Bodybuilder Blake Beckford Defies Doctors And Wins National Competition While Wearing Colostomy Bag

November 11, 2014, 6:58 am

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It may be enough to crush a person's dreams, but Blake Bedford didn't let a debilitating health condition, ulcerative colitis, get in the way of his love of fitness and bodybuilding.

In fact, the 33-year-old has recently been crowned champion of a national male fitness modelling competition - colostomy bag and all.



HuffPost Lifestyle reported earlier this year that Blake was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a chronic disease of the large intestine, back in 2003.



At the time he was working as a bodybuilder but the severity of his condition - which causes the lining of the colon to become inflamed and develop tiny open sores - meant he had to give up his strict training regime comprising two-hour gym sessions, six days a week.

During this time he lost two stone in weight, his muscle wasted away and his dreams of making it as a bodybuilder began to resemble something of a nightmare.

SEE ALSO:

Bodybuilder Turned Model Blake Beckford Proudly Displays Colostomy Bag

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Over the years, Blake was treated with medication to keep his crippling condition under control. But at the end of 2012, his health took a turn for the worse.

Blake was experiencing constant fatigue and needed to go to the toilet 20 times a day. He was operated on in October 2013 at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Despite leaving hospital with his entire colon removed, and a stoma bag as a constant reminder, Blake vowed to begin bodybuilding again despite doctors telling him that he'd never be able to train at the level needed to be a fitness model.

Story continues below...


He admitted that after leaving hospital, he was very self conscious of his body.

"It was strange because I didn't even want to show my family at first. You've got something that's not normal so you want to hide it.

"It took a while to build my confidence again, to talk to people openly about having a stoma, to show anyone what I had. But over time I realised that this is me and the operation made me feel like a new person, my energy levels were much better and I could enjoy life more."

One year later and Blake has, against all odds, proved his doctors wrong. Through a gradual training schedule, he reached peak fitness and won first place in the male transformation category at the Pure Elite event in Margate, Kent on 2 November.

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Posing in a pair of trunks with his stoma bag proudly on show, judges compared his new physique to a photo taken just after he left hospital - the transformation was nothing short of incredible.

Amazingly, the bodybuilder also placed in two categories: he came fourth in the 'tattooed muscle model' category and fifth in 'fitness model under 75kg'.

Mr Beckford told The Daily Mail that he hoped his success in his first ever modelling competition would inspire others with serious health problems.

"There are two ways you can react to a major health problem. You can either think it's game over or you can do what I did and say 'I think I can do it' and give it your best shot."

"It was absolutely amazing to be able to go to a competition and compete against and beat people that haven't had to go through what I have gone through," he added.

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Birch Water: Why This Health Drink Will Be Taking Over From Coconut Water In 2015

November 11, 2014, 8:01 am

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Coconut water was the ultimate superfood of 2014 - first the celebrities were glugging it by the gallon, then the hipsters caught on. Now it's stocked in most UK newsagents.

But as we approach the new year, it seems there's a new drink du jour.

Birch water.

That's right folks, those trees in your local park could be the key to solving to all your health and beauty problems.



Birch extract has been used as a herbal remedy for centuries throughout the world. Many claim it to provide a plethora of health benefits - not all of which have yet been backed up by significant research.

Advocates claim birch water aids kidney function, reduces cholesterol and even eliminates cellulite.

"Extracts from the leaves have been used in herbal supplement combinations to aid detox, kidney function and bladder health by supporting the body’s natural elimination of toxins and impurities – it partly does this by acting as a diuretic," Alice Mackintosh, a nutritionist at The Food Doctor tells HuffPost UK Lifestyle.

"The tree also contains compounds called saponins that have been shown to help reduce cholesterol by binding and removing excess levels from the body - they also have anti-inflammatory effects in the body."



Mackintosh says it's important to differentiate between health benefits of a herbal tincture (which is made from the bark and leaves of the tree) and the health benefits provided by the water extracted from a tree trunk.

"Though water from the trunk may well contain hydrating electrolytes such as potassium, as well as a number of other health giving nutrients, there may not be sufficient levels to promise some of the miracles currently being proclaimed," she says.

Ann Ashworth, a spokesperson from the British Dietetic Association is also sceptical about the benefits of birch water due to the insufficient evidence on how it works for humans and if it can be harmful in any way.

