Read the story of Renate, breast cancer survivor
Cancer is a horrifying ordeal and really puts you to the test. But it also awakened my inner power. I had expected to feel less feminine with each step, but I actually learned: my beauty is not in my hair or my breasts; it’s in my strength! From day one I’ve tried to put a positive spin on the experience. Sharing my journey on social media, connecting with women all over the world, was very much part of that. But also the way I kept expressing my femininity in my looks. The first time I went outside with a shaved head, for example, I wore my reddest lipstick and a gorgeous long dress. And I refused to wear the ugly ‘chemo caps’ they suggested to me at the hospital. I tapped into my creativity – another ‘gift’ from cancer – borrowed my mom’s sewing machine and started making beautiful, comfortable turbans and headbands. Things took off from there, and now I have my own brand! The name says it all: The Head Up Club. Looking back, I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have wanted to miss this journey of growth and self-discovery, as painful as it has been at times. My hair is quite long again, and I just sent a message to my hairdresser: “Help! Please take it all off!” I miss my GI Jane power cut. Who would have thought that?”
MD Friends
Building bridges
From the Erasmus Bridge and the Mercedes-Benz Museum to Qatar’s metro network; Ben van Berkel’s iconic landmarks bring people together in rapturous beauty, again and again. I talked with the Dutch architect and educator about sensuality, ‘healthy’ buildings and the remarkable parallels between our designs.
MD Friends
More than a feeling
Don’t ignore your emotions; they are much more powerful than you can imagine. By linking the magical world of emotions with hard science, Dutch scientist Pierre Capel, professor emeritus in experimental immunology, shows us the consequences of our feelings and the power of our minds. The message: we can do much more than we think. “Meditate. It’s the single best thing you can do for your health.”
Marlies Says
Keto curious?
The fact that I feel bikini-confident all year round is, of course, a nice bonus. But for me, the biggest payoff of following the keto diet is the way it optimizes my health and gives me tons of energy.
Marlies Says
Super (skin) food
‘If you can’t eat it, why put it on your skin?’. I pretty much live by this beauty adage. After all, with your skin being one of your body’s largest organs, anything – and I mean anything! – you put onto your skin will end up in your bloodstream.