Innholdsfortegnelse for New Year 2017 i Woman&Home Feel Good You

And Happy New Year! I presume you’re looking for inspiration to start the year healthy – and you’ve really come to the right place! The best ways to boost your energy and get better sleep – all tried for you, so we know what works. Don’t miss our totally riveting gut health feature – get yours right and it can make an amazing difference to you! And do check out our plan to get fitter and more flexible – I’m a great believer in the power of strength and posture… works for me! And if you’ve maybe a few festive pounds to lose, we’ve a great quick-fix diet that’s healthy and delicious too. I do hope you really enjoy reading this issue – and come back for lots more in…

Why are we so tired? Hey, there are a hundred reasons and as many symptoms – let’s stop messing about, it’s time to get our energy back! Feeling tired is something most of us live with day in, day out. It’s reckoned – according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists – that one in five of us feels unusually tired, and one in ten have prolonged fatigue. And you thought it was just you! More and more of us are pitching up at our healthcare practitioners with tiredness on the radar, but often it’s not one major cause but a series of lifestyle glitches that come together to create that signature tired-all-the-time feeling. “I always do blood tests to rule out anaemia or thyroid problems,” says Dr Marilyn Glenville, “but…

YOUR GUT …a user’s guide Taking care of your gut is our new wellbeing obsession – and if it isn’t yours, then it should be. “Health begins in the gut,”enthuses nutritional therapist Angelique Panagos. “And in order to keep our gut healthy we need to be looking after our microbiome – our gut bacteria.” Hand on heart (or belly!), how’s your gut been lately? with luck it’s home to a cheery collective of digestive enzymes and trillions of bacteria all pulling together to keep things humming sweetly. Sadly over 40 per cent of us won’t be experiencing gut harmony. instead we’ll be quietly battling all the usual suspects of reflux, gassiness, bloating and trouble down below. enough already. let’s tune up our tum! PREBIOTICS & PROBIOTICS – what’s the difference?…

1 Eat right Follow a low-gi diet, concentrating on wholegrain cereals, root veg, cruciferous plants (broccoli, cauliflower), legumes (lentils, kidney beans) and fresh or dried fruit. eat oily fish and cheese for tryptophan, to make serotonin in the brain. obtain vitamin d from foods such as oily fish, liver, fortified marg and milk, eggs and butter. also include wholegrains, soy, walnuts, avocado and bananas for vitamin b6, plus fresh fruit for vitamin c. 2 Try light therapy Some people find that light therapy can help improve their mood considerably – it involves sitting by a special light box for 30 minutes to an hour each morning. dawn-stimulating alarm clocks may also be helpful. the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association’s website has a list of recommended manufacturers; sada.org.uk 3 Keep active –…

Taking a vitamin D supplement over the winter? Don’t take too much: over a long period of time it can cause more calcium to be absorbed by the body than can be excreted. High levels of calcium in the blood can lead to weakened bones and damage of the kidneys and the heart. If you’ve got a cold, drink lots of fluids to keep hydrated. This will help prevent another infection from setting in. Avoid caffeine and beware of mixing alcohol with cold remedies. Restless legs at night can be linked to a lack of iron. Eat plenty of iron-rich foods such as red meat, sesame seeds and green veg – and cut down on tea, coffee and alcohol. Contrary to popular belief, you should always use a plaster or…

asking a woman to try a new foundation isn’t easy. Most of us are either devoted to our favourite brand or scared off entirely by houmous-thick pastes of the past. so why roll the dice? evolution. your skin’s needs are always on the march and foundation can keep up better than any bb – this is where beauty brands really invest in research and ingredients, so the latest technology is more comfortable, invisible and skin-improving than anything you’ve tried before. FIND THE FORMULA ✢ If you’re lucky enough to have fairly even skin, sheer to light coverage and concealer on the odd dodgy bit will suit. if, like many of us, you have sun spots, redness or thread veins, consider fuller coverage. this doesn’t mean total camouflage (for that, try…

