Pooja Pillai is an entertainment journalist with Asian Media Group, where she covers cinema, pop culture, internet trends, and the politics of representation. Her work spans interviews, cultural features, and social commentary across digital platforms.
She began her reporting career as a news anchor, scripting and presenting stories for a regional newsroom. With a background in journalism and media studies, she has since built a body of work exploring how entertainment intersects with social and cultural shifts, particularly through a South Indian lens.
She brings both newsroom rigour and narrative curiosity to her work, and believes the best stories don’t just inform — they reveal what we didn’t know we needed to hear.
Let’s be real! Most of us don’t have a team of trainers, personal chefs, or a cryotherapy chamber in our walk-in closets. But that doesn’t mean we can’t borrow a few A-list wellness tricks without selling a kidney for them.
Lately, one trend has been dominating celebrity wellness chatter: Ozempic. The diabetes-turned-weight-loss drug has become Hollywood’s worst-kept secret, with everyone from award-winning actors to reality stars reportedly using it to get snatched. But while Ozempic is having its moment, it’s not the only wellness hack stars swear by.
After all, if Hailey Bieber can make glazed donut skin a thing and Jennifer Aniston can still look like she’s 35 while eating pizza (thank you, intermittent fasting), there’s got to be some magic we can swipe.
So, here are 5 celeb-backed wellness hacks that won’t require a Hollywood budget, maybe just a little shameless copying.
Celeb Fans: Honestly? Literally everyone at award shows
The reason half of Tinseltown suddenly looks like they’ve been sculpted by AI? This diabetes medication that just so happens to melt body fat by suppressing appetite. It’s controversial, expensive, and not exactly risk-free (because hello, nausea and muscle loss), but that hasn’t stopped celebs from treating it like the ultimate cheat code.
Steal It: Unless prescribed by a doctor, maybe just… eat protein, move your body, and drink water? I know, revolutionary!
These are five global wellness hacks that celebs swear by (besides Ozempic) and how you can steal them for yourself!
1. The “freeze your stress away (literally)” hack: Cryotherapy
Celeb Fans: LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo
Nothing screams I take my recovery seriously like willingly standing in -200°F for three minutes right? Athletes and A-listers swear cryotherapy reduces inflammation, speeds up muscle recovery, and somehow boosts mood. The science is still catching up, but hey, if it’s good enough for Ronaldo, it’s worth a shot.
Steal It: Not ready for a full-body freeze? Try an ice bath or, you know, just splash cold water on your face like a normal person.
2. The “I’m not actually detoxing, but it feels fancy” hack: Infrared saunas
Celeb Fans: Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez
Infrared saunas are basically high-tech sweat lodges that claim to detox your body, improve circulation, and help with muscle recovery. Do they actually remove toxins? Nope because that’s what your liver is for. But they do feel incredibly luxurious, and sweating it out does leave you glowing and that is a fact!
Steal It: No £5,000 sauna at home? No problem. Many gyms and spas offer sessions for £30-£50. Or just sit in a steaming hot shower and pretend.
3. The “Gummy vitamins but make it glam” hack: Reproductive health gummies
Celeb Fans: Kourtney Kardashian
Because guys swallowing pills is so 2010. These chewy little supplements promise hormonal balance, fertility support, and cycle regulation, all packed with ingredients like folic acid and chaste berry. Kourtney swears by them, and if she’s selling it on Poosh, it must be legit… right?
Steal It: Read the labels before buying. Or just eat actual nutrients and take a multivitamin but where’s the fun in that?
4. The “Eat like a Roman Emperor (but with coffee)” hack: Intermittent fasting
Celeb Fans: Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Aniston
IF isn’t new, but it’s still a celeb favourite. The idea? Eat in a set window (say, 8 hours) and fast for the rest, supposedly boosting metabolism and helping with weight control. The reality? It works for some, but for others, it just leads to hangry decisions at 2 PM.
Steal It: Start small like try a 12-hour fasting window before diving into 16:8. And if skipping breakfast makes you miserable, maybe don’t.
5. The "Become a human cyborg" hack: Biohacking
Celeb Fans: Elon Musk, Bryan Johnson
Why just exist when you can optimise? Biohacking is all about tweaking your body like it’s a software update like tracking glucose levels, using nootropics for brain power, and even experimenting with gene editing (yikes). Some of it’s legit (like sleep tracking), while other parts (implanting microchips in your hand?) might be best left to the sci-fi movies.
Steal It: Start simple. Maybe start by tracking your sleep, try meditation, or take a cold shower. No need to turn into a robot just yet.
One thing we need to understand is that these celebrities have the luxury of experimenting with every wellness fad under the sun, but the real secret? Most of them stick to the basics like good sleep, hydration, movement, and stress management.
