Finding Faith for Me (PART 4): 2011 “Allah… ALLAHHHHH…”I wailed through my gut-wrenching pain. The tears would not stop. My first heartbreak was too real. The pain seemed to be coming on stronger and stronger, with no signs of subsiding. I sat alone on my bed in my private university accommodation, the blinds closed, music blaring loudly from my speakers, with my knees pulled up to my chest and my arms wrapped tightly around them. My fingernails dug intensely into my forearms and as the pain within me grew stronger, I dug my fingernails in even more deeply, as if playing some kind of sicken ..read more

“I don’t get it though!” I exclaimed to my two hijab-wearing girlfriends sitting opposite me, during a free period at college. “How can you say only Muslims go to heaven? Like, how can anybody claim that only one religion of people gets to go to heaven?” “It’s just how it is though, Sabah. There’s not really much to understand.” “Yeah but, imagine there’s someone who’s Muslim by name – but like, say they’re a killer, or a rapist, or a pedo. And then there’s like a God-fearing, kind-hearted little old lady who swears by the Bible or is like a Sikh or something. Are you telling me that ..read more

How long does it last? The majority of lip fillers are designed to last from 6-12 months, though some newer longer lasting fillers are designed to last up to 15 months. This will largely depend on the type of filler used, how “cross-linked” it is, or in other words, how quickly it’s designed to be broken down by the body. The more cross linked the product, the longer it will last. Lips are the most mobile part of our bodies- you are constantly moving your lips; to speak, to eat, to smile, and it’s that constant movement that mean its one of the areas that will break down dermal filler faste ..read more

Finding Faith for Me Fear had its slender, manipulative fingers curled tightly around my throat. There was no air. Where was the air? WHERE WAS MY AIR? I gasped, clutching strings for breath to enter my body. But the more I tried to grasp it, the further and further it escaped from me. The electricity shooting up and down my left arm was making my whole body burn, and my heart… oh my heart was racing. It pounded so loudly, so powerfully – its speed increasing in every moment as if it were being chased by demons, with the reality being just no chance for survival. “This is it. This is how ..read more

Finding Faith for Me 1997 “ Whooo-ooo-ooo do ya think you are!” I belted out into my invisible microphone, as I skipped between the playground benches, showing off my brand new shiny, electric blue platform sneakers. I was obviously Scary Spice – it had been decided silently yet unanimously amongst my friends; I was the one with the big, frizzy hair after all, and the mouth to match. My best friend Karen strutted forward, a genuine mini Sporty Spice, and dropped to her knees as she squealed, “…do you think you a-are!”, her voice so high- pitched that it broke off at the end. The 5 of us ..read more

When I first started following Dina this was about 2 years after winning MasterChef and I noticed that she always spoke about wanting to learn how to cook. Anyway I decided to send her copies of my book and in one of her vlogs she actually went to Tesco’s and bought all the ingredients and made this recipe!!  This is an extract from my book with a few extra ingredients added and I hope you enjoy cooking it. Its originally French inspired from the Daube region of France but ended up in Mauritius and has been livened up with chilli coriander and some paprika.  It’s the perfect mid week meal ..read more

This recipe is the perfect armour to have under your belt on days that you know you have no time to cook! This meal can be done from start to finish in 15 mins & is a go to mid week meal for me or a cheat takeaway version meal when I fancy a takeaway but my sensible brain tells me I can cook it quicker than how long it’ll take me to wait!    If you forget to soak the noodles the night before don’t worry about it because you can pour over boiling hot water from the kettle let it sit for 1 minute then drain it & voila its ready.    You can speed this recipe up even more by buying pre cho ..read more

Since having a baby (mine is now 20 months old) I realise that EVERY minute alone is CRUCIAL. I run my own restaurant (@lakazmaman) as well as involved in other projects it means that when I get home the time I have is precious. I don’t want to labour over complicated recipes but I don’t want to sacrifice on flavour or presentation for me or my family.  Dina thought to get in touch with me as I think we are both very similar, we are trying to keep our A games at home as well as hold up a career and its a tough call. I’ve developed a few recipes for women “like us” and I hope you like this s ..read more

Giving in to stress will just lead to an endless vicious cycle of anxiety, negativity and unhappiness. Instead of living with constant panic, learning to manage your stress can reap dozens of benefits for your mental and physical health. As discussed before, stress causes the release of a hormone called cortisol, which can be harmful to the body in chronic levels. Combat the stress with healthy habits that will get you back on track. Remember, it takes 21 days to make or break a habit – don’t throw in the towel too early and stick with it. 1) Eat a healthy balanced diet: No, a cupcake in ..read more

TOO FAT FOR SPACE Disclaimer: I will use the term ‘fat’ freely throughout this post. I am reclaiming a word that for centuries has been used to degrade women, in an attempt to eradicate its negative connotations. It’s time we started being comfortable with fat. space /speɪs/ noun 1. a continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or unoccupied. I don’t know if you’ve realised, one look outside your window will show you, but men take up a lot of space. Taking up space means being assertive, dominating and territorial, all things listed in the Essential Handbook of Being a Man by one of t ..read more