What to and not to snack on......Interesting.

What exactly is a healthy snack? A good-for-you snack is one that’s high in nutritional value (including protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber), but relatively low in calories, total fat, saturated fat (no trans fats), sugar, and sodium.

While fresh veggies and fruits, of course, make for very healthy snacks, we know that those items aren’t always convenient (or the top choices for the typical family). That said, here are some of the worst snack choices you can find in your local supermarket in terms of healthfulness, along with some much healthier alternatives.

The Bad

Chocolate Coated Donuts, Mini Donuts, and Snack Cakes
This is not to say that powdered-sugar donuts are good snack choices. But chocolate-coated donuts and snack cakes have even more saturated fat than other types.

Snack Pies
Most fruit pies even say “Great snack!” on the package. This makes sense only if by “great snack,” they mean high in calories (450), total fat (24 grams), saturated fat (13 grams), and sugar (13 grams); and low in protein, fiber, and other healthy nutrients.

Lunchables (Snack Size) by Oscar Mayer
Two types of these snack-sized Lunchables contain about half a day’s worth of the suggested amounts of fat, saturated fat, and sodium for someone eating around 2,000 calories a day. Also, most of these snacks are around 350-400 calories – again, this is a snack!

Regular Chips and Cheetos
Although the serving size listed on the package is 1 ounce, most of us snack on two or three times this amount, which equals around 300 calories, over 20 grams of fat and up to 700 mg of sodium.

The Top 10 Threats To Our Health

The Good

Toasted 100% Whole-Wheat English Muffin with Peanut Butter
You’ll find at least two brands of 100% whole-wheat English muffin (Oroweat and Thomas) in most supermarkets. Toasted and spread with some natural-style peanut butter (the type that just contains peanuts and a little salt), these make a satisfying snack with 250 calories, 10 grams protein and 5 grams of fiber.

Nut Mixes
Don’t let the 15 grams of fat per serving fool you. Most of the fat grams are from beneficial monounsaturated fats (8 to 9 grams) and polyunsaturated fats (3 to 5 grams). Each ounce also contains at least 5 grams of protein, about 170 calories and plenty of healthful phytochemicals like phytosterols and lignans.

94% Fat-Free Microwave Popcorn
When you’re craving something crunchy, microwave popcorn can be a quick and easy snack solution. There are now some lighter options on the shelves. Even if you double the serving size listed on the label, it still only adds up to 240 calories, 4 grams fat, and 1 gram of saturated fat — along with 8 grams of fiber.

Quick Microwave Nachos (Baked chips with beans and cheese)
This high-protein snack (14 grams) is easy to put together. Just put an ounce of baked tortilla chips in a microwave-safe bowl and dot the top with small spoonfuls of the refried beans, right out of the can. Sprinkle some hot sauce or salsa over the top, along with a little shredded cheese. Pop in microwave for 30 seconds or so to heat the beans and melt the cheese. Jazz it up by adding chopped tomato, green onions, and a dollop of fat-free sour cream if you like. All for around 290 calories and 70 grams of sodium. GET MORE HERE

Via. Yogi

How to tame your tum: Is yours a spare tyre or a stress bulge? Finding out your tummy type is the key to getting a perfect midriff

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER


Get a flat stomach: First you need to identify your tunny type


For many women, getting bikini ready means tackling one dreaded area in particular — our tummies.

Most of us still think the best way to achieve a washboard stomach is by doing hundreds of sit-ups. Not so, says A-list trainer and body guru James Duigan.

James, who sculpts supermodels Elle Macpherson and Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley among others, insists there is no ‘one size fits all’ method for getting a flat belly.

Instead, he’s identified five key ‘tummy types’, all of which require a different approach to achieve successful toning.

Once you’ve identified your type, you can transform it following James’ tailor-made plan and get that flat tummy fast.