"If thinking about stopping conventional medical treatment in favour of birch tree water, please talk about it with your doctor first," she adds.

Nutritionist Karen Poole points out that the popular Paleo diet advises people to avoid saponins, as although they may inhibit the absorption of fats, they can also trigger an immune response and damage the gut wall.

"Birch water is like any new fad - one shoe does not fit all. You have to take into account individual habits, concerns and lifestyle and view birch water as part of an overall approach to healthy living that adopts many healthy attitudes that compliment each other," she adds.

More research is needed around the health benefits of birch water, but at the very least the sweet-tasting liquid provides an alternative to fizzy drinks and sugar-laden, processed fruit juices.

Mackintosh warns: "Some of the birch waters available on the market also contains added sugars – so watch out for these and always check the label."

SEE ALSO:

Health Benefits Of Coconut Water: Is It All It's Cracked Up To Be?

Five Amazing Superfoods That Will Change Your Life

Neighbours Respond To Late-Night Party With The Best Note Ever

November 12, 2014, 3:14 am

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We've all been there... lying wide awake in the early hours of the morning, while your neighbour's party rages on.

Thud, thud, thud....

But besides knocking on their front door in your dressing gown or throwing them a passive aggressive smile the next morning, how does one respond?

Take note from these neighbours, who we think came up with the perfect solution...

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Dad's Touching Note To Gay Son Nate Worried About Coming Out ...

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20-Year-Old Pimple Is Finally Burst In Horrendously Graphic Video

November 12, 2014, 3:21 am

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WARNING: Footage contains graphic content, viewer discretion advised

Footage of a pimple which enjoyed a 20-year ripening process has emerged.

If you thought you had a strong stomach you had better be sure about that before watching this video – because it’s very, very graphic.

The process was posted to YouTube by a man using the pseudonym Andy Peppers, with the caption: “After growing a mountain of a pimple on my neck over many years, it finally formed a whitehead… and this is what came out.”



The footage is accompanied by his wife’s eerily calm voice guiding him through the process.

“Hmm, squeeze a little harder…yeah you’re getting it. Oh my God, keep doing that,” she croons.

She then adds: “It’s kind of stopped. Oh my god, it’s still going. It’s still going. Have you stopped now? Have you had enough?”

SEE ALSO: 'I Used To Be Called 'Pizza Face', Now I'm Modelling At New York Fashion Week'

Mercifully the footage ends there, but Peppers has since told MailOnline he and his wife had to carry out up to three spot-squeezing sessions a day for a further week.

He explained: “At first, my wife used a pin to start a hole.

“Initially just a narrow stream of ‘stuff’ came out, but the lump didn’t really get any smaller.

“Then some of the multiple white-heads started to release.”

Despite the success of Peppers’s diligent spot-squeezing, one person who would disagree with his method is one Dr Mehmet Oz.


This is how to squeeze a spot, according to Dr Mehmet Oz

Last month Dr Oz appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show to warn that squeezing spots can cause skin damage and destroy healthy tissue.

He said: “Never squeeze a pimple because you will macerate it. You’re destroying all the healthy tissue with the pressure you are putting on there by squeezing.”

He added the best way to get rid of pimples is to skewer them with a sterile needle.

"Place the needle parallel to the skin – rather like you would skewer something – and pierce the skin from one side to another. Then rip up!" he said.

Robin Williams May Have Suffered From Hallucinations Before His Death, But What Is Lewy Body Dementia?

November 12, 2014, 3:31 am

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Robin Williams may have been suffering from hallucinations when he committed suicide in August of this year.

TMZ claim to have obtained documents showing Williams was suffering from Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) before he died.

The website also states that sources connected to the Williams family say LBD was the "key factor" that drove the actor to kill himself.

According to the NHS, recurrent hallucinations are a common symptom with this form of dementia.

But what else do we know about the illness?



LBD affects over 100,000 people in the UK. The illness often accompanies Parkinson's disease - which Williams is known to have been suffering from before his death.

With LBD, clumps of abnormal protein - called Lewy bodies - from in the brain, causing loss of mental ability and the gradual death of brain cells.

Despite the high figures, many people are unaware of what LBD is, often meaning they fail to seek the correct medical help.

