen as “worthy ”, and became real.

More one, more me, less only me. I listen better, I see better, feel better, and own my vision and energy.

The most valuable elixir lies in how well I nonjudgmentally observe, in congruence and in my sense of inner peace. It’s a higher consciousness, not familiarity. Not in old stories or patterns that don’t serve me. Self-liberation was found in practicing behavioral tweaks and in disciplined vocabulary.

I practice Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent communication which values the power of words. It explains that under each action lies a human need trying to be fulfilled. Using it helps create less conflict and pain in others and myself. Especially when I truly most desire deep (re)connection, being seen, valued, heard, and loved. I ironically feared the uncertainty this takes, but learned that choosing fear, not love, only created inner and outer pollution and disconnect.

The NVC method can help clearly state needs, hopes, desires, wishes, in a positive way which allows for compassionate connection instead of blaming/ criticizing/ projecting.

It goes like this: - When I observe... (1) something specific - I feel... (2) an emotion - What I need/value is... (3) - Would you be willing to... (4) a precise request.

Others’ behavior (although hard to remember sometimes) can say a lot about how they feel about themselves. Filtering what I consume also includes things like this.

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Filtering means I have personal agency (I trust my ability and inner power to discern). I actively explore, edit and release parts of my identity as I grow and allow for social and professional input. Having healthy boundaries, helps me cultivate authentic love and interconnectedness. I learned what is (psychologically) mine and what belongs to others. What energy to protect myself from and what energy I send out. By training deep self-rootedness instead of absorbing others emotional states or feelings, I learned to openly share.

It was my found self connectedness that made so many others feel like they know me intimately well.

With enmeshed boundaries, I allowed too much (negative) information and others limiting and hurtful perceptions in.

I lacked the understanding of clear filters and took responsibility for what wasn’t mine. I became so entrapped that emotional diffusion and escalations were almost inevitable.

Rigidity, on the other hand, meant I dismissed all suggestions or listened to others. My closed mindset removed me from powerful inputs. I avoided vulnerability, sharing difficult emotions and expressing these and had to unlearn overindependence.

Today, I decided what is allowed in and not. I adjust my mindsets and behavior (when needed) without losing my sacred self-connectedness. I learned how to communicate my feelings, needs and core values, while cultivating compassion, healing, psychologically safety and how to (mindfully) love.

Having both autonomy and Interdependence, provided joined resilience to the elements of inevitable change, and to all it’s beauty. I recognize that beauty truly lies in the openness of the mind, heart and soul of the beholder, almost never on objects or persons being experienced.

As I matured in wisdom, awareness, and emotion regulation through my own courageous endeavors, challenges, career, mentors, and relationships, I learned that what I believed might not be the truth.

My own journey into Self mastery is about selfcontrol and the ability to exert a deliberate creation of my future, allow my undivided attention on what really matters: delivering my potential against all diversions trying to steer me away from my calling.

How To Keep A Journal, Free Your Mind And Take Control Of Your Mental Health

by Zeenat Noorani

A

s we are returning to life, I keep writing in my journal which helped free my mind and take control of my mental health during lockdown.

If you would had told me 4 months ago that we would be living in this surreal situation, fighting COVID-19 pandemic globally, I might not have believed you. A horror movie brought to reality! In such a short space of time, the virus has utterly transformed the employment landscape and people’s lives worldwide. But history taught us again that during crisis, there have been winners and losers. With billions of people in self-isolation, mental health is rapidly sweeping the globe. We are social creatures and we have evolved as a species that is hardwired to interact with others, more so in times of stress.

Resilience, technology and the mental health lessons learned during lockdown There are some days when I feel on top of the world and empowered but there are other days when I feel helpless, wanting to crawl under my duvet. And that’s okay to not feel okay and have a bad day. While revisiting the lockdown period, my greatest win is learning to stop feeling ashamed that I wasn’t feeling positive and that things aren’t going great.