THE SPARE TYRE TUMMY
The spare tyre: This is one of the easiest tummy troubles to eliminate because it's caused by eating the wrong foods and not exercising enough


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
These people are likely to lead sedentary lives, perhaps with jobs that keep them desk-bound. They may also have an emotional attachment to sugary foods.
Luckily, this ‘spare tyre’ is one of the easiest tummy troubles to eliminate as, according to James, it’s caused by eating the wrong foods and not exercising enough.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
‘If you exercise very little, eat lots of sugar and refined carbohydrates in products like biscuits, cakes and white bread, or rely on starchy carbs like pasta and rice, you probably have an overweight tummy with accompanying fat on your legs and hips,’ says James.



THE STRESS TUMMY
Stress tummy: These types are typically over-achievers with perfectionist personalities


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
Stressed-tummy types are typically over-achievers with perfectionist personalities. They are usually also susceptible to digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which can cause bloating and make their tummies look far worse.
‘Stress tummies are easy to spot, as the weight is specific to the front of the midriff and the umbilical area,’ explains James. ‘When stressed, we produce cortisol, a hormone which encourages the body to cling on to fat around the stomach.’
Stressed tummies will also be fairly hard to the touch, rather than wobbly.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
It’s likely you skip meals, abuse your adrenal system with too much caffeine and grab junk food for convenience.



THE LITTLE POOCH
The little pooch: These women are likely to be busy mums or have demanding careers - hey may even be a gym junkie


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
These women are likely to be busy mums or have demanding careers. ‘They may even be a gym junkie, but stuck in a workout-and-diet rut, perhaps always eating the same foods and doing the same routine at the gym, which keeps you slim but leaves you with a lower belly that spoils your silhouette,’ says James.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
‘Doing excessive crunches and using gimmicky gym items such as ab-rollers can place a strain on the hip flexors and the lower back, causing the tummy muscles to protrude so your belly sticks out,’ says James.



THE MUMMY TUMMY
The Mummy tummy: Women with these bellies have usually given birth in the past few years, and, being a typical mum, have little time for themselves


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
Women with these tummies have usually given birth in the past few years, and, being a typical mum, have little time for themselves. ‘After giving birth, the uterus drops and is much heavier than it was pre-pregnancy,’ says James. ‘It takes at least six weeks to return to its usual size, so don’t even think about trying to get a flat stomach until after then.

‘You need to re-train your pelvic floor and lower abs to increase blood flow and strengthen loose muscles.’

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
Rushing back to exercise too quickly. ‘I would suggest waiting around two to three months,’ says James. ‘Being stressed about getting rid of your baby weight will only make you cling onto it more. Give yourself a break!’



THE BLOATED TUMMY
Bloated tummies: These are often flat in the morning, but swell throughout the day with gas or indigestion


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
Bloated tummies are often flat in the morning, but swell throughout the day with gas or indigestion. Bloating affects both slim and overweight women. It is almost always caused by food intolerances and allergies, or sluggish bowels as a result of a poor diet.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
You eat the same foods and may have done so for a lifetime without realising you’re intolerant to them.


source : dailymail

For Bea, what a difference three years makes as self-conscious teen is transformed into glam princess

By FAY SCHLESINGER

What a difference: Princess Beatrice shows off her glamorous frame which is the result of a strict fitness regime after an unflattering photo of her in a bikini was published in 2008


Growing up in spotlight is never easy.

But these days Princess Beatrice cuts a much more confident figure.

The 22-year-old student showed off the full extent of her stunning weight loss this weekend, as she holidayed with her long-term boyfriend Dave Clark on a £400,000-a-week super-yacht in the South of France.


Yippee! Beatrice leaps into the air on the end of this trapeze before plunging into the Mediterranean


As she sunned herself off the coast of Antibes, Beatrice’s black strapless swim suit displayed her slender frame to perfection.

And while the frills across her chest and hips highlighted the curves inherited from her mother the Duchess of York, the Queen’s granddaughter showed that she has kept up the regime developed with her personal fitness instructor in the lead-up to last year’s London Marathon.


Can't take my eyes off you: Dave Clark smiles as his girlfriend Beatrice leaves the water in Antibes, Southern France


Her toned appearance on Sunday was a far cry from pictures of the princess in a tight blue bikini in the Caribbean in 2008, which spurred her into vowing to shed her puppy fat.

Beatrice told the Daily Mail at the time: ‘It was such an unflattering bikini and I've got one that's so much nicer, so I could have kicked myself for wearing it.