Blogging on HuffPost Healthy Living, author Judy Towne Jennings said when her husband started to show LBD symptoms, she struggled to find information on the illness.

"Unfortunately, there are still many medical professionals who are unfamiliar with the disease or tell patients that what they have is Parkinson's disease with dementia," she wrote.

"I encourage all spouses to seek answers. When we know what we are dealing with, we have the opportunity to create an adventure, rather than succumb to a disaster."

In addition to hallucinations, those suffering from LBD sometimes experience sleep disturbances, slowed or stiff movement, tremors and fainting.

They may also suddenly switch from a state of alertness to a state of drowsiness or staring into space.

While there is no cure for LBD and no drugs that can slow the illness, medication that can ease symptoms if available from GPs.

According to TMZ, Williams had been complaining about the way his medication "made him feel" to wife Susan Schneider before he died.

Williams, who died age 63, suffered from depression for most of his life. It is currently unclear how far Lewy Body Dementia contributed to his death.

If you've been affected by the issues in this article, please call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90.

SEE ALSO:

Robin Williams Dead: 'Suicide Is A Gender Issue' Says Charity But There Is Hope And Help

Mid-Life Health Affects Your Risk of Dementia

HIV And Hepatitis Testing Needed For 22,000 Patients After Dentist Breached Infection Controls

November 12, 2014, 3:48 am

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The health of thousands of patients across the UK is at risk after a blood-borne virus, potentially containing HIV, might have infected them.

NHS England says that it will announce a "significant patient recall" of 22,000 people who need to be tested for blood-borne viruses including HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

The recall has been sparked amid concerns over a dentist who treated patients in Nottingham over a 32-year period, the Mirror newspaper reported.

SEE ALSO:

This New HIV Prevention Drug Could Soon Be Available To Those At Risk Of Infection On The NHS

HIV Home-Test Kits Could Be Legalised

The paper said the dentist, who has not been named, was suspended in June after being filmed breaching infection control standards.

Experts are said to have recommended that all the dentist's patients are screened and health chiefs will hold a news conference today.

Amid fears of a HIV risk to patients of the dentist, Dr Rosemary Gillespie, chief executive at Terrence Higgins Trust, said that there is a "next to no risk" of the infection being passed on from dental equipment that has not been sterilised properly.

"NHS England has confirmed that the dentist in this case does not have HIV. The suggested risk is likely to relate to dental equipment not being properly sterilised between appointments," she said.

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Gillespie added: "It is right that these patients have been recalled, but we would reassure anyone who has been contacted that there is next to no risk of HIV being passed on in this way.

"HIV is a fragile virus, which becomes inactive minutes after leaving the body. For the virus to be passed on via dental equipment, it would have to be passed from one mouth to the next far more quickly than most appointments would allow."

A source told the Daily Mirror: "While the risk of infection is low, the advice has been to screen everyone. The public must be aware of the need to take action."

Proof That Cute Cats Can Banish All Of Your Daily Stresses

November 12, 2014, 4:03 am

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Yoga and meditation might help to bust your daily stresses, but there's something far better (and far cuter) that can beat the blues.

It begins with K and ends in N.

Yep, after a hard day of working your butt off, dealing with rude people or being stuck in a room full of screaming kids, all you need to unwind are a few kittens.

(As if we ever needed a reason...)



One woman, who clearly enjoyed her kitten-filled experience despite initially feeling stressed, exclaimed: "Being around young creatures just reminds you to take it easy."

And as if that isn't brilliant enough, there's scientific proof that this stuff works. According to Purina, just 15 to 30 minutes of quality time with a cat can calm your nerves and boost your mood.

This is because spending time with cats increases your production of serotonin, which helps to boost feelings of well-being. Meanwhile, your cortisol levels - responsible for stress and high blood pressure levels - will go down.

Basically, spending time with a cat can keep you healthier in the long run.

Now, can somebody kickstart kitten therapy in the UK please?

SEE ALSO:

This Compilation Of Kittens Learning To Use Stairs Is The Most Adorable Video You'll See This Week

Kittens Reenact The 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' Trailer And It's Much Cuter Than The Original

[H/T Jezebel]

Cartoons Prove That 'Helpful Advice' For People With Mental Health Problems Often Isn't Very Helpful At All

November 12, 2014, 5:05 am

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There seems to be a tendency when talking to someone who has mental health problems, to trivialise or be dismissive.