Q WHAT’S RIGHT FOR MY SKIN NOW? I’ve just turned 40 and am looking for a new skincare regime. What do you recommend? My own regime is quite simple and pretty ageless for all. Products I use for day are purely for protection – a moisturising cream and an SPf – while at night, they tend to be treatments that work on the skin to increase cell turnover, making it smoother and less dull. An SPf, whatever your age, is key because 80% or more of the ageing you see is from sunlight. A favourite is Clarins uV Plus SPf50 Sunscreen Multi-Protection, £32. Always use a moisturiser underneath to enhance your skin’s barrier. I’m a fan of the new estée lauder dayWear Matte oil-Control Anti-oxidant Moisture gel Creme, £42, or…

If your roots are showing through but you haven’t got time to get to the hairdressers, zigzagging your parting will help disguise what’s going on. Doing colour yourself? Don’t go too drastic; keep within one or two shades of what’s natural for you. Nail polish smeared? Get a bit of polish on your fingertips and wipe over the top of where your polish has got wrecked and just blend it in until the surface of the nail is smooth. Give it another coat. A messy bun or knot is great for a night out since the more it loosens up, the sexier it looks. Work mousse into damp hair to get some grip, then blow-dry. Gather everything into a low ponytail, leaving the tail in a loop with the ends…

✢ Delamere Dairy Natural Sheep Yogurt contains almost 50% more protein than cows’ or goats’ milk – and less fat. £2.50 for 450g, ocado ✢ Drink Me Skinny Blend Chai Latte has 30% less fat and sugar than the standard version. £2.28 for 250g, major retailers  ✢ Virtue Energy Water provides as much caffeine as a can of Red Bull, but contains no sweeteners, sugar or calories. £1.35 for 250ml, ocado  ✢ Gourmosa’s range of Asian treats are baked not fried for a healthy snack on the go. Samosas, £1.50 for 4, Tesco, Asda and ocado  ✢ Urban Fruit Coconut Chips are naked except for a sprinkling of coconut nectar and a kick of Sriracha chilli. £1 for 25g, Tesco  ✢ PACK’D Frozen Smoothie kits contain two pouches of fruit…

It often feels like trying to get five portions of fruit and veg in your diet is super hard work, but don’t just think in terms of fresh – you can also include dried fruits, canned fruits in natural juice, all frozen fruit and veg, and pulses such as chickpeas and lentils. Buy essential standbys so there’s always something healthy at hand – such as frozen berries you can whizz up in a smoothie and canned chickpeas, which are fab in stews and curries. ✢ Try roasting butternut squash in a little oil and serve with pappardelle or tagliatelle. ✢ Make sweet potato chips – scrub, don’t peel (it ups your fibre content too), then cut into chips. toss in oil and bake for 40 minutes. ✢ Potatoes don’t count…

1 IT ALL STARTS WITH YOUR POSTURE… For me there is nothing more gracious and elegant than perfect posture. I will always remember once being at a fitness convention full of young, super-toned instructors all leaping on and off the stage, then one lady walked on stage and made the whole room go quiet… none of us had ever seen such a striking woman and it was all down to her posture. She was in her late fifties, a beautiful curvaceous size 16, and she oozed confidence. From that day on I have always taught my clients about posture – try these easy tricks and feel instantly taller and slimmer! Belt up ➤ One of the most important muscles that is responsible for giving us perfect posture is called the…

MY FAMILY WERE ALWAYS VERY SPORTY. My grandad encouraged me to either swing a golf club or play table tennis on the dining table! I have a twin brother and, so often, sport was our compromise for something to do – even just putting a badminton net up between two trees in the garden. I did ballet lessons when I was younger too, but I told my mum it made my feet hurt, which is a lie – I just found it a bit dull. I’VE BEEN RIDING A BIKE FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. My dad had me on the back of a tandem by the age of six, and I was racing by the time I was nine. So I was always very fit. It just…

We’re talking a mini barre class – at home. Best thing is you can do it whatever your fitness levels and it teaches you how your core engages to aid movement. We have some easy moves to get you started. for each one, concentrate on core control – a slight pulling-in of the belly button, before you move a limb. ✢ KNEE LIFTS With one hand holding the chair, and the other on your waist, inhale as you raise one knee to hip height, shin vertical and toes pointed down. Extend your leg straight, then lower back down. Keep your chest lifted and shoulders aligned with hips. Repeat with other leg, alternating 20-30 times. ✢ PARALLEL HEEL RAISES Stand about a foot from the back of your chair, holding the…

