Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2019 i Woman&Home Feel Good You

The keto diet may already be on your radar – if only because you’ve seen random adverts popping up across social media. It’s gained A-list fans such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Halle Berry, who claim its fat-burning properties are second to none. But what’s the science? And is it really a sustainable way to lose weight? What’s it all about? ‘Keto is short for ‘ketogenic diet’ and is a plan that’s based on eating extremely high fat, very low carbohydrate, and moderate protein,’ explains nutritionist Lily Soutter. When following a very low carbohydrate diet such as this, the body switches from burning mainly carbohydrates for energy to burning fat for energy. ‘This causes the levels of ketones to increase in your body and you enter a stage known as ketosis…

The simple truth is that cellulite shows up on the thighs and buttocks of more than 90% of women. And in true egalitarian fashion, lumpy skin can hit whatever your size, weight or fitness level. Age does have a part to play, however. As the skin becomes thinner, less elastic and more prone to dehydration, a puckered appearance becomes more noticeable. Team this with other leg woes such as dry, scaly skin, stubble and varicose veins, and peeling off those cocooning layers becomes a daunting prospect. But with a little TLC, simple tweaks and clever beauty tricks, you can learn to love your legs and reveal them with pride. Brush up There is no miracle cure for cellulite. There, we said it. Cellulite occurs when fat deposits bulge up through…

Can it really be seven years since London 2012, when Bradley Wiggins’ success gave cycling a notable boost? Saddling up has certainly not dropped pace in the popularity stakes since then. Records from data-tracking app Strava reveal that Brits cycle a staggering 904 million kilometres in a year. That’s an impressive 22,000 loops of the Earth. It’s not surprising many of us are still fans of the bike – after all, working up a sweat in the saddle can firm up your calves, quads, hamstrings and glutes, boost your heart health and spin off over 300 calories in just 30 minutes. And it’s low impact, so you’re more likely to avoid those workout niggles and injuries. Plus, it’s a fast and free way to get around. If you want to…

If your current trainers are designed for running, they really won’t do your feet, legs and hips any favours during other types of exercise, especially class or gym-based ones such as squats, lunges and weights. Instead of the thick cushioning of a running shoe, these types of exercises require the foot to be close to the floor so muscle force can be transferred through the ground, with limited foot movement to maintain a good posture. These new Nike Metcons do all that and are also really rather gorgeous… NIKE METCON 5, £114.95, NIKE.COM…

This isn’t just any old run – it could be the secret to reducing stress levels and boosting cognitive performance. Fitness and wellbeing coach Natasha Wood explains more… MORE THAN JUST A JOG While running is good for your physical health, it can also do wonders for your mental health. ‘Running and mindfulness really go hand in hand – when you’re running down that open road there’s really no one else but you and your mind so it’s a great opportunity to actively focus your thoughts,’ says Natasha. ‘It lowers stress levels, helps you feel happier, improves performance mentally, reduces pain and decreases anxiety and depression symptoms.’ 4 STEPS TO A MINDFUL RUN 1 Start by setting an intention in the first few minutes of your run, then completely let…

Do you dread running, jumping or sneezing because you might wet yourself? Sadly, you’re not alone – especially if you’ve been through the menopause. Yet, despite 49% of women experiencing incontinence, 72% would never seek treatment for the problem*, meaning many women are living with restricted lives and daily embarrassment, which could be sorted if they asked for help. ‘Bladder problems can have a profound emotional impact on your life,’ says Dr Megan Arroll, co-author of What’s Up With Your Bladder? (£15.99, Hammersmith Health Books). ‘Many women associate it with a loss of dignity, and some of the emotional and behavioural impacts can be more severe than the actual physical symptoms themselves.’ Feelings of shame can create a huge burden. ‘Women can become isolated, not wanting to go outside or…

Have you checked your BP? High blood pressure is the biggest cause of premature death and disability in this country, yet more than five million people aren’t aware they have it. Blood Pressure UK wants everyone to know their BP numbers… KNOW THE RISKS Rising blood pressure (BP) puts extra strain on the heart and blood vessels. If undiagnosed, or left untreated, this can damage the organs, causing health problems. ‘It’s the main risk factor for stroke and a major one for heart attack, heart failure and kidney disease. There’s also increasing evidence that it’s a risk factor for vascular dementia,’ says Katharine Jenner, CEO at Blood Pressure UK. KNOW YOUR NUMBERS A blood pressure level that’s 140 over 90 (140/90 mmHg), or above, indicates high blood pressure and will…

