THE BEST YOU M A G A Z I N E
YOUR 5 ULTIMATE STRESS-BUSTERS
THE CONTROVERSIAL FEMINIST ICON
★ JAMES ARTHUR RAY: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ★ 18 LIFE-IMPROVING TIPS ★ RUSSELL BRAND ON ADDICTION
THE JAMIE OLIVER PHENOMENON LEARN TO SAY YES TO CHANGE
AL GORE
LEADING THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EVERYONE EVERYWHERE
THE BEST YOU
Wonder Woman
M A G A Z I N E
THE CONTROVERSIAL FEMINIST ICON
★ JAMES ARTHUR RAY: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ★ 18 LIFE-IMPROVING TIPS ★ RUSSELL BRAND ON ADDICTION
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EVERYONE EVERYWHERE
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THE BEST YOU
A Better World As this year draws to a close, it’s a good time to reflect on all that we’ve achieved, as well as focuse on future goals. Here at The Best You we’ve had an incredible year, not least in forging new partnerships through the creation of our initiative The Best You: A Better World. In this issue we introduce two more non-profits that we have joined forces with; Chasing Coral and TreeSisters. Together we really can make a difference to both the planet and our wellbeing. On the topic of wellbeing, stories about mental illness are increasingly hitting the headlines. It’s vital we all help and support those in need, because mental ill health can affect anyone. I am a big believer in the power of changing your internal voice in order to maintain good mental health. Many people who take part in The Best You’s workshops and seminars, or who visit our EXPO, also understand how learning to think well really can help you stay well. Enjoy the issue, and from the whole team at The Best You, we wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy 2018. See you in the New Year!
BERNARDO
MOYA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Twitter: @Bernardo_Moya facebook: bernard.moya64
To enjoy additional digital content, interactive features, video and digital galleries, download The Best You App.
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DAN GEISLER
24 JAMIE OLIVER
35 CHASING CORAL
18 AL GORE
EDITOR/PUBLISHER Bernardo Moya info@thebestyou.co DEPUTY EDITOR Emma Ledger editorial@thebestyou.co
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IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE
THE BEST YOU ADVISORS Steve Kelly steve.kelly@thebestyou.co Ashley Ellis ashley.ellis@thebestyou.co Veronika Kundrakova veronika.kundrakova@ thebestyou.co Katie Wright katie.wright@thebestyou.co The Best You Magazine is published by
The Best You Corporation Ltd. 81 County Street London SE1 4AD United Kingdom +44 (0) 207 927 6502 Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect The Best You Corporation Ltd. policy. The Best You Coporation Ltd. accepts no responsibility by views expressed by its contributors. Advertisements and reader offers are not endorsed by The Best You or The Best You Corporation Ltd.
www.globalwoman.co www.globalwomanclub.com
IT’S NOT YOUR BANK BALANCE BUT WHAT GIVING BACK WHICH GIVES LIFE MEANING
Inner You How actress turned entrepreneur Jessica Alba built an honest, internationally successful businesstake your work to the next level.
REALISING YOUR FULL POTENTIAL
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As more and more people turn to life coaches for guidance, writer Lucy Lyus tries her first session with expert Sandy Newbigging
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The Best You’s Emma Ledger explores how we can learn to think better in order to achieve personal and professional goals
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Veganism is on the rise around the world, The Best You looks at how its popularity is spreading and why it’s more than a passing trend 7
CAN LIFE COACHING HELP YOU LIVE A CALMER LIFE?
Lucy Lyus meets Sandy C. Newbigging to explore the benefits a Life Coach can have on wellbeing Sandy C. Newbigging is in the business of calm. You can become a member of the best-selling author and meditation teacher’s Calm Clan, study ‘Calmology’ through his online course, and read any one of his last three books, which all feature ‘calm’ in the title. You can also meditate with Newbigging on a Champney’s retreat, or like me, attend a one-on-one life coaching session to get a more personalised calm-fix. Calm, for many of us, has come to be experienced as a luxury good, even without luxury retreat prices: a rare treat that has to be worked for and only indulged under special circumstances. Rarely a week goes by without hearing of endemic levels of stress in primary school children, students, or workers in any number of industries. According to a new study from the charity FirstLight Trust, women are now twice as likely to feel more stress every day than men. A third (32 percent) of British women confess to feeling stressed every day of their life, compared to just over a quarter (17 percent) of all men. On average, women feel stressed four days a week. As a qualified yoga teacher, I know the routes to relaxation better than many, yet balancing fast-paced London life, and until recently, three concurrent jobs, means stress has become my default mode, with a permaclenched jaw and regular bouts of feeling overwhelmed by the to-do lists wallpapering my flat (top tip for an inexpensive way to add that personal touch to your interior design! Note: may induce palpitations). It’s
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long been known how damaging prolonged stress can be for our mental and physical health, so if Newbigging thinks calm is the answer, I’m all set to give his approach, which also promises “better health, freedom and success” a go. We meet in a bustling cafe filled with suited office workers swarming over takeaway salads and sandwiches, and looking like they could do with a bit of calm too. It’s not the most conducive atmosphere for cultivating one’s inner millpond, but serves as a good reminder of what today’s meditation teacher, or ‘modern monk’, as Newbigging describes himself, is up against. After taking some background details, Newbigging gets stuck into the issue I’ve been asked to come along with (a dilemma over choosing a day job that is rewarding yet sustainable teaching yoga is great, but until I become an overnight YouTube sensation it just isn’t going to pay all the bills) and he fires off questions: “Are you on a journey? If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? What do you fear? What do you desire?” This feels blisteringly incisive but not all together uncomfortable, and Newbigging is an attentive listener. His theory, as set out in latest book Calm Cure, is that it is the conflict that arises in resisting what we fear, and the stubborn attachment to what we desire that creates unhappiness and stress. Conversely, making peace with how life is - a mixture of wanted and unwanted events - is the key to happiness, and to achieve this one must learn to exist in the present moment and tune out self-defeating thoughts. “When we stop listening to the noise, we just become happy,” Newbigging explains. “Peace is a by-product of being aware and disconnected from your thoughts.”
In our two-hour session diagrams and acronyms abound calm doesn’t mean calm, it means Conscious Awareness Life Meditation. We ‘GAAAWO’ together a couple of times - that’s Gently Alert, Attention Wide Open. This entails sitting very, very still and trying to be aware of all that is happening in your field of vision without consciously attending to it; a way of tuning into the present moment, which does somewhat calm the busy cafe. Newbigging then takes me through an exercise in reflecting on how willing I am to allow what I fear (judgment from others) to co-exist with what I desire (approval from others contradictory I know, but that’s suppressed psychological conflict for you). We go back to past events, and forward to the future, to imagine how I would feel to be at peace and let go of both the resistance to judgment and attachment to approval, each time marking the strength of the feeling out of 10 with the aim of increasing it each time. As we progress I do feel calmer, and by the end more willing to put myself out there for jobs where I might have been too afraid of rejection to consider applying for. In just one session with Newbigging we don’t delve too deep, though I can see how over time this could be an effective way to better get to know your thoughts, learn how to manage them, and gradually relax, in a similar way to talking therapies and more spiritual practices, such as yoga. Newbigging leaves me with some personalised positive mantras, and for a good while after being reabsorbed by the hectic London streets, a little bit of calm. Calm Cure is out now. For more information visit www.sandynewbigging.com
This is of course not a new theory; acceptance in one form or another has featured in philosophies from Stoicism to Buddhism, and unaddressed conflict and resistance was brought to the world though Freudian psychoanalytic thought. Mindfulness - learning how to be present - is now taught in schools, workplaces, and on the NHS. What has allowed Newbigging to write and sell books, and lecture all around the world, then, must be in the techniques.
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THINKING
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TIME
How positive, supportive thinking can help you achieve your goals
Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, schedules two hours of uninterrupted thinking time every day, and business magnate Warren Buffett famously said that he has spent 80 percent of his career thinking.