1 Lift that booty Place both your feet firmly on your chair, and have your knees bent and arms out to your sides, with palms facing up. simply push your hips off the floor by pushing through your heels, hold for a couple of seconds, then slowly lower your hips back down to the ground. aim to do this 20 times, each time focusing the hips as high as you can. 2 Tone that waist Keeping your knees bent and feet on the chair, reach both hands around to reach the outside of the chair, hold then take your hands around to reach the opposite side of the chair. aim to do this 20 times, alternating from side to side. 3 SLIM THOSE THIGHS Lying sideways, place your top leg…

Is the exercise you love leaving you with uneven tone? Take a step back and analyse your body; if you have slim arms, but your thighs could do with a trimming, sign up to a spin class and include more squats and lunges – see page 94 for our troublespots routines. When lifting weights, many people contract their muscles slowly and then release more quickly. But if you do it slowly in both directions, you are maximising each move. Lift and lower to a 5-second count in each direction. Joined the gym with a mate? If your fitness levels and goals are different, then go your separate ways after warming up and meet up afterwards… you’ll progress faster. To get yourself more motivated for an early-morning workout, visualise yourself doing…

HRT made me feel like “me” again Janet ellis, 61, tV presenter, actress, and author. “I had quite a late menopause; I was well into my fifties when it started. My hot flushes weren’t too severe and I had no night sweats, though I had real difficulty sleeping and felt anxious. I never suffered from PMT,  in fact I loved taking the Pill, so have no problem with taking HRT, but it wasn’t a decision I took lightly. I took plenty of advice from the charity Wellbeing of Women (wellbeingofwomen.org.uk). “We have a history of breast cancer in my family but I talked to friends and my doctor and decided that it was better to feel better and take that risk, than not. I certainly didn’t regret it. I had…

Doesn’t it just affect older people? Not at all. Anyone can get pneumonia, says Dr Richard Russell, consultant respiratory physician, Southern Healthcare NHSFT. Cases of pneumonia that require hospital care have also risen by 34 per cent over the past ten years. What causes pneumonia? ✢It usually starts with an airborne viral infection, such as a cold or flu. This reduces our ability to clear the bacteria that's always cycling through our lungs and saliva because the tiny hairs called cilia, which line the airways, don’t work as well. This means bugs in the lungs thrive, causing the tiny sacs at the end of our breathing tubes to become inflamed. They swell up with fluid, and prevent the body absorbing oxygen properly. The main bug, which causes 60-80% of cases,…

QHOW CAN I GEE HIM UP? My husband does most of the diy chores, but it takes forever for him to get round to something. any tips on motivating without nagging? AMY MCCREADY: use statements that begin with “I feel” rather than “you don’t” or “you haven’t”. Also, give him a way out. for instance, say “I’m sure you didn’t mean it to be like this” or “you may not even realise this is affecting me”. ➤ It works for me: We sit down regularly and work out what needs doing around the house and when we both want it done by, as well as who’s going to do it. often, my husband won’t realise why I’m eager to get on with something until we discuss it. QWHAT WILL MAKE…

Feeling stressed? Deep breathing will help. Take a few moments to close your eyes and practise inhaling deeply through your nose for a two-second count, pausing for two seconds, and then exhaling for two seconds. This stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system, thus quieting down your stress response. Nodding your head isn’t just good for signalling “yes”, research suggests that the up-anddown movement may actually affirm your thoughts, so feel free to nod away as a way of signalling “yes we can” to your brain. We often overlook human touch as a form of therapy. The next time you’re feeling a little wonky, reach out to your partner, a family member or friend and share a quick embrace. When you take risks regularly, your comfort zone expands – even doing something…

That gel manicure saw you through parties, presentwrapping and cooking chip-free, then on went a sparkly top coat and, hello New Year’s Eve! robust formulas are clever over Christmas, but how are your nails now? Peeling and pickable, ashy, flat and matte from scrubbing away glitter. Unloved, but not unsalvageable… ✢ Whip off lingering colour with Sally hansen Acetone Free Polish remover, £1.50, or go pro if it’s gel. ✢ Smother on Deborah Lippmann The Cure, £18, like Crème De La Mer for cuticles, then Nailberry Acai Elixir, £19, a rose-scented strengthener that leaves nails looking all groomed and shiny so you can go without polish. ✢ If you can’t stand forgoing colour, pick a dusky winter nude without the five big toxins – that’s camphor, formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, toluene…