DEAL WITH MOOD CHANGES ‘If you’re more anxious and moody, or find yourself flying off the handle for no reason, and you’re in your 40s, consider that this might be the start of perimenopause,’ says consultant gynaecologist Miss Tania Adib (themedicalchambers.com). ‘The “calming” hormone, progesterone, starts to decline during perimenopause, causing changes in mood. The drop in oestrogen can also trigger depression, low mood and anxiety. Some women find taking HRT helpful in alleviating symptoms. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and other psychological therapies, along with mindfulness, can be useful.’ Visit thinkwell-livewell.com where you can access mindfulness, hypnotherapy, CBT and guided meditation techniques. SPEAK UP AT WORK In a recent survey*, four in 10 women said hot flushes at work had a negative impact on confidence. ‘Your symptoms can affect your…

If you’re craving time out, feeling a rising wave of panic or even just being unnecessarily snappy, it may be your mind telling you that it needs some alone time. But this doesn’t have to mean shutting yourself away, as psychotherapist Nick Davies* explains… STOP MULTITASKING ‘Focus on achieving one thing at a time – multitasking can create confusion and lead to mistakes, which will leave you feeling more overwhelmed and stressed than before,’ explains Nick. FOCUS ON YOUR BREATHING ‘It’s import to breathe diaphragmatically – we do this when danger has gone and it activates the “parasympathetic nervous system” in the brain, which is responsible for returning the body to rest, relaxation and recovery,’ explains Nick. ‘Push your stomach out to breathe all the way down to the bottom…

Are you sitting bolt upright while reading this? Give yourself a pat on the back. Posture problems are on the rise with excessive device use and our increasingly inactive lifestyles, leaving many of us slumped, slouched and hunched – with alarming health consequences as a result. In 2017/2018, over 6.6 million working days were lost due to musculoskeletal disorders, and 65% of people are experiencing neck and back pain at least once a month. It’s time to focus on our form… Good foundations It goes without saying that carrying yourself well looks good – tweaking your body position can give you grace and elegance – but adopting a straight stance has huge health advantages too. Back pain relief, better breathing and improved digestion are just some of the physical benefits…

Have you had your vitamin N today? No, you won’t find it in your fridge, fruit bowl, or even in your medicine cabinet – this added extra is all around us and it’s just as important for us as vitamins A, B and C. Vitamin Nature is a must. But, according to Swedish dairy brand Lindahls, who have created a flat-pack backpack gym to encourage people to get outside and get active, we’re not venturing outdoors enough to reap the benefits. Results showed that a staggering 50% of us Brits spend less than an hour outside every day (the recommended daily intake is around two hours), meaning half of us are missing out on some serious health and wellbeing rewards. Find out how you can get a boost just by…

You might think a healthy dose of cynicism is a sensible way to get through the challenges of modern life, but research* has found that it not only makes life less enjoyable, but could actually affect your health. So what’s the solution? Life coach Lisa Hawkyard explains… ARE YOU A CYNIC? Ask yourself the following five questions, which should give you a good sense of your outlook on life: Do you find it difficult to see anything from a positive perspective? Are you usually distrusting of sincerity? Do you minimise selfless acts of kindness? Do you often sneer or feel bitter towards others? Are you quick to judge and assume the worst of someone or a situation rather than giving the benefit of the doubt? CYNICISM AND YOU Cynicism creates…

1 USE SOLID FORMULAS IN PLACE OF LIQUID FORMULAS A liquid shampoo or body wash can be made up of up to 80% water. Conditioner is even higher, at up to 95%. Using one conditioner bar, instead of the equivalent five bottles, saves up to 14ltr of water. Using less water reduces the amount of energy used in the pumping of water, which in turn reduces our carbon emissions. TRY Ethique Pinkalicious Shampoo Bar, £12.99, Holland & Barrett – equivalent to three bottles of normal shampoo! 2 BUY PRODUCTS WITH COMPOSTABLE/ZERO-WASTE PACKAGING A lot of beauty products on the market will be packaged primarily in plastic – and only 9% is actually recycled. This means that 80 million shampoo and conditioner bottles go to landfill every year, where they remain…

TOTAL BODY WORKOUT The idea of working out in the comfort of your own home is an attractive one, but many of the home workouts you’ll see online, especially on Instagram, are skinny young things leaping their way through high-impact moves. Even if you’re not exhausted just by looking at them, this type of workout isn’t for everyone. And high-impact workouts, where both feet move off the ground at the same time, put pressure on your joints and increase your chances of injury. Plus, they can leave you exhausted. Kelsey Wells, world-famous personal trainer, whose at-home workouts can be found on popular fitness app SWEAT, believes that although high-impact training causes you to sweat a lot, it’s not the only way to get a great workout in. She’s created this…