So, before you freeze yourself or swallow a $200 supplement, ask: Would this actually improve my life, or just my Instagram aesthetic?
For now, go drink some water, take a walk, and maybe light a candle (because vibes) and trust me you’re already winning.
Research for the World Curry Festival uncovered evidence of a curry house in Bradford in 1942.
Cafe Nasim, later called The Bengal Restaurant, is thought to be the city’s first.
The discovery coincides with Bradford’s City of Culture celebrations.
Festival events will include theatre, lectures, and a street food market.
Historic discovery in Bradford’s food heritage
Bradford’s claim as the curry capital of Britain has gained new historical depth. Organisers of the World Curry Festival have uncovered evidence that the city’s first curry house opened in 1942.
Documents revealed that Cafe Nasim, later renamed The Bengal Restaurant, once stood on the site of the current Kashmir Restaurant on Morley Street. Researcher David Pendleton identified an advert for the cafe in the Yorkshire Observer dated December 1942, describing it as “Bradford’s First Indian Restaurant”.
Festival organisers confirm findings
Festival founder Zulfi Karim said the discovery ended long-standing debate over which was Bradford’s first curry house. For years, different establishments had laid claim to the title, including restaurants from the 1950s and the Sweet Centre in 1964.
“This was during the Second World War, so it’s hard to imagine what ingredients they had access to with rationing,” Mr Karim said. “Even the current owner of Kashmir Restaurant thought it only went back to the 1950s.”
Bangladeshi roots of curry in Britain
Mr Karim highlighted the role of Bangladeshi immigrants in establishing Britain’s curry houses, noting that many early arrivals to the UK were former Navy workers. “That’s 80 years plus now since we’ve had a curry house in Bradford and that’s a huge story,” he added.
World Curry Festival 2025
The festival, first launched in Leeds in 2008, is being held in Bradford this year as part of the City of Culture 2025 celebrations. Running from 15–29 September, it will feature a mix of food, culture and performance.
Highlights include:
Theatre of Curry: A staged reading of Balti Kings (1999) by Sudha Bhuchar and Shaheen Khan, with curry served during the interval.
Supper club experiences.
Talks by Dr Amir Khan on nutrition and preserving authentic recipes.
Preserving the future of curry
Mr Karim stressed the importance of supporting the industry, which faces challenges due to a shortage of new talent.
“We need to keep it local, keep it authentic, and encourage people to enjoy it but also learn to cook at home,” he said.
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Finding romance today feels like trying to align stars in a night sky that refuses to stay still
When was the last time you stumbled into a conversation that made your heart skip? Or exchanged a sweet beginning to a love story - organically, without the buffer of screens, swipes, or curated profiles? In 2025, those moments feel rarer, swallowed up by the quickening pace of life.
We are living faster than ever before. Cities hum with noise and neon, people race between commitments, and ambition seems to be the rhythm we all march to. In the process, the simple art of connection - eye contact, lingering conversations, the gentle patience of getting to know someone - feels like it is slipping through our fingers.
Whether you’re single, searching, or settled, the landscape is shifting. Some turn to apps for convenience; others look for love in cafés, gyms, workplaces or community spaces. But the challenge remains the same: how do we connect deeply in a world designed to move at lightning speed?
We’ve become fluent in productivity, in chasing careers, in cultivating polished identities. Yet are we forgetting how to be fluent in intimacy? When was the last time you sat across from someone and truly listened - without checking your phone, without planning the next step, without treating time like a currency to be spent?
It’s a strange paradox: we have more access to people than ever before, yet many feel more isolated. Fun is always available - dinners, drinks, nights out, fleeting encounters - but fulfilment is harder to grasp. Are we mistaking access for intimacy? Are we human, or are we slowly adapting into versions of ourselves stripped of those raw, humanistic qualities - vulnerability, patience, tenderness - that once defined love?
Perhaps we’ve grown comfortable with the fast exit. It’s easier to ghost than to explain. Easier to keep moving than to pause. But what does that cost us? What do we lose when romance becomes a checkbox on an already overstuffed to-do list?
The truth is - the heart doesn’t move at the pace of technology or ambition. It moves slowly, awkwardly, with a rhythm that resists acceleration. Maybe that’s the point. Love has always lived in the messy spaces - hesitant pauses, nervous laughter, words spoken without rehearsal.
So the real question for 2025 is not “Have we gone too far?” but “Can we afford to slow down?” Can we still allow ourselves the sweetness of beginnings - the chance encounters, the unplanned moments, the quiet courage to be open?
Because in the end, connection is not about speed or access—it’s about presence. In a world that won’t stop moving, choosing to be present might be the bravest act of love we have left.