You wanted a diet that would flatten your tum and a detox plan to give you back the vitality that Christmas and the New Year has knocked out of you. Well, here it is! A clever diet and detox mix created by one of our favourite naturopaths – Sarah Bowles-Flannery. It’s strict, but not desperately so. It works – we know because we’ve tried it. And it’s healthy – something you’ll soon discover as you work your way through it. If you’ve never tried a detox before, make 2017 the year you discover just how terrific The detox success test The severity of side effects during your detox depends on your level of toxicity. Once these have passed – sometimes as quickly as five days – you’ll start feeling fantastic.…

 Q What WIll bEat MIDDlE-agED SprEaD? I’m 47 and my gp thinks I am starting the menopause. I’ve recently gained weight, specially around my torso, and my bras are becoming tight. What can I do? The upper body weight gain you’re experiencing is sometimes unglamorously called “back fat”. It’s common around menopause and results from a small (100 cals per day) drop in energy requirements, which is brought on by the changes in your muscle to fat tissue ratio – a knock-on effect of your changing hormone levels. If you lose muscle tissue in a specific area, you are likely to lay down more fat in the same area. The key here is that you can rebuild muscle tissue through exercise, so do regular upper body weight resistance exercise and…

Harvard School of Public Health found that people who consumed one or more servings of fruit juice each day increased their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by as much as 21%. But eating apples, blueberries and grapes whole reduced their risk by as much as 23%. When you’re trying to stick to smaller portions, visual cues can help – your serving of meat, fish or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards and mashed potato, rice, or pasta should be about the size of a traditional light bulb.  Finding it hard to give up sugar? Add naturally sweet veg – sweetcorn, carrots, sweet potatoes, onions and squash – to meals to reduce your cravings for added sugars. Try paying in cash, not on your card –…

1 ONE LEG STRETCH A good exercise for spinal strength and stability ➤ Position your pelvis in a level position. draw your belly button towards your spine. ➤ Keep this good pelvic position while you straighten one leg away from you. ➤ Breathe out to send the leg away and breathe in to return it back. 2 SHELL STRETCH Good for lumbar and thoracic mobility, these areas both get stiff with prolonged sitting or driving ➤ Position yourself on your hands and knees. Place your hands in front of your shoulders. ➤ gently lean your weight onto your knees and heels. feel the stretch in your spine and shoulders. ➤ Hold long enough to relax and enjoy the stretch. 3 EXTENSION IN LYING A good exercise for reversing the curve…

✢ New Balance’s latest sweat-wicking, breathable and stylish workout gear: jacket, £75, xs-xl; leggings, £50, xs-xl; trainers, £110, all New Balance ✢ Desigual sports bag includes roomy inside pockets and a strong cylinder shape to fit your gym kit securely. £48.99, desigual at zalando.co.uk ✢ High-intensity run bra made from sweat-wicking fabric with breathable mesh inserts. £45, 32A-38f, Sweaty Betty ✢ Marathon Girl sweatshirt will be sure to keep you motivated and warm on chillier days. £105, s-m, rondorff.com ✢ Cycling thermal prism jersey is constructed from Roubaix fabric – breathable yet keeps your body warm. £50, 8-16, wiggle.co.uk ✢ gFast northern lights leggings have reflective elements to keep you safe and are quick drying if you get wet. £39.99, xs-xl, gap ✢ Intensity jump rope lets you complete a…

Research has shown that if you’re a heavy drinker then giving up for a month will make a big difference, especially if you’ve begun to develop fatty liver disease (see opposite). A study published last year found a substantial improvement in the health of 102 men and women in their forties who gave up drinking for a month. Professor Moore, who co-authored the study that was partly funded by london’s royal Free Hospital, said that the results showed improved liver function, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. “That translates into a lower risk of developing diabetes and liver disease, both of which are on the increase,” he commented. Typically, the women drank 29 units a week and the men an average of 31 units, both above government health guidelines (see below).…

