ITS ANOTHER BOY FOR ALICIA KEYS AND SWIZZ BEATZ

The Grammy-winning singer, 33, and her husband since 2010, Kasseem Dean,   aka Swizz Beatz, welcomed a baby boy, Genesis Ali Dean at 

1:52 a.m. on Sat 27 Dec

 Genesis, who weighed in at 6 pounds and 5 ounces, joins a brother, 4-year-old Egypt Daoud.

Both of the boys' parents posted a photograph of the baby's footprints on Instagram with the caption, "The joy of joy is joy!!" 

Congratulations Alicia and Swizz and of-course the first son for having a baby bro!

DRINK GREEN TEA TO STAY SLIM

 

Skip the diet soft drinks. They typically contain artificial sweeteners that might not be good for your waistline. While these faux sugars contain very few calories, if they contain any at all. The dirt soft drinks just might make people crave more of the sweet stuff later on, leading to poor food choices.

Instead of picking a drink that you hope won't lead to weight gain, choose one that might actually help you lose weight, such as green tea.

 

People who drank four cups of this brew each day for eight weeks lowered their BMI levels and lost an average of about 2 lb. People who drank two servings of a green tea brew for three months lost weight around their waistlines.

 

Just make sure you stick to the homemade brew. It typically contains more heart-healthy amounts of antioxidants than the bottled varieties.

RECIPE FOR BOXING DAY - CORONATION CHICKEN WITH MANGO AND LIME

 

INGREDIENTS

1 large chicken (about 2kg), 2 celery sticks, 3-4 fresh thyme sprigs, 5 black peppercorns, 5 coriander seeds, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tbsp curry powder, 200ml Greek yogurt, 150ml mayonnaise, Grated zest of 1 lime and juice of ½, 2 tbsp mango chutney, 1 small ripe mango, cut into chunks, Large handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped and 25g toasted flaked almonds.

METHOD

 

Put the chicken in a large pan with the celery, thyme, peppercorns, coriander seeds and bay leaves. Cover with cold water, then bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 1 hour until the chicken is just cooked. As it cooks, skim off any impurities that come to the surface. Drain and cool. (Strain the stock and keep for another dish.) 

Once cold, remove and discard the skin from the chicken. Use your fingers to pull all the flesh from the chicken – in fork-size chunks – and place in a large dish 

In a dry frying pan, briefly toast the cumin, turmeric and curry powder over a low heat until they start to release their fragrance.

Tip into a bowl and stir in the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, and chutney. Season to taste and mix with the chicken. Fold in the mango and coriander, scatter over the flaked almonds, then serve.

FOODS THAT KEEP YOU THIN

 

You don't need fancy plans or complicated point systems to be thin. All you need to do is make smart food choices, watch your portion sizes and stay active. "Learning to eat properly for a lifetime is more beneficial, The emphasis should be on choosing healthful foods every day and changing lifestyles for the better. So instead of sticking to diet fare, fill up on nutritious, wholesome foods.

Apples

 

Apples are a good source of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber not only contributes to a healthy digestive system and reduced cholesterol, but it also benefits smart eaters by yielding no calories while keeping them satisfied. There's something else about the fruit that might help you feel full.  A study in the journal "Appetite" found that when women added either three apples or three pears to their daily meals, they lost more weight than people who added three oat cookies to their diets,  even though the fruit and the cookies contained the exact same amount of dietary fiber. Crunchy foods in particular can trick a person into feeling fuller. The act of chewing may send satiety signals to your body, he says, making you think you've eaten more than you really have and keeping hunger at bay. 

Almonds

 

 If you're looking for a tasty midday snack, a handful of almonds are a well-regarded option. A study in 2009 in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that women who ate nuts at least two times a week were more successful at keeping weight off than those who didn't eat this food.  One particular favorite among some nutritionists is almonds, says Aragon. One ounce of this food contains only 167 calories, plus it packs roughly 6 g of protein and 3 g of fiber, both nutrients that can make you feel full. Furthermore, like apples, almonds are crunchy and require a lot of chewing, so they, too, can make you feel like you've eaten more than you actually did and keep you fuller longer. 