“My first question to a client is ‘What do you want to think about, and what are your thoughts?” says McCarthy. “This question is as open and encouraging as any question can be, and responses vary hugely with every thinker.”
The quality of everything we do depends on the quality of the thinking we do first, and the quality of our thinking depends on the way we treat each other while we are thinking. This is the simple yet meaningful ethos behind Time To Think, an international leadership development and coaching company that specialises in creating spaces that help people to think at their clearest and best.
The question can, McCarthy admits, elicit very long answers and might unleash a flood of concerns, stresses and disappointments.
This might sound glaringly obvious; create the optimum conditions in order to achieve optimal thinking. Yet, few of us (if any) can say that every work environment we’ve ever experienced has done this. There are many ways that our environment can feel limiting, or worse, can even negatively impact us. This can affect our quality of thought and therefore our effectiveness to achieve goals, both personal and professional. The organisation Time To Think was set up to combat this problem. It teaches a process called The Thinking Environment, which aims to help people create Thinking Environments within their organisations, teams, and in their lives. Time To Think clients range from multi-national conglomerates looking to implement changes across an entire workforce to individuals who feel worried about not realising their full potential. Ruth McCarthy is a coach trained to teach The Thinking Environment. She explains that when she meets a client for the first time for what’s called a ‘Thinking Session,’ the client is ‘the thinker’ and she is their ‘thinking partner'.
“It’s vital not to interrupt at a moment when a clear new idea might be happening,” says McCarthy. “I then ask the second important question: ‘What more do you think, or feel, or want to say?’ This is an affirming question that recognises all the work done so far and encourages deeper thinking.” The process then sees the thinking partner encourage the thinker to express his or her goal (or goals) in a concise way that is easy to memorise. This is discussed in depth, with frequent repetition of the goal, so that it’s held in mind. “Part Three of the ‘Thinking Session’ is asking the first Assumption Question,” says McCarthy. “That is ‘What are you assuming that stops you from applying yourself to achieving your goal?’ From that point, I focus the question again to find the chief assumption. The next step is to test that chief assumption, using the three criteria of Logic, Information and Positive Philosophical Choice.” It’s when these three are applied to the thinker’s goal that he or she is usually better able to reframe their issue and visualise achieving it. Changing the way an individual thinks can change their whole approach to work. Time To Think’s impressive client list includes Time Warner, Shell, GlaxoSmithKline, The NHS, and The BBC. It’s never too late to learn how to generate the finest thinking, a skill that has transformative power for us all.
JEFF WEINER
For more information visit www.timetothink.com
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Why we’re all According to new figures from the Vegan Society, the number of vegans in the UK has risen 350 percent over the past ten years
Veganism is undoubtedly on the rise all over the world as people increasingly seek to reduce their impact on animals and the planet, and to boost their own health. According to an Ipsos Mori poll, there are now more than half a million vegans in the UK, with 42 percent of them between the ages of 15 and 34. It’s clearly no fad, but what is making all these people turn to veganism? It may have something to do with the findings published by the World Health Organisation last year, which linked processed meats, such as bacon and ham, to cancer. Unsurprisingly, just a few months later it was revealed that nearly a third of Brits had cut back on their meat consumption. Films have also played a large part in spreading the message, and making people more mindful about what they eat. ‘Vegan documentaries’ such as Cowspiracy, Forks Over Knives, Vegucated and Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead being free to watch on Netflix has dramatically increased the reach of the vegan doctrine. The latest film, Eating You Alive, features leading medical experts and researchers, and takes a scientific look at the reasons we’re so sick, who’s responsible for feeding us the wrong information and how we can turn our health around by following a plant based diet. It is also a possibility that the rise in veganism can be linked to the diet’s growing popularity among celebrities. “Looking at some of the prolific names in the vegan movement (such as Ellie Goulding, Novak Djokovic, and David Hayes, to name a few), there is a real move away from the negative image it has suffered from in the past,” says Maria Chiorando, editor of Vegan Life Magazine. Harry Potter actress Evanna Lynch says that after going vegan she stopped getting colds, and that the acne she suffered from finally cleared up.
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going vegan “Mine was an ethical decision,” Lynch says. “But then my skin cleared up and vanity kicked in! I feel like for everything else my views change and fluctuate and grow, but veganism is something I will always believe in.” Social media is also a huge driver of veganism, with the hugely popular vegan hashtag promoting appealing, sun-kissed healthy lifestyles, and that’s not to mention the ethical and environmental benefits. Jane Land, co-founder of Veganuary, a charity which promotes trying to be vegan for the month of January “It doesn’t matter what brings people to try veganism - all reasons are equally valid - and Veganuary is here to mentor, support and advise anyone who wishes to try vegan for 31 days. Why not sign up now?” says Land. According to Land, in the six months following the Veganuary’s 2017 month-long pledge, 67 per ent of participants said they had decided to remain vegan. And, health was a big factor - 97 percent of participants who responded to the Veganuary survey said their health had improved during the month. Team GB Triathlete Dan Geisler describes his change to the plant-based diet as “a very, very good decision.” “I’ve never been faster, never been able to recover quicker, never looked better, I’ve never raced better,” says Geisler. Eight months after going vegan, Geisler picked up a silver medal at the World Triathlon Championships. “I went vegan for a challenge,» he says. “And now, I’ve stayed vegan because it’s offered benefits to my life.” Registration for Veganuary 2018 is open. For more information visit www.veganuary.com Veganuary’s new book, How to Go Vegan will be published on 28 December and is now available to pre-order on Amazon.
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COMING
SOON
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.THEBESTYOU.CO
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IT’S NOT YOUR BANK BALANCE BUT WHAT GIVING BACK WHICH GIVES LIFE MEANING
Enjoy Life How actress turned entrepreneur Jessica Alba built an honest, internationally successful businesstake your work to the next level.
LEARNING TO BE YOUR VERY BEST SELF
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Fed up with bad and fake news? We’ve gathered together some good news from around the world
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The Best You explores how former US Vice President Al Gore became a leader in the fight to save our planet
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Founder of The Huffington Post, Ariana Huffington on making it to the top from humble beginnings
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How Jamie Oliver’s energy, creativity and drive have built a global mega-brand with the power to change society for the better
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Good NEWS Bringing you positive stories from around the globe
BENCHESCOLLECTIVE This Dutch organisation turns public benches into dynamic meetings points to help foster a sense of community. Over 1,300 public seating areas have been listed as meeting points on the BenchesCollective website, with users deciding when their bench will be ‘open’ and what they’ll offer. Activities range from badminton to sing-
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songs to beer-tasting. In an increasingly digital world, the benches offer a chance for people who live near one another, but may never otherwise meet, to come together and share stories, ideas or recommendations. Who knows, your local bench might just be the key to breaking down social division and beating loneliness. www.bankjescollectief.nl/en
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REBUILD FOUNDATION Two thirds of humanity will live in cities by 2050, yet in many metropolises there are stark divides between rich and poor. Artist Theaster Gates believes things can be different, starting with the neglected suburbs on the South Side of his hometown, Chicago. The potter turned social activist began buying up properties in the area, and with the help of volunteers, transformed them into community spaces, workshops, a cinema, a library and event spaces. Gates’ Rebuild Foundation not only saved the buildings from a bulldozer, it is also helping bridge the gap between art-lovers from more affluent parts of the city and the disadvantaged South Side residents. www.rebuild-foundation.org
POUNCER Nigel Gifford OBE, a former member of the British Army Catering Corps, knows all about inaccurate and wasteful drones delivering supplies. So, he designed an aerial vehicle called Pouncer, which navigates via GPS, making flights and landings extremely accurate. Its wings and body are made of empty food containers to be filled as needed, and can carry a whopping 200 pounds of food. Such deliveries help increase the daily humanitarian food rations from 2,200 calories per person to 3,500. If that wasn’t enough, the device itself is edible! www.windhorse.aero
GLOWEE What do fireflies, squid and certain mushrooms have in common? They all glow in the dark. Harnessing the power of this natural light is the idea behind Glowee, a startup working to find an alternative solution to electric lighting. Their goal is to offer a clean lighting system that would act positively on the whole value chain to ensure the lowest environmental impact. Glowee is developing a biological source of light, using the natural properties of marine micro-organisms, which can be used in public spaces to revolutionise the way we produce and consume light. www.glowee.eu
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The Best You looks at how Al Gore came to be a leader in the fight to save our planet Al Gore is a powerful forwardthinker, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, a self-confessed geek who was instrumental in setting up the structure of the internet, and - perhaps most famously - a tireless and unwavering advocate for the environment. As the former US Vice President, Gore is no stranger to the world stage. Yet, these days he is using his platform for one very clear aim: to raise awareness of climate change and save the Earth before it’s too late. Gore was born in 1948 in Washington D.C., the son of a US Senator, Albert Gore Sr, and Pauline La Fon. Growing up, he spent most of the year in DC, but during the summer months he and his family decamped to their farm in Carthage, Tennessee. Gore loved both the city and the countryside, and recalls those days fondly; “It took me a while to learn the difference between fun and work." These dual political and environmental influences stayed with him. As a teenager, he remembers being asked to read Rachel Carson’s classic environmental work Silent Spring and discussing it around the dinner table. Gore went on to study at Harvard University under Roger Revelle, the environmental scientist who warned against global warming and began regular measurement of carbon dioxide in the environment - finding a correlation between carbon levels and temperature that in later years became known as The Greenhouse Effect.