But telling people to "cheer up" and "snap out of it", or questioning their diagnosis or choice of treatment can often do more harm that good.

Imagine if we treated physical illness in the same way that treat mental illness - what would happen then?

Robot Hugs have created an insightful cartoon that answers this very question.

SEE ALSO:

Why We Need To Learn The Truth About Schizophrenia

Why Do People Get Depression? The Science Behind The Illness Explained

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This Baby Really Loves Her Musical Birthday Card

November 12, 2014, 5:09 am

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And who can blame her? Musical birthday cards are, after all, simply wonderful things... if you've just turned one.

And they're especially wonderful if they play the hamster dance.

Take it away, kid! Show us your moves!

(Via Tastefully Offensive)

Font Designed To Help People With Dyslexia Read More Easily

November 12, 2014, 5:29 am

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It's estimated that one in 10 people in the UK suffer from some form of dyslexia, but reading difficulties for dyslexics could soon be a thing of the past.

A font specifically designed to help dyslexic people differentiate between letters has been created by Dutch graphic designer (and dyslexic) Christian Boer.

Unlike other readers, dyslexics have a tendency to rotate, mirror and swap letters, making it difficult for them to comprehend what they’re reading.

Boer's font, named Dyslexie, emphasises certain characteristics of letters to make them stand out.

For example, bolder bases on Dyslexie letters should prevent a dyslexic from reading a 'd' as a 'b'.

Dyslexie letters also exaggerate the height of tall letters like 'h' and have a slight slant, making them easier to recognise.



Dyslexia can be challenging for children, especially before it is formerly diagnosed.

Blogging for HuffPost UK Lifestyle, Anthony Byrne, CEO of Product2Market.ie recalls his school days: "I remember in school the learning of non-phonetic words really was my biggest challenge.

"Trying to remember a sequence of letters without the word's sound for direction always stumped me.

"I had a list of words that just for some reason I couldn't get into my head, despite my greatest efforts to learn them by rote. I frequently flunked spelling tests and realised as a young man, I had to find away around the problem," he writes.

Dyslexie aims to help people like Byrne in school and beyond.

The font is available online for a variety of systems and devices and is on display at the Istanbul Design Biennial until December 14 2014.

H/T: Laughingsquid.com

SEE ALSO:

How One Young Entrepreneur Turned His Dyslexia Into A Business

Addressing the Lack of Dyslexia Support in UK Schools

Nearly 70% Of Employees Are Not Informed About Maternity Leave Policy When Starting A New Job

November 12, 2014, 5:34 am

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Maternity leave is something that seriously affects our financial and professional progress, but an alarming amount of women are not clued up on the maternity policy at their company.

In a new survey, just 32% of female employees say they were given information about maternity benefits when they started their current job. 13% said it was not easy to find and they had to ask for it.

On top of that, nearly 42% of female employees would only ask their employer about maternity benefits if they were announcing a pregnancy.

But why is maternity leave such a taboo topic?

Reasons cited for not asking include: 43% are worried employers would think they were already pregnant, 37% feel it would be perceived that they were trying to get pregnant, 30% feel it’s just not professional, and alarmingly more than one in five (22%) fear they would be putting themselves at risk of redundancy.



The Glassdoor survey, conducted by OnePoll, spoke to 1,000 working women in the UK - 500 of which have already taken maternity leave and 500 who plan to do so in the future.

The majority of job seekers said it’s easy to ask about holidays, pensions, healthcare and other ‘mainstream’ benefits.

However, when it comes to maternity benefits, almost four out of five (78%) of those surveyed think that asking for this information during the interview process would jeopardise their chances of getting the job.

Half (51%) fear that potential employers may jump to the conclusion that they’re already pregnant and almost one in five (19%) don’t think they would be taken seriously for the job.

Over a third (31%) feel it would hinder their career progression.

SEE ALSO:

24 Things You Could Do After Maternity Leave

Can You Baby-Proof Your Career?

“There are more than 13 million women in the workplace and among these more than 5 million are working mums. These women are an important part of UK businesses so it seems pretty short sighted to keep maternity benefit details under lock and key," said Jon Ingham, Glassdoor career and workplace expert.