Instagram & TikTok: @Bombae.mix
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Researchers from the UK and US analysed data from American households between 2004 and 2019
Hotter days linked to greater intake of sugary drinks and frozen desserts
Lower-income households most affected, research finds
Climate change could worsen health risks linked to sugar consumption
Study based on 15 years of US household food purchasing data
Sugary consumption rising with heat
People are more likely to consume sugary drinks and ice cream on warmer days, particularly in lower-income households, according to new research. The study warns that climate change could intensify this trend, adding to health risks as global temperatures continue to rise.
Sugar consumption is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and has surged worldwide in recent decades. The findings, published in Nature Climate Change, suggest that rising heat could be nudging more people towards high-sugar products such as soda, juice and ice cream.
Climate link to diet
Researchers from the UK and US analysed data from American households between 2004 and 2019 and compared purchases with local weather conditions. They found that for every additional degree Celsius within the range of 12–30°C, people consumed an extra 0.7 grams of sugar per day on average.
Those with lower incomes or less education were the most affected, according to the study. Under worst-case climate scenarios, disadvantaged groups could be consuming up to five additional grams of sugar daily by the end of the century, lead author Pan He of Cardiff University told AFP.
Beyond recommended limits
The American Heart Association recommends a maximum daily intake of 36 grams of added sugar for men and 24 grams for women. However, most Americans already consume two to three times these amounts. A single can of soda contains about 40 grams of sugar.
The study showed that the increase in sugar consumption levelled off once temperatures rose above 30°C. Co-author Duo Chan of the University of Southampton suggested this may be because people had already altered their diets by that point. He warned this could be “even worse news”, as it showed dietary changes were occurring even at lower, not extreme, temperatures.
Substituting frozen treats
The research also indicated a drop in purchases of baked goods on hotter days, likely because consumers were substituting them with ice cream or other frozen desserts.
Health concerns
Unhealthy diets are among the four main risk factors for diseases that account for more than 70 per cent of deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. The authors concluded that climate change, by shaping dietary choices, could further worsen public health outcomes.
How noticing the changes in my father taught me the importance of early action, patience, and love
I don’t understand people who don’t talk or see their parents often. Unless they have done something to ruin your lives or you had a traumatic childhood, there is no reason you shouldn’t be checking in with them at least every few days if you don’t live with them.
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of looking after my parents – they lived with me while their old house was being sold, and their new house was being renovated.
Within this time, I noticed things happening to my dad (Chamanlal Mulji), an 81-year-old retired joiner. Dad was known as Simba when he lived in Zanzibar, East Africa because he was like a lion. A man in fairly good health, despite being an ex-smoker, he’d only had heart surgery back in 2017. In the last few years, he was having some health issues, but certain things, like his walking and driving becoming slow, and his memory failing, we just put down to old age. Now, my dad was older than my friend’s dad. Many of whom in their 70’s, dad, at 81 was an older dad, not common back in the seventies when he married my mum.
It was only when I spent extended time around my parents that I started noticing that certain things weren’t just due to old age. Some physical symptoms were more serious, but certain things like forgetting that the front door wasn’t the bathroom door, and talking about old memories thinking that they had recently happened rang alarm bells for me and I suspected that he might have dementia.
Dementia generally happens in old age when the brain starts to shrink. Someone described it to me as a person’s brain being like a bookshelf. The books at the top of the shelf are the new memories and the books at the bottom are the new memories. The books at the top have fallen off, leaving only the old memories being remembered. People with dementia are also highly likely to suffer from strokes.
Sadly, my dad was one of the few that suffered a stroke and passed away on 28th June 2025. If you have a parent, family member or anyone you know and you suspect that they might have dementia, please talk to your GP straight away. Waiting lists within the NHS are extremely LONG so the quicker people with dementia are treated, the better. Sadly, the illness cannot be reversed but medication can help it from getting worse.
One thing I would also advise is to have patience. Those suffering with dementia can be agitated and often become aggressive, but that’s only because they’re frustrated that they cannot do things the way they used to.
The disease might hide the person underneath, but there’s still a person in there who needs your love and attention.” - Jamie Calandriello
The holy town of Ambaji witnessed a spiritually significant day on Sunday as His Holiness Siri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, head of the International Siddhashram Shakti Centre, London, performed the Dhwaja ritual at the historic Ambaji Temple in Gujarat, one of the most revered Shakti Peeths of India.
Guruji, who travelled especially from London to be part of the festivities, offered prayers to Goddess Amba and hoisted the sacred flag, a symbol of divine strength, victory, and eternal devotion. Speaking about the ritual, he reminded devotees that the dhwaja inspires courage, faith, and a constant remembrance of the divine in everyday life.
Adding to the spiritual significance of the day, Guruji also personally served Bhandara (community meal) to devotees gathered at the temple premises.