“Revelle was a very hard-nosed scientist who emphasised the hard data,” Gore remembers. “He showed our class the results of his measurements... and made it clear what he felt the significance of it was.” Gore saw Revelle as a scientist and a visionary, saying: ”He drew the connections between the larger changes in our civilization and this pattern that was now visible in the atmosphere of the entire planet. Then he projected into the future where this was headed unless we made some adjustments - and it was just as clear as day." The effect on Gore was powerful. “I just soaked it up like a sponge,” he said. Gore’s passion for environmentalism was matched by his fascination with technology, as revealed by the title of his Harvard thesis: The Impact of Television on the Conduct of the Presidency, 1947–1969, which examined how the new medium had changed politics. As a student (sharing a room with actor Tommy Lee Jones, no less), Gore strongly opposed the Vietnam War. However, realising that his father’s political opponents would seize upon this to use against him, he enlisted in the US Army to fight. This sense of duty, single-mindedness and seeing the bigger picture for the greater good is a trademark of the man Gore was to become. Gore was one of around only 12 of 1,115 Harvard graduates from the class of 1969 who went to fight in Vietnam.
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Gore’s environmentalism has always gone hand in hand with his interest in technology and science. After he first stood and was elected to Congress in 1977, he became known as one of the Atari Democrats, recognising his advocacy of the changes he saw coming thanks to the advancement of computers. In 1991, having long understood the possibilities of information technology, he crafted the bill that led to the creation of the National Information Infrastructure, which Gore called the Information Superhighway, and which is the physical underpinning of the internet.
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All this time, Gore’s interest in environmental matters continued. He held the first congressional hearings on climate change, and co-sponsored hearings on toxic waste and global warming throughout the 1980s. An epiphany came in 1989, when his six-year-old son, Albert, was nearly killed when he ran out into the road and was hit by a car. He was rushed to hospital with no pulse. “We were possibly going to lose him,” Gore recalls of that tense time in the ward. “He finally took a breath. We stayed in the hospital for a month.” During that month, Gore asked himself what was most important in his life, and what sort of a world he wanted to leave to his children. “My way of being in the world, it just changed everything for me. How should I spend my time on this earth?” said Gore. He engaged in environmental matters far more deeply. “I went to Antarctica, went to the South Pole, the North Pole, the Amazon, places where scientists could help me understand parts of the issue I didn’t really understand in depth.” The possibility of losing those things most precious to him, not only his child but the whole world, gave him a focus he never had before. “What we take for granted might not be here for our children,” he said. During this period, Gore wrote his first environmental book, Earth in the Balance. The following years saw him emerge as a leading environmentalist, arguing that our stewardship of the Earth comes from a moral duty to our children.
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On becoming US Vice President to Bill Clinton in 1993, Gore combined his fascination with science and the environment by launching the GLOBE program on Earth Day - an education and science activity that used NASA satellite imaging to increase student awareness of the environment. In 1998, Gore argued for a NASA satellite to provide a constant view of the Earth, as well as conceiving Digital Earth, which makes geo-referenced images and data available to all through the internet. During his time as VP, Gore also negotiated and advocated for the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gases, but was unable to ratify the treaty due to resistance from vested interest in Congress. After leaving office in 2000, Gore set up green investment companies and began a series of lectures on global warming and the science of climate change. In his book The Assault on Reason he argues that opinions have been changed by the rise of television. The populace of a democracy is now swayed less by arguments from reason than by responses to fears and irrational arguments from tradition. It makes people afraid of change and unwilling to take on new, inconvenient ideas. He thus set out to spread the facts of climate change by taking a slideshow around the world, stating clearly and calmly the facts about climate change to anyone who would listen. He has given that talk tirelessly, many thousands of times. “I set myself a goal,” Gore says, “to communicate this real clearly. The only way I know how to do it is city by city, person by person, family by family. And I have faith that pretty soon enough minds are changed that we cross a threshold.” “I guess the thing I’ve spent more time on than anything else in the slideshow is trying to identify all those things in people’s minds that serve as obstacles to them understanding this. And whenever I feel like I’ve identified an obstacle, I try to take it away, move it, demolish it, blow it up” he said. The slideshow became the framework for the 2007 documentary An Inconvenient Truth, which won the Academy Award for the Best Documentary the same year. Gore was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his powerful work communicating that climate change is real and that it can be changed. Now, ten years on, Gore has just released An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, which centres on the build-up to the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement, and his work behind the scenes trying to get a deal signed between all the countries of the world. With Donald Trump coming to power just after the deal was signed, and his withdrawal from the agreement, the film has been reedited with new footage casting Trump as the antagonist seeking to undo the work Gore has done. Nevertheless, the message of the film remains a positive one: with new technology we are on the edge of an energy revolution, which may see fossil fuels consigned to history. As far as Gore is concerned, that has to happen soon. He concludes: “future generations may well have occasion to ask themselves, ‘What were our parents thinking? Why didn’t they wake up when they had the chance?’ We have to hear that question from them, now.”