Q SHOULD I HAVE SURGERY? A scan revealed that i had a couple of small fibroids and also maybe adenomyosis. a gynaecologist suggested i have a coil fitted, but shouldn’t i have the fibroids removed? Unless fibroids are very large, or distort the womb lining, they don’t cause symptoms. Removing them is quite a major operation, usually only done when they are interfering with fertility. I suspect your symptoms are being caused by adenomyosis, which is tissue within the womb muscle. like the womb lining, it builds up during your monthly cycle and bleeds when you have a period, which can be painful. The coil that has been suggested is almost certainly the Mirena device, which has a core of progesterone. This is slowly released into the womb where it…

A study in the US has found that chronic fatigue syndrome – a condition that continues to baffle doctors – may be influenced by intestinal bacteria, as sufferers had less diversity or different types of bacteria compared with healthy people; a biological abnormality that might help to refute the idea it’s psychological. Eating salt can be bad for your bones: the more you eat, the more calcium your body gets rid of, which means it’s not there to help your bones. Aim to eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. Early-onset Alzheimer’s, though rare, is often misdiagnosed as depression because of mood or behaviour changes. Symptoms may not start with memory loss. Does fatigue drag you down day after day? Do you have brain fog, weight gain, chills…

BOOKS WHAT YOU’RE TELLING YOURSELF ✣ I haven’t got around to reading this yet but I might one day. ✣ I loved this book; I’m sure I’ll read it again. ✣ It’s part of my identity. HOW TO LET GO ➤ Books say a lot about us. only keep a few that have truly shaped who you are. Resist the temptation to keep any that you think you ought – especially if you’ve had them two plus years and have never found time to read them! ➤ If it’s a signed copy, a valuable antique or has sentimental value (for example, a book given by a friend or relative), then keep hold of it. ➤ Rediscover your local library. Reminding yourself how easy it is to borrow any title will…

✢ MAMA MIO PREGNANCY SAVIOURS KIT to help mums-to-be's skin. It includes a Tummy Rub Butter, Pregnancy Boob Tube, Lucky Legs and Liquid Yoga Space Spray, £48, mioskincare.co.uk TURMERIC: THE ANTI-AGER Spices and herbs have perhaps the highest antioxidant activity of any foods. But turmeric in particular stands out, thanks to its content of curcuminoids – pigments that give this super-spice its bright yellow-orange colour – which have shown particularly strong antioxidant activity. Curcumin, the most widely studied curcuminoid, may even directly reduce skin ageing – including preventing moisture loss and protecting against wrinkles. You can get your daily dose by including it in curries and other Asian-inspired dishes – but make sure to buy a top-quality organic powder or fresh root if you want to reap the full benefits.…

Q how Can i StiCK to MY Diet? i start a new diet every year, then fall off the wagon on day one because i feel dreadful and so hungry! why is this and how do i stick to it? It could be that your blood sugar is all over the place with huge dips that send cravings into overdrive. or, if you’ve been overdoing sweet and carb-rich foods over the holidays, a new diet can have the same effect as the first few days of a detox, leaving you with headaches and zero energy, plus you’ll feel a bit “fluey”. If it’s blood sugar, curb cravings by: › EATING SMART COMBOS of protein and a small amount of carbs at every meal and snack. This helps regulate blood sugar.…

Ouch! Those burps hurt what’s up? That pain and burpiness could stem from eating too fast, while stressed or not chewing enough to get digestive juices working early. What’s good? “fennel seeds stimulate digestive and gastric juices,” says Shona Wilkinson, nutritionist at Superfood uK. “The active ingredient ‘fenchone’ relaxes the digestive tract’s smooth muscle lining and brings relief. Chew fennel seeds after a meal or have fennel tea.” We like: Pukka Herbs Three fennel Tea, £2.49 for 20 bags, pukkaherbs.com Oooh, it burns and tastes nasty What’s up? Could be that your digestive enzymes aren’t up to snuff. “Acid reflux and bloating are often the first signs of low stomach acid,” says pharmacist Shabir daya. “digestive enzymes work to break down all food groups from protein, fats and carbs to…

The best ways to keep yourself well in the new year FIGHT COLDS & FLUS NATURALLY As we’re deep into cold and flu season, it makes sense to ensure that your immune system is functioning well. follow our top tips: ✢ REDUCE SUGAR and refined carbs: they tax the immune system by feeding bacterial growth and contributing to inflammation in the body. Reduce them and your immune system can efficiently focus on bacteria and virus cell invaders to ward off colds, flu and other illnesses. ✢ EAT YOUR 5 A DAY Citrus fruits, pumpkins and squashes, and dark green leafy veg provide nutrients such as vitamin C and A, plus antioxidants that support the body’s natural defences. ✢ REDUCE CAFFEINE INTAKE Caffeine blocks nutrient absorption in the body. This results…