"A more honest and open attitude towards maternity benefits could improve the quality of candidates looking to work at your organsiation.

"It may not be an intentional decision for employers to keep this information from female employees, however forcing them to ask for it is clearly causing a great deal of distress for many women in the workplace.

Transparency around benefits in the workplace can actually build greater trust."

'Wow No Cow:' Oatly CEO Toni Petersson Extols Virtues Of Oat Milk In Quirky Video

November 12, 2014, 6:10 am

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You may find yourself wondering what Oatly’s CEO, Toni Petersson, is doing in a field of oats with a 1980s synth in his latest Toni TV video.

Singing a song he wrote on his own, "Wow No Cow," Petersson, wearing a "No Artificial Badness" T-shirt, wants to spread the brand's message about growing, harvesting, picking and turning oats into "liquid goodness" to drink and eat to a wider online audience and explain what Oatly is about.

Filmed in the oat fields between Halmstad and Göteborg in western Sweden, where Oatly HQ is located, and created by award-winning agency Forsman & Bodenfors, the off-beat video vocalises Oatly's mission of responsibly creating healthy, plant-based products that minimise environmental impact.





"I’m working at a company where the sole purpose of what we do is to make it easy for people to turn what they eat and drink into personal moments of healthy joy without recklessly taxing the planet’s resources in the process. That feels pretty good," says Petersson.

Founded in the early 1990s, Oatly uses only Swedish-grown oats for its range of protein and fibre-rich oat products, which include a calcium and vitamin-enriched oat drink, flavoured oat drinks (chocolate, chai, apple pear and orange mango) and yogurt, cream, and ice cream products, all made with an oat base instead of dairy.

SEE ALSO:

• Which Plant-Based Milk Is Best?



• What Do Ballet Dancers Really Eat? Professionals Open Up On Diet, Gruelling Rehearsals And Eating Disorders

Forget almonds, soy, rice (and most of all cows) and check out Oatly CEO Toni Petersson in action singing, "Wow no cow" in this video.

"When they first told me they wanted me to sing a song in an oat field I seriously thought they were kidding. How could that ever work to tell our story? I didn’t originally have time to write a song so they wrote one for me and I really hated it - don’t they think I have any creative integrity?" asks Petersson.

"So I wrote something I felt I could put my name on and then went out in the middle of the oat field with a synth from the 80s and tried to play it."

Discover 7 Things We Love About Our Cars

November 12, 2014, 7:01 am

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If you’re a car driver, you’ll never forget the moment when - after what seemed like an eternity of waiting - your driving test assessor turned to you and said the words: "Congratulations, you’ve passed your driving test."

Putting the keys in the ignition for the first time on your own felt like a wave of elation, replacing any nervousness you felt before.

From that day forward, your car has accompanied you on your life journey. It's become a staple in your everyday life, helping you to discover new adventures and create new experiences with the people you love.



Every car you've ever driven has become a part of your personality. Whether it’s the beat-up Volkswagen Explorer that can barely carry your surfboard to the beach every weekend, the Audi TT convertible that you’ve been saving for all winter in preparation for top-down summer cruising, or the Ford S-Max you got when safety and space for the kids became your top priorities on the road.

Cars are also woven into the fabric of our culture, achieving iconic status on the big and small screen thanks to the Bond films, Herbie in The Love Bug, K.I.T.T. in Knight Rider and the Batmobile, just to name a few. They evoke an aspirational response from people and also an emotional one, connected to nostalgia and treasured family memories.

SEE ALSO:

• 10 Apps Leading To Adventure



• Driverless Cars To Be Allowed On UK Public Roads By Next Year

Interestingly, Auto Trader, the UK's number one digital motoring marketplace, found that our relationship with the car is so strong that it actually makes us appear better looking, well-off and sophisticated. So, emulating James Bond and his iconic DB7 makes you more attractive?

In fact, an Auto Trader poll found that only 14% of respondents said that a convertible enhanced a driver’s attractiveness, as opposed to 27% of respondents who said that a hatchback made a driver seem better-looking. Just make sure it’s not pink or orange, as these were voted the least-attractive car colours…

So we love the way they make us look, and we love the way our cars make us feel. But what else do we love about our cars? Click through the slideshow below to find out...