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THE EVOLUTION OF A
MEGABRAND From humble beginnings to media mogul, The Best You looks at the many sides of Arianna Huffington
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Some people are born to succeed, and it seems Arianna Huffington (née Stasinopoulou) is one of them. Though Huffington grew up in Athens, Greece in a lowly one bedroom flat with her single mother, she worked hard at school and was driven to make the best of her life. Huffington not only landed herself a place at Girton College, Cambridge, but also became the first foreign and third ever female President of the Cambridge Union. By the age of just 21, she was dating the critic and polymath Bernard Levin, and had her own publishing contract. That first book, called The Female Woman, which was designed to counter Germaine Greer’s infamous feminist tome The Female Eunuch, saw Huffington argue that Women’s Lib appealed only to women with “strong lesbian tendencies.” Given her way of looking at the world, perhaps it’s no surprise that Huffington became a darling of the right wing in Britain. She soon counted leading Tory politicians among her friends, and became a political commentator and prominent media figure. She left Levin when she realised he did not want to marry and have children, and nowadays jokes that “everything that happened in my life... happened because a man wouldn’t marry me.” Huffington went on to fall in love with oil and gas billionaire Michael Huffington, an American congressman. The couple wed in 1985 and the new Mrs Huffington quickly became a conservative stalwart in the US. However, with the approach of the new millennium, Huffington developed a new consciousness. Always independentminded, she concluded that the world divides into those who recognise that there are “two nations” (the rich and poor) and those who don’t, and thus she developed increasingly progressive views. Huffington says of her politics that she’s “trying to break away from the idea that we see everything through the right versus left prism,” and she founded her blog The Huffiington Post in 2005 to try to find and bring together the best thinking from both sides, in order to progress civilisation. One of Huffington’s many skills is her ability to network, which television host Bill Maher sums up by saying that “if Arianna wants to be your friend, give up. You’re like a weak swimmer in a strong tide.” Her brilliant networking meant that when she set up The Huffington Post, she was able to invite the rich and famous to contribute articles for free. Within a few years, The Huffington Post - or HuffPost as it’s fondly known - was rolled out around the world. Today it is the second most-read news website. Huffington’s extraordinary career has seen her succeed time and time again. In 2011, she sold The Huffington Post
to AOL for £265 million, but stayed on as Editor-in-chief. Then in 2014, she reinvented herself once again, announcing her departure from HuffPost to set up her own self-help company, Thrive Global. The roots of this revolution occurred in 2008, when she collapsed from exhaustion and found herself “lying on the floor of my home office in a pool of blood. On the way down, my head had hit the corner of my desk, cutting my eye and breaking the cheekbone” said Huffington. The time she spent in hospitals while being checked for serious illness (she had exhaustion, nothing more) made her realise the importance of sleep and rest. She looked into yoga, other self-help disciplines, and corporate wellbeing and decided that was where her future lay. Her book, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Happier Life, describes how to reprioritise your life to tip the work /life balance in favour of life. It’s also part of a massive corporate enterprise that sells courses for individuals and businesses, and provides all the paraphernalia that goes with it, from books and apps to blankets that enable you to get enough sleep and be healthy. The business took off immediately, with Business Insider reporting that within six weeks of launch it was already far surpassing projections. What enables Huffington to move so seamlessly from being close friends with celebrities, business people and politicians, to running a media empire and starting a company in a market in which she had no previous experience? Some of it is attitude. It’s not that everything in her life has gone her way, it’s simply that she doesn’t acknowledge or dwell on the times she has failed. As she puts it, she treats life as if “it’s rigged in my favour.” She admits that she’s had to come to terms with her inner voice that brings her down, calling it her “obnoxious room-mate.” Indeed, the voice hasn’t completely gone. She acknowledges the criticism, yet the difference, she says, is that these days she responds to it by acknowledging that she made a mistake, and knows that admitting it doesn’t make her a bad person. That is part of the maturation process, of outgrowing the conditioning you received as a child. The same approach can be seen in her attitude to external criticism. “My advice is look at a child and see how a child handles being upset or angry. I don’t believe in growing a thick skin, I think that prevents you from really being permeable and feeling everything to the fullest. A child will get really upset and really cry, and then five minutes later say, oh, nothing happened... holding grudges is the worst... Move on. That’s my advice to everyone,” said Huffington. This approach goes hand-in-hand with a strong spirituality. “I don’t believe - I know. There is that deep knowing that we have about God... It doesn’t matter for me what particular form your God takes, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist. I think the most important thing... is that there is a spiritual reality beyond our material reality. That life is partly this journey to learn more and more about it, to understand it, live it better - and that for me is what makes sense of a lot of things that happen in life,” said Huffington. Faith, then, is another part of the mix that makes up Huffington’s extraordinary career. A success story that continues to thrive.
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The
Jamie Oliver phenomenon:
THE BUSINESS OF GOOD FEELINGS The Best You looks at how the chef’s winning personality, great business instincts, creativity and confidence built an empire
The statistics for Jamie Oliver are hugely impressive: his food empire stretches to 89 restaurants in 24 countries, his TV shows are watched in 200 countries, and his latest series, Jamie’s Quick And Easy Food, has already sold in over 100 countries. Last year Oliver received a dividend from one of his companies worth £6 million, and £4 million from another. It’s no secret that Oliver has an acute business sense, something that comes to play especially when the going gets tough. A recent £9.9 million loss in his Jamie’s Italian restaurants due to recent tougher market conditions saw him forced to close seven branches, as well as his Union Jacks pizza restaurant in Covent Garden and his print magazine, Jamie. Regardless of these setbacks, Oliver made sure that his redundant staff weren’t simply discarded, but were instead offered other placements. At the same time, his restless energy and apparently bottomless creativity have driven him to try new things.
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Over the past few months, a brand new venture with Jaguar Land Rover has seen the creation of a “Jamie Bond car for chefs” - a one-off concept car from the Land Rover team. The car includes a slow cooker in the engine, butter churn and ice-cream makers in the wheels, a rotisserie barbecue, herb garden, pasta maker, oil and vinegar on tap, plus a themed “piston and mortar” to mix herbs and spices. The vehicle even has a toaster in the cab, which has proven so popular that Land Rover is considering offering it in its production line vehicles as an extra. In Oliver’s latest Channel 4 show, Quick And Easy Food, the chef goes back to basics, putting his special Jamie twist on well-known dishes. It’s proving a hit in the ratings and with critics thanks to his solid family man ethos, his nononsense style and his unendingly likeable persona. Success and money are only part of Oliver’s story. At his heart there’s something selfless, as can be seen by some of the projects he’s started. For example, his 2005 one-man
crusade to bring back a minimum nutritional requirement for school dinners, 25 years after Margaret Thatcher’s government abolished it. This saw Oliver expending time, money and stress on a project from whose success he would derive no personal gain. “Let’s face it,” he said at one point in Jamie’s School Dinners, the accompanying TV show. “My children will be alright,” explaining they’ll attend private schools. So why burn up so much personal energy pursuing good nutrition for other kids? It is possible that Oliver’s passion for helping those in need stems from his own humble beginning. He was born with a wooden spoon, not a silver one, in his mouth - working in the family pub, The Cricketers, from an early age.
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COMING SOON LAUNCHING IN 2018! FOR MORE INFOPLEASE VISIT WWW.THEBESTYOU.CO
His father, Trevor, struggled at first to make their pub, in Clavering, Essex, succeed, and paid his chef more than himself. Although Jamie was considered poor, he had two Gypsy friends who were even poorer and knew nothing about decent food. One of his childhood memories is of giving them a quality meal for the first time. “That look on their faces was my first feeling of ‘this is really good’ about food that I can remember,” he says. “It was like showing a kid from 1800 what a VW Golf Convertible looks like.” At school Oliver was relentlessly teased for his dyslexia. Though he took it in stride, and led to his development of the non-profit restaurant, Fifteen, in Hoxton, East London. Working with 15 troubled young people, Oliver invested his own money to make the restaurant a success. After many thrills and spills, eight of the 15 workers qualified as chefs, and the restaurant idea was rolled out in Amsterdam and Melbourne, all with the goal of helping disadvantaged youth. The brilliance of Jamie’s vision was that he was able to take this socially-committed project and make compelling viewing in the form of Jamie’s Kitchen, as did his show, Jamie’s Dream School. The latter saw him giving bright but troubled school leavers one more crack at education using unorthodox and inspiring teachers, among them actor
Simon Callow, political adviser Alistair Campbell and historian Mary Beard. These shows took the side of the disadvantaged against the system, a recurring theme in his work and attitude. Throughout his philanthropic efforts, Oliver has been highly critical of attempts by later governments to roll back the school dinner improvements he brought about, and has introduced his own “sugar tax” in his Jamie’s Italian restaurants. The menu states that “sugar-sweetened soft drinks are the single largest source of sugar in our children’s diets. That’s why at Jamie’s Italian, we’re adding 10p to the price of every soft drink with added sugar.” According to the menu, the extra money is donated directly to the Children’s Health Fund. Oliver’s life and career success exemplify how business acumen can combine with genuine social concern. His big-heartedness and social commitment are as much a part of his success as his brilliantly entertaining shows. Why? Because at their core, they both offer the same thing for those involved: He sells good feelings, be them heartwarming stories of success, Christmas cookery shows, his own winning personality, or food that makes you just feel happy inside. That’s a lesson for every businessperson to remember.