‘I LOVE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE ON THE START OF THEIR FITNESS JOURNEY’ Steph Hulford, 50, from Cumbria, is a volunteer at her local parkrun. ‘I’ve been involved with parkrun for eight years and, for the last three, with my local run in Penrith. For me, parkrun is all about encouraging everyone to give running a go. When I volunteer to be the tailrunner – or walker – I really enjoy it. It gives me the chance to support people who are newer to running, coming back from injury, or people with younger children. I don’t worry about my time. What’s important is that I will always be last to cross the finish line so that nobody else has to be. Tailwalking involves boosting people’s confidence and “reading” the situation. Some people…

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The good news is a weakened pelvic floor can be tightened. ‘Looking after your pelvic floor should be an important part of your daily routine,’ says Stephanie Taylor, managing director at Kegel8. Use these exercises to create your own workout, aiming for 100 daily contractions. Jane’s lift Imagine your pelvic floor is a lift going up five floors. Pull up a little (20%), that’s first floor, then a bit more to the 2nd (40%), until you reach the 5th. Lower back down, stopping at each floor. The leg-up Lie on your back. Tense your tummy muscles and slowly lift your legs up towards the ceiling, one at a time. Keep your pace slow to feel it in your calves. This will help work your pelvic-floor muscles. Glute tightener Lie down…

At bedtime, if her Fitbit shows she’s short on steps, Kelly, 48, will stride around the kitchen in her PJs to clock up the quota. ‘I have to meet my daily step target! If I don’t, it niggles me and I can’t sleep,’ she admits. And while on the topic of sleeping; bouts of menopausal insomnia and days spent feeling drained has seen Lisa, 54, on a mission to clean up her sleep routine – via a super-smart tracker. ‘I’m sleeping so much better,’ she says, ‘but I am a slave to the app. At the weekend, I left a fun dinner party before dessert – because I got a notification telling me that I should be in bed.’ OBSESSED? All of which makes us ask: is health tracking becoming…

STAND UP! Sitting down for six hours a day is contributing to the deaths of up to 70,000 people in the UK every year, according to new research*. So why is something as seemingly simple as standing up so important to our health? THE DANGERS OF SITTING Our bodies are not designed to be sat down all day. Founder of The Lean Exec (theleanexec.com) Neill David Watson explains, ‘Research shows that sitting for extended periods raises your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, dementia and potentially even early death.’ He adds, ‘Frequent exercise sessions won’t completely counter the negative effects of sitting, so it’s crucial that we take regular breaks and avoid long periods sitting at a desk or in front of the TV.’ MAKE…

There are times when a bit of stress can be energising. If you’ve got an urgent deadline at work, a shot of adrenaline can fire you up and sharpen your focus. But, when stress becomes unmanageable, it has the opposite effect. If you take work home and lie awake stressing about it, you’re a prime candidate for burnout. Earlier this year the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that burnout will be included in the updated International Classification of Diseases as an occupational phenomenon. WHO defines burnout as ‘chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.’ ‘The first major symptom is that you feel absolutely exhausted all the time,’ reveals clinical psychologist Dr Michael Drayton. ‘Other key symptoms include feeling negative and cynical about your job, and reduced work performance.’…

As the summer comes to an end and life gets back into a routine, it’s all too easy to find yourself back on a treadmill of constant work, family and social commitments. But what if you just did nothing for a change? When did you last take a moment that was truly to yourself, with no distractions? Some of our favourite wellbeing experts reveal their tricks for injecting some much-needed laziness into our hectic lives… Why are we so busy? These days people seem to wear their busyness as a badge of honour, but where have we developed this habit? From generation to generation, we have been passed these thoughts that date back to wartime,’ says Lisa Hawkyard, mindset expert and coach (lisahawkyard.com). ‘We are praised for keeping going when…

We’re surrounded by temptation in today’s busy world, especially when it comes to treating ourselves. However, choosing unhealthy snacks during the day, or making poor choices when stocking up at the supermarket, can keep us from meeting our fitness, weight and health goals. Take our quiz (right) to find out what your snacking weaknesses are – and receive expert advice on how to improve your snacking behaviour… How it works… For each question, select the statement that best applies. 1 Which of these statements best describes you? A I snack if I get hungry B I eat a snack a couple of times a day, but choose a healthy option C I have a snack when I need an energy boost D If there’s something I fancy on offer, it’s…