Making a splash: Dave Clark leaps into the sea from a jetty where the yacht was moored in the Mediterranean


Slimline: The Princess's one-piece swimsuit perfectly showed off her frame with the frills helping to highlight the curves she has inherited from her mother


Surf's up! Beatrice and Dave also had fun on a pair of jet-skis


'I thought people were a bit mean, although I know it comes with the territory. The trouble is, I don't have much confidence so it can be quite upsetting. I could probably do with losing the odd pound though, so perhaps it is the kick I need.'

But this weekend the royal’s self-assurance was palpable as she changed into a bikini and let down her auburn locks.

Watched by admiring friends on the 195ft German-built Oasis yacht where she and 29-year-old Mr Clark are thought to have stayed as guests, Beatrice leapt into the air on the end of a trapeze before plunging into the Mediterranean.

An equally svelte Mr Clark, a millionaire’s son who works for Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson, executed an impressive back-flip from the boat’s second deck.

The six-berth yacht comes with a crew of 15 and a gym that transforms into a private nightclub. According to online advertisements, it can be chartered for between £285,000 and £418,000 a week.


Testing the water: Beatrice dips her toes into the Mediterranean before taking a dip with her boyfriend


That's enough: Following her swim the Princess returns to the boat - which houses a gym that transforms into a private nightclub


Luxury on the waves: The Princess and her boyfriend are staying on a £400,000-a-week yacht


Beatrice, who has faced a similar battle with yo-yoing weight as Sarah Ferguson, has previously put her transformation down to trainer Nadya Fairweather, whose help she enlisted in the lead-up to the London Marathon.

She is also understood to have embarked on a diet that centres on eating fresh fruit and drinking plenty of water.

Beatrice and her boyfriend have been dating for five years since meeting at a birthday party for Sean Brosnan, youngest son of James Bond actor Pierce, in 2006.

The fifth in line to the throne has just finished a three-year course in history and history of ideas at Goldsmiths College in South London.

Rather than becoming a full-time royal, she is expected to get a job once she has graduated, possibly in the field of art, fashion or charity work.



source :dailymail

Hoping for a fitness DVD deal? Josie Gibson shows off her curves on the beach

By ANDREA MAGRATH

Sunshine holiday: Josie Gibson parades on the beach in Marbella in a red bikini


She proudly posed for pictures in a bikini after losing three stone in January.

And while it appears as though Josie Gibson has gained back the weight, it hasn't stopped her proudly parading on the beach in a bikini.

The Big Brother winner wore a skimpy red two-piece during a hen's weekend in Marbella, Spain.

The 26-year-old looked like she is well and truly over her split from John James Parton, laughing and smiling in the sunshine.

Later Josie tucked in to a big lunch at a cafe with a friend, enjoying a large beer to wash it down.

The Bristol blonde announced in late March that she and her former Big Brother housemate had parted ways.


Baywatch moment: The Big Brother winner jogged along the shoreline in another red swimsuit


Chilling out: After her run on the beach, Gibson sat down in the sand


Speaking to Now magazine, she revealed that the Australian taunted her about her weight.

'He put me through so many mind games. He used to go on about my weight all the time,' she said. 'He would take the p**s out of my looks and make me feel ugly. He used to tell me I was thick.

'I can only be myself and I can't always be everyone's cup of tea.

'I think I'm a bit like Marmite, really. People either love me or f****** hate me.

If people like me, they like me; if they don't - they can f*** off!'


Appetite: Josie tucked in to a large lunch by the seaside, with a beer to wash it down


Now and then: Josie appears to have re-gained some of the three stone she lost earlier this year


In January Josie dropped from from 16st 7lbs to 13st 7lbs.

At the time she credited her weight-loss to eating healthily and exercising between three and four times a week.

A friend told Mail Online that she had re-gained some pounds in recent months, and rather than desperately trying to lose the weight fast, Josie is embracing her size 16 figure and designing a plus-size clothing range for Curvissa.


'He made me feel ugly': Josie says her ex John James taunted her about her weight


source: dailymail

Two little friends... united by courage

By PAUL SIMS

Here's how to do it: Ellie (right) shows off her new prosthetic leg to Charlotte, who hopes to get her first pair in a few months


Smiling together, the two pretty blonde girls could easily be mistaken as sisters, not new friends with a unique bond.