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BOOK
CLUB
The Best You’s top reads
WIN
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Feeling in need of some inspiration, exploration and pure relaxation? The Best You Book Club has something for every mood, and we are giving one lucky reader the chance to win a copy of every book featured in The Best You Book Club. For a chance to win, simply send us an email with your name and address to EDITORIAL@THEBESTYOU.CO before 31 December 2017. Good luck! 28 THE BEST YOU MAGAZINE
OUT OF THE WOODS:
A JOURNEY THROUGH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY By Brent Williams
This beautiful book, illustrated by Krokut Oztekin, is designed to help people understand depression and anxiety. It tells the author’s story entirely through 700 beautifully painted watercolours. The graphic memoir format blends Williams’ compelling personal experience with the latest medical research, giving a sympathetic description of major depression - and crucially, how to emerge from it. Out of the Woods doesn’t pretend that there’s a quick way out of mental illness, instead it encourages people to make small steps towards slowly building their own lasting recoveries. It was described by reviewer Dr. Ben Beaglehole as “a journey of hope that could provide an invaluable lifeline to those experiencing depression and those at a loss to understand what their loved ones are going through.”
NOW IS YOUR CHANCE: A 30-DAY GUIDE TO LIVING YOUR HAPPIEST LIFE USING POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
By Niyc Pidgeon
Happiness is surely the ultimate goal for all of us, but often it can feel like a destination that’s completely unreachable. In this book, Niyc Pidgeon offers her professional advice for finally feeling lasting joy. Grounded in Pidgeon’s training as a Positive Psychologist, and her many years of coaching experience, Now Is Your Chance offers an easy-to-follow guide to creating powerful and meaningful change in your life. Inspiring, motivating, and practical, the 30-day programme shows you how to stop chasing and start creating a life filled with authentic and lasting joy, using solutions that can only be found by changing the way you look at your life.
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ON BEING NICE
By The School of Life There are many books that aim to assist readers in becoming richer, more successful or thinner; however, this book wants to help readers be nicer: that is, less irritable, more patient, readier to listen, warmer, and less prickly. Niceness may not have the immediate allure of money or fame, but it is a hugely important quality and one that many neglect. This is a guidebook to the uncharted landscape of niceness, gently leading readers around the key themes of this forgotten quality. You can learn how to be charitable, how to forgive, how to be natural, and how to reassure. More than that, On Being Nice explains that niceness is actually compatible with strength and is not an indicator of naivety. Niceness deserves to be rediscovered.
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THE POWER OF ATTENTION By Sarah McLean
Internationally recognised expert in mediation Sarah McLean says that what you direct your attention towards, you enliven, nourish and encourage to thrive. However, according to McLean, we often give that precious attention to the wrong things, because we live in a culture of competing interests and distractions. McLean argues that unless we regain control of where we direct our attention, the aspects of life we most want to flourish will suffer. She teaches readers how to reclaim this power, offering practical ways such as the practise of mediation and mindfulness. It’s an inspiring way to learn how direct energy towards the aspects of your life where you want to thrive.
HAPPY YOU, HAPPY BODY By Karen Jones
We are well aware that to become truly healthy and fit, we need to follow a structured routine, like an athlete. In Karen Jones’ debut book Happy You Happy Body, she tells the story of her own journey of overcoming post-natal depression, losing four stones, running a marathon, and even competing in her first bikini competition at the age of 47, all without using a gym. Now a personal trainer, yoga teacher and public speaker, Jones takes readers through her step-by-step guide for better health, whilst exploring how emotions, nutrition and exercise all work together to create the happiest you (www.happyyouhappybody.co.uk).
*One entry per household. Entry implies acceptance of rules and conditions. No purchase necessary. Open to all UK residents aged 18 years or over, other than employees of The Best You and companies associated with it. Draw will be conducted by The Best You Corporation. Prize is as stated and will be awarded to the entry drawn at random on the draw date. No cash alternative is available. No correspondence will be entered into. Delayed entries will be deemed invalid. Winners’ names may be published and the winners may be required to participate in publicity. Promoter: The Best You Corporation. WWW.THEBESTYOUMAGAZINE.CO
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The Leading
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IT’S NOT YOUR BANK BALANCE BUT WHAT GIVING BACK WHICH GIVES LIFE MEANING
Live Love Legacy How actress turned entrepreneur Jessica Alba built an honest, internationally successful businesstake your work to the next level.
SEEKING MEANING AND FINDING PURPOSE
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Introducing our new initiative The Best You: A Better World, a unique addition to the personal development industry, which focuses on supporting the incredible charities, social enterprises, non-profits and individuals who strive to make the world a better place for all. Together we can make a difference.
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WORKING TOGETHER FOR A BETTER WORLD On the following pages, we will introduce some of our fantastic new partners: Chasing Coral and TreeSisters.
At The Best You we are passionate about the business of professional, personal, financial, spiritual, mental and physical self-improvement. Supporting, guiding and encouraging people to live their best lives is what we love doing - and we’re very good at it. However, personal development is only part of the picture. Your journey needs to make a positive impact on the wider world, otherwise it’s less self-development and more ‘self-ish’ work. The Best You is proud to bring you The Best You: A Better World, our new initiative and a unique addition to the personal development industry. The Best You: A Better World focuses on highlighting and supporting the incredible charities, social enterprises, non-profits and individuals who strive to make the world a better place for all.
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The Best You believes that education and personal development lead to empowerment, and that only by working together with exceptional organisations and individuals can we create positive global change. There is no single solution to global issues like poverty, the spread of disease, pollution or climate change, but by joining forces our voices become stronger. Together, we can create ever-greater awareness and pay it forward to contribute towards a better world. This is The Best You’s mission, and we invite you to join our journey. On the following pages, we will introduce some of our fatastic new partners: A21, Great Ormond Street Hospital and Plastic Oceans. For more information and to show your support, contact us at info@thebestyou.co
A new film sheds light on the urgent crisis facing today’s coral reefs Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. In Florida, 88 percent of the coral nearest to shore has disappeared, while bleaching and silt problems continue to plague Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. With so much devastation, trying to save these beautiful, delicate ecosystems could be seen as a lost cause. Nevertheless, a team of passionate advocates for ocean preservation have created the documentary Chasing Coral to show the world that they refuse to give up the fight - and to convince you to join them. The team includes divers, photographers and scientists, such as environmental expert Dr. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, who says that “it’s not too late for coral reefs. Indeed, for many other ecosystems that are facing challenges from climate change. It’s still possible to reduce the rate at which the climate is changing, and that’s within our power today.”
Chasing Coral sets out to unveil the underwater mystery of the reefs in hopes that the story will motivate viewers to get involved and take action. Directed by Jeff Orlowski and produced by Larissa Rhodes, the film took over three years to shoot, and is the result of more than 500 hours underwater, footage from volunteers from 30 countries, as well as the support of over 500 people from various locations around the world. The film will be screened at The Best You’s EXPOs in London and California next year, giving you the chance to add your voice. We must act now to save our reefs for future generations. For more information visit www.chasingcoral.com or contact impact@chasingcoral.com
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Embracing life through the forest and the feminine
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TreeSisters is a global network of women and men who donate monthly to fund the restoration of our world’s tropical forests as a collective expression of planetary care. The organisation channels 80 percent of member donations to existing reforestation NGO partners in the tropics. The remaining 20 percent funds behaviour change and consciousness shift work to support feminine, nature-based leadership and to normalise planetary restoration. TreeSisters exists to call forth the brilliance and generosity of women everywhere and channel it towards the trees. Although this is a women-led movement, it welcomes the support and contribution of men as well. Protecting and restoring our environment requires all hands on deck. The goal is to make it as normal for everyone to give back to nature as it currently is to take nature for granted.