A faultless blow-dry Always guaranteed to make you feel just that little bit more preened and polished ✢ Try the “low blow” look. “Women aren’t after a big ‘do’ any more,” says Andreas Wild at John frieda Salons. “A blow-dry that’s natural, less styled and like ‘second day’ hair that’s less ‘done’ is much more the way most prefer to look right now, whatever their age.” ➤ THE TRICK? The John frieda low Blow, £30, works on the natural texture of your hair by smoothing out small sections of hair to control frizz, then rolling into a loose pin curl to create one exaggerated kink in the hair length. The effect really is way more modern and suits all hair types. ✢When you need root lift, take a big round…

1 Know your angles As we spend more time looking at phone and tablet screens, we are repeatedly creasing our necks. Dermatologist Dr Christopher Rowland Payne says, “In the past ten years, because of ‘tech neck’, wrinkles have become a problem for a generation of younger women.” You can guess the first fix – hold your phone at eye level! The Text Neck Indicator App (text-neck.com) has a green light in the corner of your screen that means a good angle, red means bad. 2 Care for your neck Even before tech, a neglected neck always gave the game away. There’s no magic pulls-it-all-back-in cream (yet), but you can firm and prevent a lot with the right active ingredients. Fibroblast repair is key as when these cells lose their shape,…

A PERFECT BLEND The problem with some blenders is that the stuff at the top of the jug isn’t blended as well as the stuff at the bottom. The Kinetix Blade System deals with all that! It has central blades that pull food down to crush and chop, wide bowl-hugging blades to aerate the mixture, and a funnel-shaped base that helps keep food moving for even blending. lumps have nowhere to hide! Want to whip up a smoothie, soup or sauce? Then this is the gadget for you. £179.99, lakeland.co.uk FRYING HIGH Using little to no oil, Swan’s new Air fryer can prepare fresh fish, chicken, chips, veg and meat using rapid air circulation for quick and even cooking. The three-litre basket is easily released from the tray, all removable…

✢ Special deal for w&h readers – save £25 on your first month ✢ You pay from £5.32 a day! With the Jane Plan delivery diet service, losing weight is super easy – and you’ll see results in your first week. Try starting it now to look your best for the New Year. HOW TO SIGN UP AND SAVE £25 ✢ Go to janeplan.com, click on W&H Flatter Tummy Offer on the home page and select your plan. ✢ You will then be asked to sign up to a minimum of one month of meals; the longer you subscribe, the cheaper the deal! ✢ Then, go to the menu selector to choose your own food from a range of more than 55 meals. ✢ Your selection of breakfast, lunch, dinner…

We all have reasons for wanting to shed a few pounds on the quick… a special celebration, a warm-weather getaway, as a kick-start to a healthier you, or just to shed those stubborn few pounds at last! Our low-cal diet plan is the solution: you’ll eat well, but keep portion sizes down, with healthy snacks to keep you satisfied. Each day you’ll have around 1,200 nutritionally balanced calories – we’ve made sure you’ll be getting everything your body needs to lose weight and feel great. You can do it! THE RULES CHOOSE one breakfast and two snacks from our list, plus a lunch and supper – swap the meals around if you prefer. All the lunches are under 300 calories; dinners are under 400 calories. follow the diet plan for…

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It’s a fact, walking is one of the best ways to keep you healthy – it dips your blood pressure, strengthens your bones, recovers your waistline, raises your spirits and, if you start out right, it can spark a love affair with the simplest fitness regime on the planet. It’s not where you start it’s where you finish could be our walking mantra because starting slowly and loving it will embed it in your psyche, establish it as a habit and make it part of your routine for good. Yes, a slow build is definitely better than a fast burn-out and brings some welcome wellbeing benefits so try our seven easy steps to walking success! 1 Lighten Up… As a walking newbie, aim to walk for around 30 minutes a…