The lives of Ellie Challis and Charlotte Nott have taken almost identical paths. Both started life as healthy babies — until they contracted meningitis and had to have all of their limbs amputated.

The incredible survival story of Ellie, now seven, gripped the nation after she fell ill in 2005 at just 16 months old. And in December, three-year-old Charlotte narrowly survived the illness, but at the cost of her arms and legs.


Hello, pet: Seven-year-old Ellie, who contracted meningitis in 2005, makes friends with the lambs during a day at a farm


‘Charlotte put her stumps up against Ellie’s to say hello,’ said her mother Jenny Daniels, 29, yesterday. ‘She was so happy to see someone else with stumps just like hers.

‘Ellie was great — she showed Charlotte that she could get around easily with or without prosthetic legs and Charlotte hobbled after her. It was very special.’

The girls spent the day giggling with one another as they cuddled rabbits and fed lambs at Mead Open Farm in Bedfordshire.

‘I love Ellie’s legs and I can’t wait until I get some, too, so we can run around together,’ said Charlotte, from Oxford.


You have a go: Little Ellie is all smiles as she shows a curious Charlotte how to operate the wheelchair


Ellie’s parents Lisa, 37, and Paul, 47, have helped her learn to walk on prosthetics, start school and ride a bike. ‘I know exactly what Jenny is going through,’ said Mrs Challis.

‘I remember thinking that Ellie would never have a normal life. But it’s great that we’ve been able to show Charlotte and her family that there’s very little Ellie can’t do.’

Charlotte’s parents - Jenny, an administrator for a book publisher, and air conditioning repairman Alex Nott, also 29 - are just starting to come to terms with what has happened to their daughter.


I'll race you: Charlotte (left) and Ellie giggle together as they get behind the wheels of toy cars


‘When Charlotte caught meningitis, my world fell apart. I was terrified about what the future held for her,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘So to see Ellie running around was so special to me - it has given me hope for Charlotte’s future.’

Ellie became the youngest person ever fitted with £10,000 carbon ‘flex-foot’ legs two years ago.

Ellie also let Charlotte have a go on her wheelchair - it is too tiring for her to use her prosthetic legs all the time. She controls it with the stumps of her arms.

Charlotte will have to wait until she is five before the NHS can provide her with a wheelchair.

She hopes to get her first pair of prosthetic limbs in the next few months once her wounds heal.

‘I still say thank you every day that Charlotte is still here with us,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘Watching her playing with Ellie was a miracle.’

source: dailymail

Two little friends... united by courage

By PAUL SIMS

Here's how to do it: Ellie (right) shows off her new prosthetic leg to Charlotte, who hopes to get her first pair in a few months


Smiling together, the two pretty blonde girls could easily be mistaken as sisters, not new friends with a unique bond.

The lives of Ellie Challis and Charlotte Nott have taken almost identical paths. Both started life as healthy babies — until they contracted meningitis and had to have all of their limbs amputated.

The incredible survival story of Ellie, now seven, gripped the nation after she fell ill in 2005 at just 16 months old. And in December, three-year-old Charlotte narrowly survived the illness, but at the cost of her arms and legs.


Hello, pet: Seven-year-old Ellie, who contracted meningitis in 2005, makes friends with the lambs during a day at a farm


‘Charlotte put her stumps up against Ellie’s to say hello,’ said her mother Jenny Daniels, 29, yesterday. ‘She was so happy to see someone else with stumps just like hers.

‘Ellie was great — she showed Charlotte that she could get around easily with or without prosthetic legs and Charlotte hobbled after her. It was very special.’

The girls spent the day giggling with one another as they cuddled rabbits and fed lambs at Mead Open Farm in Bedfordshire.

‘I love Ellie’s legs and I can’t wait until I get some, too, so we can run around together,’ said Charlotte, from Oxford.


You have a go: Little Ellie is all smiles as she shows a curious Charlotte how to operate the wheelchair


Ellie’s parents Lisa, 37, and Paul, 47, have helped her learn to walk on prosthetics, start school and ride a bike. ‘I know exactly what Jenny is going through,’ said Mrs Challis.