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TreeSisters offers a variety of events to nourish the soul, anchored in their ethos that togetherness makes everything feel possible. Alone, we can forget who we are. In true sisterhood, we can be seen, celebrated and called forth. We can dare to show, share and explore more of ourselves. We can be inspired and be the inspiration that our sisters need in order to find their own courage.
TreeSisters’ seven-week Journey to a Billion Trees campaign, which started on 19 October, is an opportunity to do just that. To discover more about the global reforestation movement visit www.billiontrees.me For more information visit www.treesisters.org
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IT’S NOT YOUR BANK BALANCE BUT WHAT GIVING BACK WHICH GIVES LIFE MEANING
Feel & Look Good How actress turned entrepreneur Jessica Alba built an honest, internationally successful businesstake your work to the next level.
STRENGTH FROM THE INSIDE OUT
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Finlay Wilson, the man behind viral sensation Kilted Yoga, on showing his bum to the world and the healing power of yoga poses
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’Tis almost the season to be jolly, so Karen Meager and John McLachlan, co-founders of Monkey Puzzle Training, share their holiday season tips
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THE YOGI WHO BR 40 THE BEST YOU MAGAZINE
Immediately after Scottish Yoga teacher Finlay Wilson uploaded a video of his ‘Kilted Yoga’ to YouTube he went to teach a class. When he emerged an hour later the video had reached a million views. “It was 17 million by the time I went to bed," says Wilson. The video stars Wilson and a male student doing a sequence of yoga poses in the great outdoors of the Hermitage Forest, Perthshire. So far nothing too unusual. The big USP is, of course, the kilts, and the final pose is, predictably, a headstand where the kilts flap over the yogis’ heads. “It turns out everyone loves ass,” says Wilson. “I should have got my bum out sooner.” The ‘Kilted Yoga’ video became an instant global sensation, notching over 43 million views in just five days. There may be countless different types of yoga out there, but it turns out that yoga plus kilts in a Perthshire forest was just what the world was waiting for.
OKE THE INTERNET How Finlay Wilson’s Kilted Yoga became a global sensation
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Wilson appeared on talk shows around the globe, includingThe Today Show in America and in news broadcasts in China and Australia. Now, Wilson, 30, has released his debut book, Kilted Yoga: Yoga Laid Bare, which he refers to as “a manual for how to get started in yoga.” It guides you through a huge range of poses and breathing exercises, accompanied by shots of Wilson at his bendy best. Wilson started doing yoga when he was 19, following surgical procedures on both of his legs. He found yoga to be the best way to rebuild his strength, and soon after became a qualified yoga instructor, bringing his own modern take to the ancient practice. Along with the positive effects on physical health, Wilson praises yoga for its mental health benefits. “Yoga is self-care. There’s this idea that you should get in a private victory before a public victory every day. So do yoga
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before leaving the house. You’ve achieved something, you’re leaving on a high,” he says. Next, Wilson will continue to curate his YouTube channel, where he’s building a library of moves. He’s been roving the globe teaching yoga and is about to begin another tour of classes in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. (Texas, Minnesota, New York). Perhaps the real appeal of Kilted Yoga lies in the chance to lose yourself in the wilds of Scottish countryside and reconnect with the natural world; it certainly beats a sterile yoga studio. Whatever it is, Wilson is proof that yoga really can be eccentric, humorous and motivational - kilt optional! Kilted Yoga: Yoga Laid Bare is out now. For more information visit www.finlay-wilson.com
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WAYS TO BEATING STRESS AND ANXIETY Karen Meager and John McLachlan, co-founders of Monkey Puzzle Training, share their tips for keeping healthy
With Christmas looming, it comes as no surprise that many of us start to feel anxious as the pressure to ‘have a merry time’ mounts. Over two million people across the UK experience the ‘winter blues’, or Seasonal Affective Disorder. To beat it, Karen Meager and John McLachlan have put together an actionable guide to a stress-free holiday season.
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KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS Ultimately, the key to reducing your stress is identifying the signs and symptoms. One of the most common indicators of stress and anxiety is the decreased ability to maintain a happy state. This can manifest with crying, low moods, and with increased expressions of anger and irritation. If you feel stressed, you may also struggle with maintaining solid relationships with a romantic partner and/or friends, and your levels of motivation will be low, while your tendency for procrastination will be high. Create a healthy, stress-free working environment. While your working environment may be largely out of your control, you should proactively take part in extra training to best develop your skills wherever you can. This will enable you to focus on something that will provide a sense of achievement and progress with your career.
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ENSURE YOU SLEEP WELL Getting a good night’s sleep can be difficult when your brain is going over and over something, and as a result, you are likely to become even more stressed because you are not sleeping. Waking up tired never sets you up for a productive, positive day, and thus a crucial step to reducing stress this winter is ensuring that you sleep well. One step that works for many people is keeping a notebook by the side of your bed to write down any negative thoughts, and telling yourself you will revisit them in the morning. We also suggest creating a routine that avoids the things that stimulate your mind in the lead up to bedtime, such as exercise or checking your work emails. This helps you go to bed feeling relaxed.
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WRITE IT DOWN One step that works for many people is keeping a notebook by the side of your bed to write down any negative thoughts, and telling yourself you will revisit them in the morning. We also suggest creating a routine that avoids the things that stimulate your mind in the lead up to bedtime, such as exercise or checking your work emails. This helps you go to bed feeling relaxed.
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EAT WELL If you are experiencing a negative state of mind, a poor diet may have a further negative impact. You may think takeaways, chocolate and alcohol help you relax after a busy day, but in fact they do the complete opposite and can make you feel sluggish. Healthier alternatives can help relaxation, so try to eat a balanced diet with lots of whole foods, fruit, vegetables and lean protein.
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BE PROACTIVE Being productive and having a jam-packed schedule are two very different things. It is important to differentiate between being busy and doing tasks that take you forward with your mood and wellbeing. Slowing down to speed up is vital to clearing your mind, and making better choices. Adopting all of these steps at once will prove too much and will send you straight back into your stressed state, however tackling each one head on overtime is an effective way to lead a more balanced and fulfilled lifestyle, with stronger relationships and a better work ethic. Karen Meager and John McLachlan’s book Time Mastery: Banish Time Management Forever is out now.
MEAGER AND MCLACHLAN As the co-founders of Monkey Puzzle Training, Meager and McLachlan take the latest scientific and academic thinking and apply it to everyday life. Both have successful business backgrounds and are qualified in psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and are NLP Master Trainers. Meager and McLachlan aim to help people move beyond time management to become ‘Time Masters’, and enables them to develop an approach to time that is efficient and fits in with their unique personality. Too often, people are controlled by other people’s priorities, so Meager and McLachlan aim to help people take back that control, by understanding how their own preferences, style and interests impact their use of time. For more information visit www.monkeypuzzletraining.co.uk
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YES SAY
TO CHANGE
As the festive season of overindulgence approaches, Karen Jones encourages us all to embrace healthy habits and focus on fitness A recent survey by Dove claimed that just 10 percent of British women feel happy with their bodies. The majority, the other 90 percent, felt their weight was a real issue, and two thirds of those questioned admitted they would consider resorting to cosmetic surgery. I was once one of those unhappy women. I have over 33 years’ worth of weight gain and loss experience under my belt, but I’m happy to say I’m no longer part of that 90 percent. I know how it feels to be both four stone overweight and two stone underweight. I’ve hated my body; I’ve loathed exercise and I’ve been very unfit and unhealthy. But through the power of choice, I have turned all of this around. Now I love my body, and I know that having the body I always wanted was in my control all along. If I can go from hating my body as a teenage mother to loving my body as a woman, through exercising, nourishing and looking after myself, then so can you. It all started when I took up running 11 years ago. I now have a successful fitness career off the back of exercise, and even run my own bootcamp company Happy You, Happy Body Bootcamp. I’m passionate about helping people get fit in order to live happy, long, active lives. I felt the best way for me to spread my message of positivity was to write my book Happy You, Happy Body.