QWILL SWIMMING HELP ME SLIM? I want to lose weight, but is swimming a good enough exercise? it’s the only sport i really enjoy doing. yes, you can get rid of any excess weight in the water, but to burn off those calories you need to make sure you are swimming at a weight-loss pace. To do this, you should add short intervals of swimming at a faster pace into your session; this way you are increasing the intensity that you are training at, so you then burn off the fat fast. A good example of a fat-loss swimming workout would be: swim two lengths at a moderate pace, then one length at a faster pace, and keep alternating this. As for which stroke is the best, this simply boils…

KEEP WINTER WORKOUTS GOING When it’s cold outside, finding the motivation to get outdoors to exercise can go to zero. Use our tips to help get you going… ✢ Go to bed earlier Your body will be more rested and it’ll be easier to get up and get moving first thing. ✢ do a warm-up indoors so you’re warm before you go out. Take five minutes and do some easy jogging in place or jumping jacks. ✢ layer up Choose a snug but breathable base layer shirt that wicks sweat from skin, but avoid cotton; it holds onto moisture and can quickly lose its insulating powers when wet. Try a turtleneck for walking or a long-sleeve tee for running. Add a fleece or wool top to provide insulation; how thick…

Bleeding from gums indicates that they are inflamed, due to build-up of bacteria at the base of your teeth. If left untreated, your gums will gradually recede, leaving pockets that can be very difficult to clean. Not only that, but toxins from the bacteria can travel around the circulation and cause inflammation in other blood vessels including the coronaries, the blood vessels supplying the heart. there is evidence that people with severe gum disease are more at risk of having narrowed coronary arteries, increasing the risk of a heart attack. ✢ If your gums are bleeding, see your dentist for a professional clean. ✢ At home, use floss or interdental brushes. Use a toothbrush to brush all the surfaces of your teeth twice a day, and use fluoride toothpaste. ✢…

We all have times when we need to “say a few words”, perhaps at a work meeting, a leaving do or a birthday. Use these steps to a great speech from expert greg de Polnay: ✢ USE THE 3-POINT STRATEGY Write out your speech. Pick out three main points, use them as headlines and then flesh out each point in two sentences. Highlight important words and, when you rehearse, have notes nearby to use as prompts. Once you’ve rehearsed enough, you won’t need them. ✢ GET THE STRUCTURE RIGHT Welcome the audience, tell them who you are, if necessary, and what you’re going to be talking about. Work out how to close your speech: choose easy words, such as “That ends my speech.” ✢ NEVER REHEARSE IN FRONT OF A…

START ON THE INSIDE Body hang-ups have surprisingly little to do with what’s on the outside, which is why anyone can have them. (the leggy colleague whose body you covet may simply see her too-fine hair or too-flat chest when she checks the mirror.) it’s so easy to fixate on the features we like least – if you don’t like your thighs, they can become your only focus when you shop for clothes or see a photo of yourself. they also become the feature you compare. each time you have those thoughts, that neural pathway is strengthened and the habit becomes harder to break. ➤ Letting go Notice when you are doing this, then try to unpick it a bit. how and why did this feature grow to take up…

Are you caring… for you? Research has shown that taking the time to care for yourself will help you to create a better work-life balance, increase your general wellbeing and also encourage you to be more engaged at work and at home. try these tips from Julie montagu (check out her wellbeing website at truly-julie.com).  Aim to wake up 30 minutes earlier than the rest of your house; time spent alone will help you to wake in a positive way before the chaos of the day begins. It will also mean that you are able to get organised peacefully and embrace the quiet.   Dedicate some time each day to unplugging from your gadgets and technology in general. Disconnecting from the constant stream of information that we are becoming…

MY BEAUTY REGIME… I don’t believe in elaborate skincare regimes – it’s enough to exfoliate and cleanse twice a day, then put a moisturiser and sunscreen on top. I haven’t found anything that works better than the Crepe Erase range. MY MAKE-UP… I’ve fallen in love with Burberry make-up recently. It has a reflective tone to it, so gives a really natural finish. I take Clé de Peau concealer everywhere because it gets rid of the dark circles under my eyes, then I’ll use Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Eyes mascara and finish with a nude lip – it’s the best shade because it doesn’t highlight the wrinkles around your mouth! MY EXERCISE ROUTINE… I have to admit, I don’t like exercising, but I feel so much better once I’ve done it.…