Dark chocolate biscuits could aid weight loss, study suggests
When people are trying to lose weight, they are generally advised to put down the biscuit tin. But a small study has suggested dark chocolate biscuits could in fact help people slim down as the cocoa flavour promotes the release of hormones which make you feel full.
Scientists at the University of Eastern Piedmont in Italy created a breakfast biscuit made with dark chocolate and added a bitter compound from the wormwood plant (Artemisia absinthium).
During the trial, healthy participants ate the snacks for breakfast, then underwent blood tests to measure their hormone levels and also completed questionnaires on food cravings. Compared to a glucose drink containing the same amount of carbohydrates, people felt fuller after eating the biscuit, as well as experiencing an increase
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The Sun
37 minutes ago
- The Sun
I'm in £21k of debt but Mounjaro's an essential buy each month, I've lost 5st without giving up Chinese takeaways
A MUM has revealed she has no regrets about spending £1,200 on confidence-boosting Mounjaro - despite being in £21,000 of debt. Nikki Johnstone, from Falkirk, started using the weight loss jabs last August when she tipped the scales at 18st 7lb. 5 5 5 The mortgage advisor, 36, had been unhappy with her weight for a long time, especially since having kids. But leaving a bad relationship, working on a debt repayment plan, improving her mental health and looking after her children - now aged three and five - had always taken priority over weight loss. Now, after taking a chance on Mounjaro, she has lost 5st and currently weighs 13st 6lb. Here, Nikki exclusively opens up to Fabulous on her Mounjaro journey. The single mum said: "I'd been considering it for some time but was worried about all the horror stories you read and wondered if it was actually a scam or was this genuinely a wonder drug? "I watched loads of videos on TikTok of others taking it and describing the journey and saw a discount code for cheap so decided to get on board. "I've got about 3.5st to get to my ideal goal weight of around 10st which I hope to get to by the end of the year." Nikki is currently on a journey to pay off £21,000 of debt but insists she would "happily spend the money again and again" on weight loss jabs. To date, the hard-working mum has forked out £1,238.99 on Mounjaro pens, which works out at an average of £138 per pen. And she always shops around for the best prices, often swapping pharmacies to keep the cost down. I've lost 3 stone in 8 months on fat jabs - there's a common error new starters are making & it means nasty side effects She said: "I like to say there is no right or wrong with money. You have to prioritise what is important to you, depending on what speaks to your soul. "My personal transformation journey is super important to me, and without health, you have nothing else. "I left my relationship in February and moved into my own little house with my children - I want to be healthy for me but I especially want to be healthy for them." Nikki had previously lost 4st on WeightWatchers but quickly piled it all back on, and tried Slimming World five times "with no success". But over the past nine months she's seen the weight consistently drop off thanks to "easy" Mounjaro, regarded by some as the King Kong of weight loss jabs. 5 5 About half a million Brits use weight loss drugs - and the number is expected to double in the next year. Mounjaro works by suppressing your appetite, making people feel fuller for longer. The injections are licensed for patients with type 2 diabetes and to assist those who are clinically obese (with a Body Mass Index of 30 or over). One jab is administered each week but the duration is dependent on someone's weight. While many typically associate headaches and constipation with Mounjaro, Nikki has been lucky enought to suffer from zero side effects. Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. She said: "Mounjaro is just simple. It's easy. You don't really need to think about it. You stop thinking about food, you are in calorie deficit anyway because you don't eat as much naturally. "My journey has been slow and steady, not rapid weight loss at all, but fairly consistent. When I started, I never ever thought I'd get to five stone loss, it's a momentous milestone." Her slimmer figure has now given her the confidence boost to put her face out there, launching a TikTok page (@mumwithfunds) with finance, budgeting and Mounjaro tips for others. And she's not even had to change her eating habits either, still munching on takeaways every week. She said: "I actually have a second job in a Chinese takeaway on the weekends, so since starting this journey I've always had two Chinese takeouts per week at least and have still consistently lost weight. "I appreciate it might be why my weight loss is slower than others, I haven't tracked a single calorie. However, of course, my portion sizes are significantly smaller nowadays." She continued: "The judgement will always be there - especially me eating Chinese while being on Mounjaro. "You get told it's cheating and in some ways, some days, it does feel like cheating. How can I lose 5 stone and still have takeaway... all the time!? "But at the end of the day, everyone is on their own journey, and losing five stone has done wonders for my mental health, my self image, my confidence - and I would do it again just like this if I could. "I've recommended Mounjaro to everyone I know." 