Not everyone is concerned with having a so-called ‘bikini fit’ body, and my book isn’t about getting a ‘perfect’ body. It’s about being as good as you can be, and gives you the tools to get the perfect body for you. It’s crazy how one career path has taken me down another. For instance, I soon discovered I could talk fitness and exercise all day long which is why I’ve now gone into public speaking. This helps me reach an even bigger audience and spread the fitness word. Both women and men are under increasing pressure from advertising and media to reach an unrealistic standard of beauty, which is the key force in driving appearance anxiety. What it’s vital to realise is being happy with your body begins with choosing to make changes in your life. It’s your life - the key to success is to be open to change and embrace it. The only thing standing between you and the body you want is you and the choices you make. This is an extract from Happy You, Happy Body by Karen Jones. Out now.
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IT’S NOT YOUR BANK BALANCE BUT WHAT GIVING BACK WHICH GIVES LIFE MEANING
Wealth &Riches How actress turned entrepreneur Jessica Alba built an honest, internationally successful businesstake your work to the next level.
THE ACT IS GIVING IS BETTER THAN THAT OF RECEIVING
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The Best You Christmas gift guide 2017 is full of presents that will spread joy. If you would rather make a donation in someone's name instead of giving them a gift, you can donate to charity Great Ormond Street Hospital here: https://donate.gosh.org
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The Best You's Editor Bernardo Moya appeared in a feature in newspaper The Independent about mental health in the workplace
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CHRISTMAS ADOPT AN ELEPHANT
BOURBON COUNTY BRAND STOUT 2017
Difficult to wrap perhaps, but by adopting an African elephant through international conservation charity Space for Giants you really can help protect the species from the dual threats of poaching and habitat loss. The charity works across Africa to protect these magnificent animals and the landscapes on which they depend. Adopt an elephant for £5 a month www.spaceforgiants.org/adopt
One for those ‘impossible to buy for’ relatives - the Bourbon County Brand Stout is one of the world’s rarest and most luxurious beers. Released on just one day a year in Chicago, it has people camping over night to get their hands on it. Brewed by Goose Island, one sip has more flavour than your average case of beer. £20 www.beerhawk.co.uk
SPOTIFY
CALM SET
Music has the power to calm or ignite, and Spotify is the planet’s best-loved digital music service. Give someone a subscription to enjoy millions of songs on their phone, computer or TV. It’ll bring a smile to the face of even the biggest Bah Humbug. £9.99 per month www.spotify.com/premium
FERMENTATION STARTER KIT
COOK SCHOOL From pasta-making to gluten-free cakes, Borough Kitchen offers a huge range of 2-3 hour evening and an increasing number of shorter afternoon classes to inspire and delight. Give the gift of learning, and keep your fingers crossed that you’re the happy recipient of some of the results. Prices vary www.boroughkitchen. com/cookschool
The reCAP Fermentation Starter Kit is a brillant gateway to the wonderful health-giving world of fermented vegetables. Complete with instructions and all the kit, including the one-way valve ventilation system, just add your chosen vegetables and try not to get yourself in a pickle. £24.76 www.boroughkitchen.com/ recap-fermentation-starter-kit
PINK BASKET This gorgeous Faitrade basket is handmade by womens weaving groups in Africa, and is perfect for keepsakes or pot plants. Available in three sizes. From £16 www.thebasketroom.com
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We all know people who are quick to anger, or who panic when the slightest thing goes wrong. It might even be…ahem … you. Few life skills are as neglected, yet as important, as the ability to remain calm. This gift set from The School of Life contains a Calm book and Calm Prompt Cards to help avoid a descent into anxiety and agitation. £25 www.theschooloflife.com/shop
THE CULTURED CLUB The must-have book to accompany the Fermentation Starter Kit, In The Cultured Club author Dearbhla Reynolds teaches you to turn simple ingredients into health goldmines. You’ll never look at leftover cabbage in the fridge in the same way again. £16 www.theculturedclub.com
GIFT GUIDE
WHAT TO BUY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO MATTER
BLACK & WHITE LETTER BOARD
PERSONALISED ALPHABET BAG
Before texts and WhatsApp people had to make do with letter boards to get their messages across. This gorgeous, vintage board comes with 286 characters, making it a stylish way for someone to keep a favourite mantra close by - or just as a reminder to do their tax return. £49 www.oliverbonas.com/ homeware
Everything you own should either be beautiful or useful, to paraphrase William Morris, and this personalised bag is both. Dove grey and spacious, the front can be adorned with your chosen initial. Obviously we've opted for B for 'best'. £22 www.oliverbonas.com
NATIONAL ART PASS
AMAZON ECHO
Give the gift of culture with this magic card that provides free entry to over 240 museums, galleries and historic houses across the UK, as well as 50% off entry to major exhibitions. From Cardiff Castle to Kensington Palace, and Dickens’ House to Tate Modern, it literally opens doors to creativity. £65 for one year www.artfund. org/national-art-pass
Get ready to step into the future. Amazon Echo is a handsfree speaker you control with your voice via the Alexa Voice Service. Play music, make calls, and get updates on everything from the news and sports to weather and traffic. If you’re feeling playful you can even ask questions. “Alexa, what’s the meaning of life?” £89.99 www.amazon.co.uk
GODIVA CHOCOLATES
COTSWOLDS DRY GIN AND HOMEMADE CURING KIT: SALMON
Because you can never have enough chocolate, and Christmas would be unthinkable without it. Treat yourself and go luxe with some of the planet’s best truffles from Belgian chocolatier Godiva. Boxes from £10 www. godivachocolates.co.uk
If you like giving a ‘doing gift’ then this kit contains everything someone needs to make their own smoky, gin and beetroot cured salmon - plus a bottle of the multi-award winning Cotswolds Dry Gin to wash it down. Fingers crossed the person you give this to can bear to share it. £65 www.rossandrossfood.co.uk
NAKED GROUSE This is definitely a drink that does things differently and isn’t tied to conventional whisky rules. A modern scotch for free spirited minds who choose to #LiveNaked, Naked Grouse embraces celebrating your true self, shutting the laptop and getting back to the real you. The Best You can get on board with that. £27.99 www.thewhiskyexchange.com/
URBAN MASSAGE If you have a super-busy stressed person in your life - one who can’t carve out the time to make it to a spa - an Urban Massage gift card will be the best Christmas present they’ll ever get. It brings a masseuse direct to you, complete with plush bed. For more information visit www.urbanmassage.com
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Improving mental health in the workplace How UK companies are investing in ways to keep staff healthy and happy
One in four of us will experience a mental illness at some point in our lives, and the shocking statistics about workplace mental ill health are impossible to ignore. The number of people who experience anxiety, stress and depression at work has risen from a quarter to a third over the past five years (according to Chartered Institute of Personnel Directors survey), making mental illness the biggest cause of lost work days. Highlighting the problem is clearly only the start, it’s what happens next that’s critical. On a national level Theresa May recently announced plans to launch an independent review into the Mental Health Act 1983, which will include examining the rising rates of mental illness at work. It’s a welcome, if belated, step in the right direction. It’s the workplace itself which has the power to respond fastest and effect real change. Employers of businesses, large and small, are crucial to not only effectively managing episodes of mental health when they arise, but also to preventing them. From allowing ‘duvet days’ to free fruit and lunchtime yoga sessions, UK employers are recognising the importance of wellbeing and investing in ways to keep staff happy, healthy and committed.
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You may have recently seen this article featuring The Best You’s Bernardo Moya in The Independent newspaper In business terms, it makes sense; researchers found that FTSE 100 businesses that used the words 'mental health' or 'wellbeing' more than twice in their annual reports last year raked in up to three times more profit than those that didn’t. Yet, Britain lags behind America in recognising the importance of workplace mental wellbeing. In the States there is widespread acceptance of the value of talking through problems, and many organisations - especially those in Silicon Valley - have departments dedicated to ensuring staff feel supported. Wellbeing is one of American software creator Salesforce's fundamental team values. As well as standing and treadmill desks, Salesforce provides wellness zones in which employees can put away their devices and practice mindfulness. There’s also their ‘Press Pause’ speaker series, allowing staffto take a break and learn something new by listening to guest speakers, such as Zen masters. According to a 2014 study by the UK’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, there is a direct correlation between employee wellness and job performance, not to mention staff being less likely to miss work. So while fewer than one in 10 (8 percent) of UK organisations currently have
a standalone wellbeing strategy, that is starting to change.
dream of saying to a friend, which can lead to anxiety.