SPINACH People low in folate are more prone to depression, according to a study from the Journal of Psychiatric Research. Leafy greens, like spinach, are rich in the vitamin, so fill up your plate with a serving of steamed spinach or enjoy a leafy green side salad. SWEET POTATOES Carotenoids give sweet potatoes their sunny orange hue, but they can also help keep low moods at bay. A study found that those with higher levels of carotenoids were at a 37% less risk of experiencing depressive moods. What’s more, the carbohydrate content in potatoes helps the release of the happy hormone, serotonin. BLUEBERRIES These flavonoid-rich berries could help your mood can improve within two hours after eating them. It’s believed to be down to their ability to reduce the biochemical…

According to the latest Philips Global Beauty Index, 79% of women use a hair dryer at home, making it the most popular beauty tool in the world. With countless models available, ranging from simple lightweight bargains to high end, high-tech models, it makes sense to seek guidance. I tested dozens of dryers in order to whittle down the list you see here, looking at everything from weight, ease of control and cleaning to a rundown of special technical features, how well it cares for the hair and ease of styling. Read on to discover the perfect dryer for your hair type, styling needs and budget… BEST FOR FRIZZ BABYLISS 3Q, £120 WHAT THEY SAY It’s easy to see why the Babyliss 3Q is popular with professionals – it’s clearly designed…

Did you know? That complicated-looking TRX* at the gym shouldn’t be ignored! ‘The TRX provides a full-body workout and allows the user to target many different muscle groups,’ says PureGym’s Lee Stewart Evans. Give it a go next time! Don’t sweat it Your body is doing you a favour when it sweats while you’re working out. ‘The glands in our armpits are capable of producing several litres of sweat in 24 hours to maintain a normal body temperature,’ says Dr Dawn Harper. Here, she shares some sweat need-to-knows… FRESHEN UP Fresh sweat doesn’t smell. It only becomes pongy when bacteria on the skin breaks down the sweat. ‘Anyone conscious of body odour should use a pH-balanced soap. Perfumed products can exacerbate the problem,’ says Dr Harper. GET SWEAT-PROTECTED Deodorant and…

An argument that has gone too far can feel like hell. One of you makes what seems like a fairly innocuous comment: ‘On the phone again?’ or ‘What do you mean, you forgot?’ Then, before you know it, you’re in a full-scale showdown. There may or may not be shouting, tears, eye rolling or passive aggressive, snippy comments. You can feel your anxiety levels and blood pressure rocket. Things are getting heated – or chillingly frosty – yet, you’re no closer to reaching a truce. If you’ve got a good strong relationship with someone, whether it be a partner, sibling, friend or a work colleague, the occasional argument can be a good thing,’ says clinical psychologist Dr Michael Drayton. ‘In a healthy relationship, arguments enable people to learn from each…

Go #ScrollFree for September Looking to reduce time spent on your phone? The Royal Society for Public Health’s initiative challenges you to give up social media for 30 days, highlighting the mental health benefits that reduced screen time can have. However, it can be hard to go cold turkey. Carbon Retreat’s resident addiction expert Chris Hill shares his tips… TURN OFF NOTIFICATIONS Persistent pings are distracting when you are concentrating on other tasks. By turning them off, you won’t be sidetracked. ‘It will also clean up your phone screen, which can relieve feelings of anxiety and there won’t be such an urge to check your phone every time you see it flash,’ says Chris. KEEP BUSY If you are busy, you won’t feel the need to check your phone. ‘The…

Heartbreak, it’s an inevitable part of life. I’ve had a few in recent years, and after each one I’ve found a new way of kick-starting the dull healing process. I like to leave the daily routine of home behind and take an adventure, somewhere new and fresh to reflect and brood in my newfound melancholy state. It’s definitely not a depressive act, but one of renewal and learning, and when I landed in Iceland I found a place so perfect for this I was instantly mesmerised and excited by the otherworldly landscapes. As the most sparsely populated country in Europe, Iceland is filled with enough empty space to make you feel like you have the entire island to yourself. Scattered with around 130 volcanoes and an abundance of waterfalls, plus…

GALGORM SPA & GOLF RESORT, NORTHERN IRELAND Set in 163 acres of parkland, this is a spa hotel where you can enjoy top quality treatments in beautiful surroundings. We reserved our own private hot tub by the river where we spent an hour soaking in the wood-fired tub with Prosecco and truffles! There’s also indoor and outdoor pools, steam rooms and saunas. As well as the main hotel, guests can stay in new cottages mixing self-catering facilities with access to all the hotel has to offer. COST The cottages start at £170 per night. Visit galgorm.com COTTONMILL SPA AT SOPWELL HOUSE, SAINT ALBANS As you lay on the warm and comforting amber sand, the quartz bed will gently vibrate relaxing your back and neck area. Singing bowls provide harmonising sounds,…