'Potential to kill' But although Kenidee's weight loss has left many very impressed, users should note that Mounjaro can have fatal consequences. Sun GP Dr Zoe Williams acknowledged that Mounjaro, which could soon be rolled out on the NHS, can save the lives of people with 'life-threatening levels of obesity.' But despite this, the NHS said: 'Never take an anti-obesity medicine if it has not been prescribed to you. "These types of medicines may not be safe for you and can cause serious side effects.' The drugs can be prescribed by a practitioner - such as a doctor, nurse or a pharmacist-independent prescriber. But increasingly, many have been buying them through online pharmacies without sufficient checks. Recently, figures from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency revealed fat jabs had been linked to 82 deaths across the UK. As a result, the family of a man from Burton upon Trent, Staffs, who died after taking Mounjaro, are now calling for a probe into the jab's "potential to kill." What are the other side effects of weight loss jabs? Like any medication, weight loss jabs can have side effects. Common side effects of injections such as Ozempic include: Nausea: This is the most commonly reported side effect, especially when first starting the medication. It often decreases over time as your body adjusts. Vomiting: Can occur, often in conjunction with nausea. Diarrhea: Some people experience gastrointestinal upset. Constipation: Some individuals may also experience constipation. Stomach pain or discomfort: Some people may experience abdominal pain or discomfort. Reduced appetite: This is often a desired effect for people using Ozempic for weight loss. Indigestion: Can cause a feeling of bloating or discomfort after eating. Serious side effects can also include: Pancreatitis: In rare cases, Ozempic may increase the risk of inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis, which can cause severe stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. Kidney problems: There have been reports of kidney issues, including kidney failure, though this is uncommon. Thyroid tumors: There's a potential increased risk of thyroid cancer, although this risk is based on animal studies. It is not confirmed in humans, but people with a history of thyroid cancer should avoid Ozempic. Vision problems: Rapid changes in blood sugar levels may affect vision, and some people have reported blurry vision when taking Ozempic. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar): Especially if used with other medications like sulfonylureas or insulin.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Lady Isabella Hervey says she's happier than ever with her 'simple life' in Portugal as she insists she doesn't need money or titles after end of her 'miserable' marriage to Belgian millionaire ex-husband
Lady Isabella Hervey has revealed she's doing better than ever, after building a new life as a fitness instructor in Portugal, following her bitter split from ex-husband, Christophe de Pauw. The Marquess of Bristol's sister, 43, and the Belgian millionaire's marriage ended two years ago, with Isabella now raising their three children, Victor, nine, Patrick, seven, and India, six, as a single mother. And despite coming from aristocracy, the ex-reality television star has now declared that she is happier living a 'simple life', with little money and barely any furniture. In a new interview with Hello! magazine, Isabella opened up on her new life in Algarve, saying she had much less anxiety after being 'miserable' throughout her marriage. While the mother-of-three insisted that she didn't have any need for the riches she enjoyed with her old lifestyle and that her title 'doesn't define her'. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. She said: 'I'm actually better than I've ever been, because I have peace and I have freedom. I used to have very high anxiety levels, and now I don't have that. I'm happier with the simple life I have now. 'When I was married, I was miserable. Sometimes you can be in a nice hotel, or the best restaurant, or have a new designer handbag, but I don't need any of that. I forget I even have a title; it doesn't define who I am. I don't need much to be happy and I think people underestimate that.' Isabella's new career in fitness has also helped her mental health, after battling bulimia in her younger years. She had previously become famous through appearances on TV shows and was voted one of the world's sexiest women by lad mag FHM after starring in Celebrity Love Island. But this masked the eating disorder bulimia, for which she had just completed three months treatment. While in 2014, she learned that she had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which caused her 'great stress, further aggravating her bulimia'. Having won Channel 4 show The Games, she found solace in cycling and recently represented Britain at the UCI world championships in Glasgow. And she has credited cycling with giving her the confidence she needed to end her unhappy marriage to Christophe. She told the publication: 'Cycling made me have the guts to leave my ex. I had low self-esteem, and then I started cycling and started to have clarity.' While Isabella admitted that the sport was also instrumental in her love life, leading her to briefly find love with a 40-year-old Portuguese cyclist. However, she revealed their relationship had since ended, explaining: 'We were together for a year and I really did like him a lot. He has many qualities but he doesn't have children, so he didn't have a big understanding of the kids. 