This IT Company May Have Just Made The Best Advert Ever

November 12, 2014, 7:45 am

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That's it. We're upping sticks and moving to Stafford.

Why, you may ask?

Well, apart from the excellent train connections and not unappealing town centre, it's home to Risual.

Risual, an IT company who have parodied all terrible/awkward/cheesy IT company adverts in this, their... IT company advert.

It's a thing of beauty - and comedy - and if their work for Microsoft is as good as their scripting and ad-making skills, well, we'd use them in a flash. Or, indeed, Flash.

(Via 22 Words)

Uterus For Sale On Ebay To Fund Ann Truscott's Breast Cancer Chemotherapy

November 12, 2014, 8:20 am

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As far as eBay goes, anything goes really.

You can buy cuttings of Britney Spears’s hair, an entire Italian village or a Cornflake shaped like Illinois.

And now you can buy a human uterus...



...Or rather the future rights to one.

Ann Truscott has stage four breast cancer and needs AUS$25,000 (£13,000) to fund her treatment.

The mother-of-five has already bone and brain tumours and though her breast cancer is terminal, chemotherapy will prolong her life.

Her friend April Creed is thus selling her own uterus (starting bid $2,500), advertising it as "the literal ducks nuts of feminine wonder", with the promise the organ is "all yours to do with what you will."

“Imagine the possibilities! You could frame it, serve party nibbles on it… imagine your partner’s face when they unwrap it at Christmas… give it to your mother in law… I also think it would make a quirky mobile phone holder.”

Post by April Creed.

April Creed is selling her uterus on eBay to raise funds for Ann Truscott's cancer treatment

The uterus is promised to the successful bidder in the event of Creed's death, or if she has to have a hysterectomy.

The mother-of-four adds: “It’s not a virginal uterus… it’s been around the block and few times… and then some… it’s a socially conscious LGBT aware piece of fleshy goodness and it will be yours to name.”

Now it’s important to note that eBay’s forbids the sale of human remains and body parts, which is why it is the “future rights” to Creed's “shiny Jynie” which are being offered for sale.

Ebay policy states: “We don’t allow humans, the human body, or any human body parts or products to be listed [on eBay], with two exceptions. Sellers can list items containing human scalp hair, and skulls and skeletons intended for medical use.”

The 42-year-old has also set up a separate funding page which points out that despite Truscott's diagnosis she continues to work four days a week as she cannot afford not to.

SEE ALSO: Stolen Human Brains Were Sold On Ebay, Say Police

Creed writes: “I believe that if people donate what they can and share this campaign we can prolong her life.

“We all feel powerless against cancer. This is a very real and worthy way of fighting back. We can change the ending of this story.”

Creed explains the drug Kadcyla needed by Truscott is not covered by her health insurance, though provider Roche has agreed to reduce its $93,000 price tag to $15,000 on compassionate grounds.

At time of publication the funding page had raised $17,370, with Creed adding: “What an amazing result… to enable further stability for Ann’s future, I have raised the target. Let’s go x.”

Truscott, who lives in Victoria, told the Illawarra Mercury: "I haven't got the words for it. When you've hit the brick wall, you think: 'What in the hell am I going to do now?' but this has just made a huge difference.

"What a fabulous person she is - everyone deserves an April in their life."

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This May Just Be The World's Fastest Coke Vending Machine

November 12, 2014, 8:33 am

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"This machine in Lerna, IL is rumored to be the world's fastest," explains the description on this YouTube video.

"It is said that you cannot push the button and catch the drink with the same hand. We decided to give it a try..."

Check out what happens. It really is, as the late, great David Coleman used to say, quite remarkable.

(Via Viral Viral Videos)

Wyatt The Baby Can Play The Drums Better Than You

November 12, 2014, 8:52 am

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And by 'you', we do of course mean 'us'.

Wyatt gets a little help from his dad, natch. Well, you can't be expected to get all the Pantera licks down at quite such a young age, can you?

(Via Pleated Jeans)

Best Christmas Hot Drinks On The (Coffee Shop) Block

November 13, 2014, 12:49 am

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Flickering fairy lights surround us, turkey and cranberry sandwiches are plentiful and our favourite coffee shops are vying for our love with their festive flavoured drinks.

You can't escape it folks, Christmas is on its way.