Bernardo Moya, founder and CEO of The Best You, manages over 45 members of staff.“We all have days when we feel overwhelmed with the challenges of of life, or something can happen that can send us off track,” says Moya.
“Understanding that this voice can be changed to a more positive, nurturing one is central to the work we do, and I encourage my staff to explore this. I might signpost them to an expert or put them on a course to learn the tricks to changing how they think. It really can help them overcome limiting beliefs and avoid them falling into a downward spiral.”
“I’ve strived to create an open environment where employees know they can come to me with any problem and I’ll listen non-judgementally. Feeling able to ask for help early is crucial to preventing someone reaching crisis point, and it’s my job to reassure people who may worry that admitting to a mental health issue will harm their career.” The Best You is in the business of better understanding our minds and looking after them, so it follows that Moya has skills and resources to draw upon to help staff in need support. And while recognising that serious mental illness needs specialist care, Moya encourages staff who first experience a problem, such as anxiety, to try learning tools which can help them cope. “We all have an internal dialogue, and that voice can either help us or be a negative force,” says Moya. “It can be very disruptive and limiting; you might say things to yourself you wouldn’t
The challenge for British organisations is how to create similarly open environments where people experiencing mental illness feel able to ask for help. Organisations such as Acas tailor and deliver management training on this issue, while many companies now ensure there is a quota of staff trained in Mental Health First Aid, just as there would be for First Aid. By 2030, there will be approximately two million more adults in the UK with mental health problems. There needs to be a quantum leap forward in the structured support offered in every kind of workplace - from boardrooms to back offices. “Mental illness can affect anyone, and managers of organisations can help staff to stay well,” says Moya. “Ultimately, we are the ones who choose whether or not to prioritise our health. We know what needs to be done - we need to do it”.
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2018 THE BEST YOU 2018 AWARDS will be presented to winners in NINE categories:
THE BEST SELF-IMPROVEMENT PUBLISHER
THE BEST PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHOR & BOOK OF THE YEAR
THE BEST SELF-HELP INNOVATION OR TECHNOLOGY
THE BEST EXPO SPEAKER FOR 2017
THE BEST INSPIRATIONAL DOCUMENTARY, TV OR FILM
THE BEST UP-AND-COMING INSPIRATIONAL INFLUENCER
THE BEST LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
THE BEST LIFESTYLE ENHANCEMENT VLOGGER-BLOGGER
THE BEST YOU GURU OF THE YEAR
The Best You Awards offers participating people and businesses the opportunity to gain public recognition of their achievements and demonstrate the outstanding degree of ground-breaking achievement in Personal Development. To enjoy additional digital content, interactive features, video and digital galleries, please download The Best You App.
IT’S NOT YOUR BANK BALANCE BUT WHAT GIVING BACK WHICH GIVES LIFE MEANING
21st Century Living How actress turned entrepreneur Jessica Alba built an honest, internationally successful businesstake your work to the next level.
TUNED IN AND SWITCHED ON
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All hail vloggers: these YouTube stars have built their followings outside of the control of media giants, to become massive brands
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From the latest scientific research to new dads struggling with parenthood, these are the new podcasts you need to make room for in your life
VLOGGING TO THE TOP The YouTube stars making more money than anyone else on the platform
We’ve all heard of Zoella, now check out these vloggers who’ve built their brand outside conventional media
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LILY SINGH Earned: Estimated £6.5 million Subscribers: 10,796,350 What started as a method to help deal with depression has made Lily Singh a multi-millionaire. The Canadian superwoman’s channel has received more than 1.3 billion views since it was launched in 2010, thanks in part to Singh’s uncanny impersonations of her parents. As the views continued to rise, Singh gave up her plan to get a Masters in Psychology and become a therapist, and instead pursued a career as a full-time vlogger. Her hilarious videos are always self-deprecating, and cover topics like ‘What Clubbing Is Like’ and ‘Why Bras Are Horrible.’ Her videos include guests like Victoria Justice, Gina Rodriguez and even Michelle Obama. Singh has appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, and in YouTube videos with James Franco and Seth Rogen.
TYLER OAKLEY
SMOSH Earned: Estimated £6 million Subscribers: 22,974,510 Childhood friends Ian Hecox and Daniel Padilla are Smosh, an American sketch comedy duo that joined YouTube just months after the video-upload site premiered in 2005. The childhood friends quickly rose to fame with parody sketches such as ‘Masterchef Millennials’ and ‘The Big What If,’ as well as a long running series dedicated to Pokemonrelated videos. Hecox and Padilla became the first YouTubers to have their own wax figures at Madame Tussauds, and their first feature-length film, Smosh: The Movie, is currently streaming on Netflix. However, in June Padilla announced he would be walking away from the channelturned-brand-turned-network to do his own thing. In his goodbye video, Padilla said he and co-founder Hecox remain friends, and that Smosh will continue in his absence.
Earned: Estimated £5 million Subscribers: 7,998,450 Tyler Oakley has made the crossover from YouTube sensation to mainstream media star by signing a deal with Ellen DeGeneres to create his own digital talk show. Oakley’s videos range from guessing celebrity abs with Tom Daley and trying strange toys with Kellie Pickler to interviewing Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama. The 28-year-old, who uploaded his first video in 2007, uses his platform to advocate for LGBT youth, and as a result, he has raised more than a million dollars for The Trevor Project. Last year Oakley released his first book of essays, Binge, which became a bestseller, and did a live show tour.
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Podcasts are more popular than ever, but with so much choice it can be hard to find what you want. Here’s The Best You’s guide to the podcasts you’ll be recommending to friends
YOUR NEW POD-HEROES Spruce up your gloomy winter morning commute with these must-hear podcasts
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THE BEST FOR HISTORY BUFFS: THE DOLLOP Hosted by Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds, this is the most fun you will ever have during a history lesson. Looking back at everything from Opium to Uber, every edition covers a seriously interesting topic without taking it too seriously. Expect plenty of satire and laughs. www.dolloppodcast.com/podcas
THE BEST FOR FEEDING YOUR CURIOSITY: THE ANTHILL The new series from podcast behemoths The Conversation. The Anthill seeks to unearth the most interesting research from the world of academia, with each episode revolving around a different theme, among them time, the success of underdogs, and the power of a reboot. This will fuel your pub quiz knowledge nicely. www.theconversation.com/uk/podcasts/the-anthill
THE BEST FOR HEALTH-BOOSTING: THE FITCAST This weekly fitness and nutrition show, hosted by Kevin Larrabee, discusses every aspect of health with leading experts. From exploring what might be holding people back from success at the gym, to whether strict diet rules are ever good, it’s like having a personal trainer in your ear, but with much less shouting. http://thefitcast.com
THE BEST FOR NEW PARENTS: FIRST TIME DADS British journalists and brand new fathers Steve and Rich air the feelings that often don’t get spoken about, such as guilt, rage and frustration. In a world awash with mums’ opinions, it’s refreshing to hear from the dads, and the duo’s bracing honesty makes for a relatable and reassuring trip through the rocky road of early fatherhood. www.audioboom.com/channel/ first-time-dads
THE BEST FOR EXPANDING YOUR MIND: TOMORROW’S WORLD Can humans transmit ideas directly to someone else’s brain? Can we morph our own intelligence with AI? Hosts Britt Wray and Dr. Ellie Cosgrave explore these and other thought-provoking questions informed by the fields of science and technology. www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts
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