Salmon

If you're uncertain about fish, there's no need to fear. Seafood can be part of a healthy diet. And there's some evidence that the fat in foods such as salmon can boost satiety levels, says Aragon. For example, a study published in the "International Journal of Obesity" found that when dieters ate salmon a few times a week, they lost about two more pounds than those who didn't include seafood in their meals.  In spite of the mention of salmon's fat content, the food is relatively low in calories. One 3-oz. serving has just 175 calories. Salmon is a good source of protein as well. 

Eggs

 

There's no doubt that protein, like fiber, has impressive satiating powers. And while eggs seem to have a bad reputation in some circles, there can be no contesting their ability to help keep your weight in check. Research has shown that eating eggs at breakfast can help you fight weight gain all day long. A study reported in 2008 in the "International Journal of Obesity" found that when dieters ate two eggs for breakfast for five days out of the week, they lost 65 percent more weight than dieters who consumed a bagel in the morning. Although protein is likely to fill you up whenever you eat it, some scientists suspect that having more in the morning can keep you feeling fuller all day long. 

Tomatoes

 

 It's true that most veggies make for great diet fare. Non-starchy vegetables in particular, such as carrots, celery and spinach, are filled with fiber. Like other foods high in fiber, they can help keep you feeling satiated. So while there are many veggies that can help you stay slim, tomatoes might be a particularly good option because they're so tasty. And, besides, with that whole a-tomato-is-a-vegetable-no-it's-a-fruit argument, you might have forgotten all about eating them. One cup of cooked, red tomatoes contains just 43 calories, but tastes just as delicious as any number of high-calorie foods.

WHAT TO WEAR ON BOXING DAY?

 

Boxing Day is truly the day of relaxing.

No need to cook as there are still enough leftovers in the kitchen.

STAY MOTIVATED TO LOSE WEIGHT

It’s so important to start weight loss with a real commitment to making changes forever. It’s not easy. But the longer you keep weight off, the better your odds. People report that after they keep the weight off for three years, their likelihood of ongoing success is pretty high.

WEIGHT LOSS DIET FOODS

All sorts of diets help people lose weight, the people who keep it off tend to eat a high fiber, moderately low-fat diet.

You should eat foods that you’re going to be able to eat your whole life. You have to be realistic. If you love ice cream and go on a diet that makes you give it up, that diet is probably not going to work for you.

EXERCISE TO LOSE WEIGHT

If you cut way back on your calories, you can lose a lot of weight without doing a lick of exercise. But you absolutely need to exercise to keep the weight off. I tell people that if they’re not prepared to substantially increase their physical activity, they shouldn’t even bother trying to lose weight. It won’t have any lasting benefit. Exercise is the key.

 My recommendation is to shoot for about an hour a day. People who successfully keep off lost weight tend to exercise for 60 to 90 minutes daily.

The good news is that you can spread out the exercise throughout the entire day. You don’t have to do it all at once. Most people still have some planned exercise at a specific time each day. For instance, they take a walk or a bike ride right after work every day.

You could also try using a step counter, which I think is a wonderful tool. They give you immediate feedback and make setting goals easy. When you’re just starting out, take it slowly. Work up to an hour a day slowly in 15 minute increments.

Getting in your physical activity will never be easy. Even people who have been doing it for years will tell you that they still have to force themselves to get out there every day. But if you want to keep off weight, exercise has to be a priority.

WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY

Before you try to make any changes to your habits, first you need to see where you are right now. Find out what your body mass index (BMI) is. See how it compares to a healthy weight. Start keeping a record of what you eat each day and how much exercise you get.

Eating is something that we do every day without really paying any attention. Once you start writing it down, you may learn things you never knew about your habits. You could be drinking five pops a day and have no idea. Taking stock of where you are now gives you a sense of what needs to change.

You have to make a long-term commitment. If you’re going to change your eating and exercise habits, you won’t be done after six weeks or six months or six years. You have to decide that you’re motivated to make changes that will last for the rest of your life.

AN NISA ABAYAS - SFW 2014

Fatmah Yakub is a Tanzanian-born abaya designer and the first African luxury abaya designer . 

 Fatmah is the founder of her luxury abaya brand "An Nisa" which is Arabic for "the women" and it is definitely a brand that celebrates the femininity of a woman while retaining that element of modesty.

WEIRD HAIR TRICKS

We love learning new hairstyles, dyeing our hair new colors, and doing a DIY hair mask, but when it comes down to it, the more shortcuts we can take with our hair, the better. That doesn’t mean cutting corners, necessarily, but simply learning the worthwhile tricks that really work. 