From Starbucks' brand new (and oh-so-dreamy) honey and almond hot choc to EAT's medicinal-tasting berry mocha, I've road-tested the best and, quite frankly, worst festive beverages on offer. Here they are...

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Costa Praline Cappuccino ✩✩

Where did all the praline go? I was looking forward to this but soon became disappointed after my first sip due to a distinct lack of praline flavouring. It was essentially a glorified cappuccino in a Christmas cup.

On a high note, the cappuccino part was nice and tasted strong. Every coffee-flavoured cloud has a silver lining.

EAT Berry Mocha ✩✩

The taste of this reminded me slightly of blackcurrant throat soothers... But if you like a good cough sweet then this will be right up your alley. I feel slightly cheated by it, as it tastes medicinal but isn’t benefiting me health-wise at all. Wah.

Costa Brownie Hot Chocolate ✩✩✩✩✩

Oh hello! Chocolate-lovers will absolutely LURVE this. It’s like drinking a silk bed sheet. Luxurious, indulgent, trés Christmassy and my personal favourite. Nom.

Starbucks Honey & Almond Hot Chocolate ✩✩✩✩

Phwoar. A lovely, smooth hot chocolate with a great dollop of almond goodness. The flavours work really well together and offer an alternative Christmas taste.

It’s not as thick and creamy as the Costa hot chocolate which is where it needs to up it’s game. But still a major hot choc contender.



Starbucks Gingerbread Latte ✩✩✩✩

Good, strong coffee with a hint of ginger. If you’re a hardcore coffee fan then I think this would be the best Christmas-themed coffee to go for as it’s not as sweet as the others. The ginger is a pleasant addition but not overbearing.

Bonus: the coffee’s quite thick and there’s a nice foamy bit on the top.

Caffe Nero Praline Latte ✩

If I was an ant, I’d love this - purely because of all of its sugary content. Unfortunately I’m not an ant. Essentially this drink is two things: hot and sugary. It tastes a bit like coffee, and the rest is just sickly sweet ‘stuff’.

It did not fill me with festive cheer.

Pret A Manger Orange Hot Chocolate ✩

Oh dear. For starters, some brain ache decided to put coffee in this so it was more of an orange mocha than a hot chocolate. Even then, it wasn’t nice to drink.

The coffee tasted burnt and there was an awful lot of foam on the top. Overall verdict: bah humbug!

Starbucks Toffee Nut Latte ✩✩✩

Nut-lovers rejoice: this tasty little number is incredibly nutty with a nice creamy texture. There could probably be more of a toffee taste in there, as it's mainly dominated by nutty flavours.

One downside - I was left with squirrel breath.



After all of that Christmas tasting, I crashed and burned (see above).

The clear winner was Costa's brownie hot chocolate, but I'd also like to highly commend Starbucks for remaining consistent with their awesome hot drinks - the almond hot chocolate is particularly genius.

For now, that's all. Once my eyeballs stop swivelling from the caffeine, I'm off to detox on green juice for the next five weeks.

How To Get Rid Of Bingo Wings: Questions About Body Fat Answered

November 13, 2014, 12:56 am

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In an ideal world, we'd all love every inch of our bodies. But in reality, the majority of us have at least one hangup.

For some of us, it's bingo wings. For others, it's a belly that refuses budge no matter how much exercise we do.

So, why are some of our areas more pre-disposed to gather fat than others?

Dr Dennis Wolf, Cosmetic Doctor at The Private Clinic of Harley Street, gives us the low down on the formation of fat in five different areas and what we can do to limit it.



1. Belly

Men and women are programmed to store fat in different ways. This is a legacy of our hunter gatherer days when women were responsible for looking after and feeding the children.

As a result of this role women had to ensure they were well-nourished so they could provide sustenance for their offspring whilst also surviving regular famine and extremely cold winters. As a result of this, women’s bodies naturally store fat on the belly, as well as the flanks and outer thighs.

Even though the way we now live our lives has changed dramatically the way our bodies function hasn’t yet evolved. This means that women are still prone to storing fat in these areas, but won’t necessarily shed it as easily as they once used to. This is predominantly caused by diet and lifestyle factors.

When men gain weight, it tends to go straight to their upper body, which is often the reason why they form a ‘beer belly’. This visceral fat is unhealthy and very difficult to get rid of.