‘I remember thinking that Ellie would never have a normal life. But it’s great that we’ve been able to show Charlotte and her family that there’s very little Ellie can’t do.’

Charlotte’s parents - Jenny, an administrator for a book publisher, and air conditioning repairman Alex Nott, also 29 - are just starting to come to terms with what has happened to their daughter.


I'll race you: Charlotte (left) and Ellie giggle together as they get behind the wheels of toy cars


‘When Charlotte caught meningitis, my world fell apart. I was terrified about what the future held for her,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘So to see Ellie running around was so special to me - it has given me hope for Charlotte’s future.’

Ellie became the youngest person ever fitted with £10,000 carbon ‘flex-foot’ legs two years ago.

Ellie also let Charlotte have a go on her wheelchair - it is too tiring for her to use her prosthetic legs all the time. She controls it with the stumps of her arms.

Charlotte will have to wait until she is five before the NHS can provide her with a wheelchair.

She hopes to get her first pair of prosthetic limbs in the next few months once her wounds heal.

‘I still say thank you every day that Charlotte is still here with us,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘Watching her playing with Ellie was a miracle.’

source: dailymail

Two little friends... united by courage

By PAUL SIMS

Here's how to do it: Ellie (right) shows off her new prosthetic leg to Charlotte, who hopes to get her first pair in a few months


Smiling together, the two pretty blonde girls could easily be mistaken as sisters, not new friends with a unique bond.

The lives of Ellie Challis and Charlotte Nott have taken almost identical paths. Both started life as healthy babies — until they contracted meningitis and had to have all of their limbs amputated.

The incredible survival story of Ellie, now seven, gripped the nation after she fell ill in 2005 at just 16 months old. And in December, three-year-old Charlotte narrowly survived the illness, but at the cost of her arms and legs.


Hello, pet: Seven-year-old Ellie, who contracted meningitis in 2005, makes friends with the lambs during a day at a farm


‘Charlotte put her stumps up against Ellie’s to say hello,’ said her mother Jenny Daniels, 29, yesterday. ‘She was so happy to see someone else with stumps just like hers.

‘Ellie was great — she showed Charlotte that she could get around easily with or without prosthetic legs and Charlotte hobbled after her. It was very special.’

The girls spent the day giggling with one another as they cuddled rabbits and fed lambs at Mead Open Farm in Bedfordshire.

‘I love Ellie’s legs and I can’t wait until I get some, too, so we can run around together,’ said Charlotte, from Oxford.


You have a go: Little Ellie is all smiles as she shows a curious Charlotte how to operate the wheelchair


Ellie’s parents Lisa, 37, and Paul, 47, have helped her learn to walk on prosthetics, start school and ride a bike. ‘I know exactly what Jenny is going through,’ said Mrs Challis.

‘I remember thinking that Ellie would never have a normal life. But it’s great that we’ve been able to show Charlotte and her family that there’s very little Ellie can’t do.’

Charlotte’s parents - Jenny, an administrator for a book publisher, and air conditioning repairman Alex Nott, also 29 - are just starting to come to terms with what has happened to their daughter.


I'll race you: Charlotte (left) and Ellie giggle together as they get behind the wheels of toy cars


‘When Charlotte caught meningitis, my world fell apart. I was terrified about what the future held for her,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘So to see Ellie running around was so special to me - it has given me hope for Charlotte’s future.’

Ellie became the youngest person ever fitted with £10,000 carbon ‘flex-foot’ legs two years ago.

Ellie also let Charlotte have a go on her wheelchair - it is too tiring for her to use her prosthetic legs all the time. She controls it with the stumps of her arms.

Charlotte will have to wait until she is five before the NHS can provide her with a wheelchair.

She hopes to get her first pair of prosthetic limbs in the next few months once her wounds heal.

‘I still say thank you every day that Charlotte is still here with us,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘Watching her playing with Ellie was a miracle.’

source: dailymail

Two little friends... united by courage

By PAUL SIMS

Here's how to do it: Ellie (right) shows off her new prosthetic leg to Charlotte, who hopes to get her first pair in a few months


Smiling together, the two pretty blonde girls could easily be mistaken as sisters, not new friends with a unique bond.