'My life has been very stressful for anyone to be in, and he came into my life at the most stressful time, actually. But we're not together now – it's complicated.' Isabella and Christophe split in August 2023, with her going on to accuse the businessman of being physically abuse throughout their 10-year marriage. She alleges that he hit her, attacked her verbally, undermined her self-worth, controlled her financially and isolated her from her friends. Among the painful injuries he is alleged to have inflicted on her was a punch in hospital after the birth of their daughter that left Lady Isabella with a fractured skull. Her older sister, Lady Victoria Hervey, drew attention to her plight by posting a series of photographs online, each of them showing Isabella with severe facial bruising. While The Mail's Richard Eden revealed in October that a judge had issued a restraining order against Christophe, forbidding him from coming within 300 metres of his estranged wife or seeing their children without third party supervision. Isabella's Portuguese lawyer Patricia Cipriano disclosed: 'Christophe is indicted for domestic violence and child abuse'. While Isabella told Richard: 'It is a big relief the restraining order is put into place, for me and for my kids because it means we can be in our garden. 'Before we literally barricaded ourselves in our house when we're alone. So now I don't feel like we are prisoners in our own home.' She adds: 'However, I'm still scared. Restraining order or not, I don't think that's enough to stop the guy. 'So in one way I'm relieved, but in another way I'm always still watching my back. I'm often still in fear and I don't go outside with the kids after dark.' The court judgement disclosed that Christophe had also been undergoing treatment – a full year for 'addictive behaviour with alcohol and drugs'. The judgement also recorded that when Isabella, unfamiliar with Belgian law, hesitated to sign a pre-nuptial agreement after he proposed in 2013, her fiancé called her 'a slut', 'a w***e' and 'a b***h'.. While pregnant in 2018, the court judgement records that Christophe 'grabbed [Isabella's] head [and] hit it against a metal object'. While Isabella was still recovering from the birth of daughter India, in 2019, Christophe 'gave her a violent slap, with an open hand, on the left cheek'. Days later, Christophe, while in the presence of their two sons, 'began screaming at her: 'W***e', 'B***h', while spitting in her face and grabbing her with both hands [around] the neck,' says the court judgement. Isabella reported her husband to the Belgian police, but was unaware that her allegations had to be 'confirmed by a formal complaint'. Isabella, says the court judgment, suffered in other ways, as Christophe 'took away her car keys', and 'emptied [their joint] bank account'. The stoical Isabella remained unbowed – and might have thought that she had won through when, in February 2021, they moved to Portugal, with Christophe promising that 'things would be different, that he would change…because he would be under less stress'. There was indeed some change: Christophe, records the court judgement, began an affair in August 2021. However, he then bit Isabella's nose, hit her twice and spat in her face, says the court judgement – and, at Christmas 2021, shut his son Victor 'inside an aluminium suitcase' – as 'a joke'. Patrick, says the court judgement, was subjected to 'an unspecified number of spanks on the head' after accidentally turning off the television. In the spring of 2023, Christophe left Isabella and his children, and moved in with his mistress. But, from time to time, he returned. On June 6, he removed almost all the furniture from the house. He was back the next day to pick up the couple's two dogs – one of which belonged to Isabella, who tried to rescue the animal from the back of her husband's car. In the ensuing struggle, Christophe 'almost strangled her', records the court judgment, causing Isabella to fall 'helplessly to the ground and lose consciousness'. When she came round, the children crying and screaming, with India 'trying to wake her up' and Patrick 'trying to resuscitate her'. Christophe declined to comment when approached by the Mail. If you are a victim of domestic abuse, call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit or
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Gen Z can may hate Tinder's height filter but swerving short blokes & giant-arsed women is what singles do in real life
FOR years and years, women have been whanging on about male objectification. So wolf-whistles are out, it is sexist for a man to hold open a door for us, and 'Grid Girls' — Formula 1's all-female parade — are a thing of the past. 5 5 Now, here we are in 2025, doing the very same thing to blokes, all in the name of progression. Tinder, the world's most successful dating site with more than 75million members, has introduced a height filter so women can wheedle out shorties. In a trial, users of Tinder Premium, which costs £16.67 a month, can remove anyone in need of a Simon Cowell -esque Cuban heel. (Let's hope, then, 5ft 7in Emmanuel Macron' s recent marital woes resolve themselves, or he's buggered). 'We're always listening to what matters most to our Tinder users — and testing the paid height preference is a great example of how we're building with urgency, clarity and focus,' confirmed a Tinder spokesperson. All chaps under 5ft 8in are, of course, outraged. 'Out and out prejudice,' screamed one online. 'Women can shift their weight but we can't do anything about our height,' huffed another vertically challenged bloke. Women also chimed in, calling out the app for its blatant double standards. 'It's so hypocritical that men are demonised for having preferences but it's OK for women, often about things men can't change,' posted another commentator on X. 