There is a lot of strength having the courage to be vulnerable, to be authentic and true to yourself.This one lesson has changed my life and the way I do business. I experienced resilience at a whole new level and while it always has been a huge part of my life, I feel so much better knowing that I passed the test.

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My business has taken a real hit, from losing all my clients to zero new client signups. For me it was swim or sink- I chose to swim and explore the different seas, and I have Technology to be thankful for not sinking!

However, lockdown left me spending much more time than usual on technology. Not Great! I began to notice changes in my mental and physical health, mood, sleep, focus and productivity. This is not a healthy nor productive way of living. It’s draining!

Newsflash, if you start to feel overwhelmed by the constant presence of technology, it’s a sign to step back. Begin with small changes in what you are doing.

Stop feeling ashamed of your feelings and start keeping a Journal to free your mind and take control of your mental health Looking after my mental health and wellbeing comes with maintaining healthy sleep patterns and eating habits, both generating more energy and focus overall.

Sleep is vital. I am so bad with my sleeping patterns but by seeking support has been a life changer. Developing a regular relaxing bedtime routine should be a non-negotiable part of your life. A good idea is to stop watching any screens at least an hour before bedtime and avoid mental over-stimulation from blue light from your screens/TV. Also, it is a good time to enjoy the things you like, such as reading a book (not on a tech device), have a warm soothing drink (non-alcoholic), a bath, listen to music or meditate or write in your journal.

As I am sharing my notes with you, I am looking at my journal, and if I would recommend anything for your mental health, is keeping a Journal. Keeping a journal is a simple but effective tool which can be so uplifting while reflecting on your circumstances and reevaluating your options moving forward. When committing yourself to writing down what is happening in your world, you unlock your feelings and allow your mind to flow. It is amazing how only 15 minutes in your daily routine could give you the clarity you need on the 70,000 thoughts going on in your head daily, and de- clutter your mind.

Keeping a journal is great for both your personal life and business.

Keeping a journal helps you acknowledging your thoughts and feelings, even the most difficult ones like anxiety, grief, anger or boredom. Find a quiet place sitting with those thoughts and feeling acknowledging when and where y come up in the body. Perhaps you could even share what’s going on with someone you trust to help with the process and move you through them. Taking a new perspective on negative thoughts and feelings could bring a more positive outlook and multitude of positive effects on our mental and physical well-being, helping you to focus and re-energise.

Writing in your journal is not about recording your thoughts and feelings, or chronicle every last thing that happens to you during the day. Feel free to unleash your creativity, doodles and day dreams about being married to Prince Charming are allowed!

Creativity helps you unwind, unleash it!

About the writer: Zeenat Noorani Resilience Wellbeing Coach, NLP, Hypnotist, Kinetic Shift, Mindfulness, EFT Practitioner, Speaker, Mentor &Author Helping you to “Empower Your Mind To Have The Life You Desire”

Founder Dr Marina Nani

Guest Contributors

Editor in Chief Dr Evelyn Okpanachi

Fashion Asiya Durran

Creative Director Darie Nani

Style Tatjana Kotoric, Alexis Body

Deputy Editor Alice Demetriad

Health & Wellness Anna Cortesi, Anandi, Deborah Hladecek, Gemma Nice, Klara Debeljak, Patricia Ordody, Martina Fink, Zeenat Noorani, Annette Ebbinghaus, Sarah Kopinsky

Executive Assistant to the Editor in Chief Ivayla Dimitrova Lifestyle Editor Arti Halai

Women & Society Carla Kaufmann, Claire Corbett, Roxana Mohammadian-Molina, Suzie Poole, Dr James Okpanachi

Wellness Editor Lesley Calvó Fashion Editor Gayle Ngozee

Lifestyle Helena Zachariassen, Danna Levy- Hoffman

Style Editor Elinor Salter

Want to get in touch?

Send us a message at hello@richwoman.africa

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