The lives of Ellie Challis and Charlotte Nott have taken almost identical paths. Both started life as healthy babies — until they contracted meningitis and had to have all of their limbs amputated.

The incredible survival story of Ellie, now seven, gripped the nation after she fell ill in 2005 at just 16 months old. And in December, three-year-old Charlotte narrowly survived the illness, but at the cost of her arms and legs.


Hello, pet: Seven-year-old Ellie, who contracted meningitis in 2005, makes friends with the lambs during a day at a farm


‘Charlotte put her stumps up against Ellie’s to say hello,’ said her mother Jenny Daniels, 29, yesterday. ‘She was so happy to see someone else with stumps just like hers.

‘Ellie was great — she showed Charlotte that she could get around easily with or without prosthetic legs and Charlotte hobbled after her. It was very special.’

The girls spent the day giggling with one another as they cuddled rabbits and fed lambs at Mead Open Farm in Bedfordshire.

‘I love Ellie’s legs and I can’t wait until I get some, too, so we can run around together,’ said Charlotte, from Oxford.


You have a go: Little Ellie is all smiles as she shows a curious Charlotte how to operate the wheelchair


Ellie’s parents Lisa, 37, and Paul, 47, have helped her learn to walk on prosthetics, start school and ride a bike. ‘I know exactly what Jenny is going through,’ said Mrs Challis.

‘I remember thinking that Ellie would never have a normal life. But it’s great that we’ve been able to show Charlotte and her family that there’s very little Ellie can’t do.’

Charlotte’s parents - Jenny, an administrator for a book publisher, and air conditioning repairman Alex Nott, also 29 - are just starting to come to terms with what has happened to their daughter.


I'll race you: Charlotte (left) and Ellie giggle together as they get behind the wheels of toy cars


‘When Charlotte caught meningitis, my world fell apart. I was terrified about what the future held for her,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘So to see Ellie running around was so special to me - it has given me hope for Charlotte’s future.’

Ellie became the youngest person ever fitted with £10,000 carbon ‘flex-foot’ legs two years ago.

Ellie also let Charlotte have a go on her wheelchair - it is too tiring for her to use her prosthetic legs all the time. She controls it with the stumps of her arms.

Charlotte will have to wait until she is five before the NHS can provide her with a wheelchair.

She hopes to get her first pair of prosthetic limbs in the next few months once her wounds heal.

‘I still say thank you every day that Charlotte is still here with us,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘Watching her playing with Ellie was a miracle.’

source: dailymail

Two little friends... united by courage

By PAUL SIMS

Here's how to do it: Ellie (right) shows off her new prosthetic leg to Charlotte, who hopes to get her first pair in a few months


Smiling together, the two pretty blonde girls could easily be mistaken as sisters, not new friends with a unique bond.

The lives of Ellie Challis and Charlotte Nott have taken almost identical paths. Both started life as healthy babies — until they contracted meningitis and had to have all of their limbs amputated.

The incredible survival story of Ellie, now seven, gripped the nation after she fell ill in 2005 at just 16 months old. And in December, three-year-old Charlotte narrowly survived the illness, but at the cost of her arms and legs.


Hello, pet: Seven-year-old Ellie, who contracted meningitis in 2005, makes friends with the lambs during a day at a farm


‘Charlotte put her stumps up against Ellie’s to say hello,’ said her mother Jenny Daniels, 29, yesterday. ‘She was so happy to see someone else with stumps just like hers.

‘Ellie was great — she showed Charlotte that she could get around easily with or without prosthetic legs and Charlotte hobbled after her. It was very special.’

The girls spent the day giggling with one another as they cuddled rabbits and fed lambs at Mead Open Farm in Bedfordshire.

‘I love Ellie’s legs and I can’t wait until I get some, too, so we can run around together,’ said Charlotte, from Oxford.


You have a go: Little Ellie is all smiles as she shows a curious Charlotte how to operate the wheelchair


Ellie’s parents Lisa, 37, and Paul, 47, have helped her learn to walk on prosthetics, start school and ride a bike. ‘I know exactly what Jenny is going through,’ said Mrs Challis.