How to get rid of it
Reduce your consumption of foods which are high in saturated fat. Alcohol can also play a big part here, so try to reduce your alcohol intake and you may slowly see that belly disappear!

It’s also important to take on regular cardiovascular exercise that will bring your heart rate up, gradually burn off unwanted fat and keep your tummy toned.

2. Bingo wings

‘Bingo wings’ commonly develop in women with age, or through a lack of exercise. As a result of this the skin loses its elasticity and fat starts to accumulate, creating that unwanted ‘saggy’ appearance.

How to get rid of it
Unfortunately this is one area of the body where fat is particularly difficult to target. It can, however, be tackled through targeted exercise or via a cosmetic procedure such as Vaser liposuction, which can remove the small pockets of fat in the arm and shape around the muscle to create a more toned, defined appearance.

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3. Buttocks

Many women suffer from what’s often termed ‘the banana roll’. The banana roll is the term used for the pocket of fat, located at the top of the thighs, just beneath the buttocks. This is a very common location for fat to gather and often the heavier the bottom is, the larger the banana roll will become because of the weight above it.

Another common concern for women is the formation of cellulite on the buttocks and the top of the thighs. Cellulite is caused by fat being trapped between the connective tissue, which links the muscles to the skin resulting in the loss of support structures. This creates the dimpled appearance.

Contrary to popular belief, being overweight does not necessarily increase the likelihood that you will suffer with cellulite. Even women who have a lower body fat percentage, and exercise regularly, can have cellulite.

How to get rid of it
There are ways to reduce the appearance of cellulite, including quitting smoking, reducing your consumption of foods which are very high in salt (as this is an aggravating factor) and ensuring you include plenty of vitamin C in your diet, which boosts levels of collagen in the skin.

Combating the ‘banana roll’, on the other hand, can, again, be done through a gentle fat removal procedure. But women will also need to put in some hard work themselves. By undertaking exercise which targets and tones the glutes, you can keep this area tight and prevent the bottom from drooping.

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4. Flanks
One of the reasons that fat gathers on the flanks or ‘love handles’ is that you might be consuming too much sugar. A thick middle is often a sign that your body isn’t handling insulin very well, which often results in fatty deposits around the waist.

How to get rid of it
Significantly cutting down your sugar consumption could certainly have a positive impact on this area of the body.

Of course, eating less sugar goes hand in hand with a healthy diet, so try to make sure you make sure you’re eating the correct foods, as well as exercising regularly. This will go a long way towards reducing those stubborn pockets of fat.

5. Double chin
The dreaded double chin is something which plagues both men and women. This problem area is often a matter of genetics, as well as age.

Not only are you more likely to suffer with a double chin if you’re parents or grandparents did, but it’s also likely that, as you grow older, this area of concern will become more evident.

With age, your skin loosens and you lose muscle tone, which often causes this area of the body to droop or to appear ‘wobbly’.

Our neck muscles also tend to strand which can give us the "turkey neck" appearance.

How to get rid of it
While genetics may well play a part here, that’s not to say that lifestyle factors can’t also play a part in combating the problem.

Burning excess fat will have an impact on many different areas of the body and the double chin is one of those. Losing one percent of body mass may not have a large impact on your tummy, but a massive effect on your chin.

Eating the right foods is also incredibly important. Avoid processed foods that are high in sugar.

It may also be that a skin tightening treatment or a non-surgical facelift may be an option worth considering as you grow older, if this remains an area of real concern for you.

Dr Dennis Wolf is a Cosmetic Doctor and Joint Medical Director at The Private Clinic of Harley Street theprivateclinic.co.uk.

The Hilarious Reality Of Boozing In Your Twenties Vs. Drinking In Your Thirties

November 13, 2014, 1:32 am

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And the award for most appropriate insight into age and alcohol goes to... this on-point video from Buzzfeed, showing the differences between drinking in your twenties and thirties.

There's "What's your cheapest beer?" versus "I'll have a whisky bourbon please".

Meanwhile 20-year-old party animals like to leave just after closing time (obvs) as opposed to their 30-year-old counterparts who, past 10.30pm, have dogs to feed. And other important stuff.

Does this video sum up your drinking habits? Tweet us @HuffPoLifestyle.

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