For the subtle highlights for the summer, Squeeze out an entire lemon into a dish, dip a clean toothbrush into the juice, and gently comb it through your hair. Then, go sit in the sun for about 45 minutes to an hour (wearing SPF, of course!). Do this once every two weeks or so and the lemon juice will naturally lighten your hair in the sun.

Get rid of static in your hair by using dryer sheets. With one sheet, smooth it over your entire head going from root to ends. To avoid getting static altogether, rub the dryer sheets on your brushes and combs before using them on your hair.

Make your ponytail look fuller by using the hair clip trick. Pull your hair into a ponytail at the back of the crown of your head and secure it with a hair tie. Separate it into two sections (top and bottom), and with a small-to-medium sized claw hair clip, clip hair at the base of the ponytail, underneath the top section. Place the top section of hair over the clip and spray a bit of dry shampoo to get a fuller texture and hide the clip.

To remove all of the build up that can happen in your hair (oil and product build up can clog up your scalp and put a halt on your hair growing!) mix baking soda in water to create a paste, and use that to wash your hair. Rinse the baking soda out with a mixture of apple cider vinegar for a completely natural, clean head of hair.

Baby hairs and cowlicks are incredibly annoying, but there’s a way to tame them. Spray a toothbrush with strong hold hairspray and comb down the baby hairs and cowlicks so they’ll sit with the rest of your hair.

Sleeping on a silk pillowcase will help to prevent hair breakage and damage that can happen in the middle of the night as you toss and turn. Cotton and other textures mixed with your hair moving back and forth can create friction, which is what can cause the hair to break.

A lot of the time, girls with brunette or red hair shy away from dry shampoo because of the white residue that is often left over. DIY your own dry shampoo for darker hair so that you can skip washing your hair! Mix 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons of corn starch, and a dash of cinnamon. Apply at your roots and shake through with your fingers for a refreshed head of hair!

If it takes you a very long time to straighten your hair, you may have the temperature setting on your flat iron too low, which means you need to go over the same pieces of hair multiple times, which can cause more damage. Instead, turn up the heat (to a mid-high temperature) so that you can go for a single pass and decrease damage.

Protect your hair from chlorine in the pool by completely wetting your hair and saturating it in conditioner, leaving it wet. Your hair will soak up the chlorine-free water and conditioner instead of the pool water, which will prevent the damage and color turning that chlorine can do.

Reduce frizz by drying your hair with a cotton t-shirt instead of a towel, then blow drying on the cool setting. Regular towels can cause a ton of friction which disrupt the cuticle and create frizz, so cotton t-shirts absorb water without causing friction. Make sure to squeeze your hair, not to rub it, while drying (which can, surprise, create more frizz-making friction). Blow drying on the cool setting to keep the cuticle closed, which won’t make as much of a frizzy mess as the hot setting.

SOLANGE KNOWLES MARRIES ALAN FERGUSON

Solange Knowles wed music producer Alan Ferguson, 51, on Sunday (November 16) in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

The stunning bride, 28, was joined by her 10-year-old son Julez at the lavish ceremony.

The bride’s famous sister, Grammy Award-winning singer Beyoncé and her husband, rapper Jay-Z, were photographed at the posh event. Both sporting white, the pop superstars brought along their 2-year-old daughter Blue Ivy the to fun family affair.

The bride and groom – who were seen riding bicycles just hours before the ceremony – posed for pics before saying “I do.” Solange looked chic in a white Stéphane Rolland jumpsuit in the pre-wedding bike ride.

During the wedding ceremony, the bride wore a stunning floor-length gown with an attached cape created by Humberto Leon for Kenzo. Post-ceremony, guests paraded down the street in the French Quarter, waving sparklers and dancing.

Looking every bit the proud big sister, Beyoncé Instagrammed some photos from the stunning event. In a group shot, the Knowles sisters stood with their mother Tina and some other family members. 

The Bootylicious singer, 33, looked amazing in a fitted white dress,

 while mama Tina kept it classy in a long-sleeve, floor length gown.

This is Knowles’ second marriage; she wed Daniel Smith in 2004 when she was 17,

 and had Julez with him. They split in 2007.