‘I remember thinking that Ellie would never have a normal life. But it’s great that we’ve been able to show Charlotte and her family that there’s very little Ellie can’t do.’

Charlotte’s parents - Jenny, an administrator for a book publisher, and air conditioning repairman Alex Nott, also 29 - are just starting to come to terms with what has happened to their daughter.


I'll race you: Charlotte (left) and Ellie giggle together as they get behind the wheels of toy cars


‘When Charlotte caught meningitis, my world fell apart. I was terrified about what the future held for her,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘So to see Ellie running around was so special to me - it has given me hope for Charlotte’s future.’

Ellie became the youngest person ever fitted with £10,000 carbon ‘flex-foot’ legs two years ago.

Ellie also let Charlotte have a go on her wheelchair - it is too tiring for her to use her prosthetic legs all the time. She controls it with the stumps of her arms.

Charlotte will have to wait until she is five before the NHS can provide her with a wheelchair.

She hopes to get her first pair of prosthetic limbs in the next few months once her wounds heal.

‘I still say thank you every day that Charlotte is still here with us,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘Watching her playing with Ellie was a miracle.’

source: dailymail

Two little friends... united by courage

By PAUL SIMS

Here's how to do it: Ellie (right) shows off her new prosthetic leg to Charlotte, who hopes to get her first pair in a few months


Smiling together, the two pretty blonde girls could easily be mistaken as sisters, not new friends with a unique bond.

The lives of Ellie Challis and Charlotte Nott have taken almost identical paths. Both started life as healthy babies — until they contracted meningitis and had to have all of their limbs amputated.

The incredible survival story of Ellie, now seven, gripped the nation after she fell ill in 2005 at just 16 months old. And in December, three-year-old Charlotte narrowly survived the illness, but at the cost of her arms and legs.


Hello, pet: Seven-year-old Ellie, who contracted meningitis in 2005, makes friends with the lambs during a day at a farm


‘Charlotte put her stumps up against Ellie’s to say hello,’ said her mother Jenny Daniels, 29, yesterday. ‘She was so happy to see someone else with stumps just like hers.

‘Ellie was great — she showed Charlotte that she could get around easily with or without prosthetic legs and Charlotte hobbled after her. It was very special.’

The girls spent the day giggling with one another as they cuddled rabbits and fed lambs at Mead Open Farm in Bedfordshire.

‘I love Ellie’s legs and I can’t wait until I get some, too, so we can run around together,’ said Charlotte, from Oxford.


You have a go: Little Ellie is all smiles as she shows a curious Charlotte how to operate the wheelchair


Ellie’s parents Lisa, 37, and Paul, 47, have helped her learn to walk on prosthetics, start school and ride a bike. ‘I know exactly what Jenny is going through,’ said Mrs Challis.

‘I remember thinking that Ellie would never have a normal life. But it’s great that we’ve been able to show Charlotte and her family that there’s very little Ellie can’t do.’

Charlotte’s parents - Jenny, an administrator for a book publisher, and air conditioning repairman Alex Nott, also 29 - are just starting to come to terms with what has happened to their daughter.


I'll race you: Charlotte (left) and Ellie giggle together as they get behind the wheels of toy cars


‘When Charlotte caught meningitis, my world fell apart. I was terrified about what the future held for her,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘So to see Ellie running around was so special to me - it has given me hope for Charlotte’s future.’

Ellie became the youngest person ever fitted with £10,000 carbon ‘flex-foot’ legs two years ago.

Ellie also let Charlotte have a go on her wheelchair - it is too tiring for her to use her prosthetic legs all the time. She controls it with the stumps of her arms.

Charlotte will have to wait until she is five before the NHS can provide her with a wheelchair.

She hopes to get her first pair of prosthetic limbs in the next few months once her wounds heal.

‘I still say thank you every day that Charlotte is still here with us,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘Watching her playing with Ellie was a miracle.’

source: dailymail

Ten-Day-Old Orphan Dolphin

Ten-day-old dolphin was discovered by walkers on a beach near Montevideo, Uruguay. The baby Dolphin was nursed back to health.