'Imagine if there was a fat filter.' Quite! But, actually, why not? Why stop at height? Let's introduce filters for weight, boob size, and penis length (no need for pictorial evidence of the latter, please, rather a ruler measurement to the centimetre). Online dating is soul-destroying, and some of my single friends regard apps, such as Tinder and Hinge, as their second job. The Tinder hack guaranteed to make you the most liked on the app In my thirties, I wasted months of my life chatting to people, who looked absolutely nothing like their photos when we met in person. Woke warriors I would politely go through with painful dates because, being British, I didn't want to be rude. So let's just cut out the middle man (or woman). Get to the crux of the matter. Think of the hours saved. After all, as one man on Reddit recalled: 'I was chatting to a girl for months online, and just before we arranged to meet up, I noticed a rear- view mirror shot in one of her photos. Her arse was huge. 'She had airbrushed her frontal pics to make her a size ten. In reality she was a solid 20. I didn't mind the weight so much, but our entire 'relationship' was built on lies.' In a world so quick to categorise itself — Gen Z are tripping over themselves to come up with new labels — why not make online dating equally specific? Sure, it would be problematic for the woke warriors. But, really, people make instantaneous judgments in the flesh every single day. Let's separate the wheat from the chaff, and do it online too. LAST week saw Prince Harry being peak Prince Harry. Ahead of World Environmental Day, Montecito's biggest hypocrite jetted off to Shanghai, China, for a lecture on, yep, climate change. While we don't know whether our crusading eco-warrior flew private jet or a commercial flight, he certainly didn't swim or rickshaw there. Will he – and this is a rhetorical question – ever learn? A NO WYNNE AT BBC SO, predictably enough, Wynne Evans has been dropped from his BBC Radio Wales show after bringing the corporation into disrepute. His crime? Using the word 'spitroast' – a sexual reference you'd do well not to Google – while talking about Strictly co-star Jamie Borthwick during an official photocall. I interviewed Wynne last month and found him to be warm, kind, surprisingly smart (sorry Wynne) and naive. In it, he insisted the word wasn't used in a sexual way, rather a reference to a chicken position Jamie could contort his legs into. Whatever the truth, his sacking seems a zealous over-reaction, but is indicative of the current cancel culture: The Beeb was damned if it did, and damned if it didn't. Anyway, after our interview, Wynne and I went to the pub for many, many drinks. Speak as you find. He was fantastic company, regaling me with hilarious tales of the opera world. Here's hoping his new radio show takes off – and the memoirs are incoming. Brooke (not Kylie) is Fit for the Gods A NEW poll has revealed Kylie Jenner has the 'dream' female body shape. Apparently her cartoonish curves, described as 'slim thick', is what men fancy and women want to emulate. 5 While it is a huge improvement on the 'heroin chic' trend I was brought up on – think Kate Moss in the Nineties – Kylie's surgically enhanced figure is not achievable for the average woman. For me – a bit of a failed sportsperson, who is now into very cliched activities like fitness race Hyrox – the ideal body type is that of a CrossFitter. A mix of functional training, a bit of running or rowing and heavyweight lifting, CrossFit is the ultimate test of strength and mental resilience. And CrossFit Games winners, like American Brooke Wells – who has massive traps, incredible legs and a six-pack – are who we should be idolising. These athletes consume around 3,500 calories a day, of simple wholefoods and protein. They don't demonise food. Let's look up to them instead. FLIGHT FRIGHT AND to think people complain about kids on flights. Shocking footage has been leaked showing a vile British man threatening easyJet staff, using homophobic language and swearing loudly and aggressively at fellow passengers as he attempted to board a plane. The cretin held up his flight from Manchester to Chania, Greece, and was eventually slapped around the face by an airport worker. What a time to be alive. RUFF DAY AT WORK NOTE to my Editor . . . James Middleton appeared on GMB last week with hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls, pleading the case for dogs to be allowed in the office. Kate and Pippa's baby brother brought his two pooches, Isla and Inka, on set for a mildly chaotic interview. 'Dogs improve prod in the workplace,' he reasoned. 'So I think if you can't have a dog in the workplace you should be encouraged to bring it because they do increase productivity.' He's absolutely right, and frankly it is a travesty my miniature dachshund isn't allowed into our London HQ. Granted, the one time I sneaked her in past security, she had an unfortunate accident under the Sports Editor's desk, and trailed raw chicken across the production floor. But still. A BOY needed hospital treatment for withdrawal symptoms after his parents confiscated his mobile, a doctor has revealed. The 15-year-old required tranquillisers to calm him down. Phone addiction, I'm certain, will one day be the biggest killer of all. The other day my screen time read 11 hours and 32 minutes, which is ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING, and I've developed RSI in my right thumb from over-use. On Saturday, I travelled from London to Margate and the young girl next to me was scrolling on her phone for the entire two-hour journey. Kids are categorically addicted to their smart phones, and Big Tech are deliberately reeling them in with their algorithms. The Government needs to do more, before it is too late. It must introduce mandatory maximum screen times for kids under 18, as well as actively look at ways to reduce youngsters' reliance on them. SUPERMODEL Linda Evangelista once bemoaned modern dating in an interview – and it is now going viral on TikTok. Speaking to the Sunday Times in 2023, she said: 'Not interested. I don't want to sleep with anybody any more. I don't want to hear somebody breathing.' Same, hun, same.
