Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2020 i Women's Health Australia

Feeling cooked after a huge workout? Make sure you’re not overdoing it. New research published in Current Biology has found that overtraining not only tires you out physically, but can leave you mentally exhausted as well. As the area of the brain affected by exercise is also vital for decision-making, scientists found excessive sweat sessions could lead to misjudgement when making life choices. So, slow down during that circuit class if you feel winded or unable to think, speak or collect your thoughts, for max fitness gains.…

FOAM ROLLER “Helping to improve muscle elasticity and increase blood flow, this is often used after training to promote recovery. Work on muscles in three sections: bottom, middle, top. Roll each part a few times up and down, then move onto the next. Finish by giving the entire length of your muscle a roll over. When you hit a sore spot just pause, relax and breathe.” SWISS BALL “This can make core and abdominal exercises (crunches, jack-knives, planks) more challenging thanks to the unstable surface. You can also use the versatile Swiss ball to help you perform squats with better posture, control and technique.” TRIGGER BALL “A useful self-massaging tool to help release tight-knotted muscles. Generally, the best approach is to place the ball between the part of your body…

Up for some firming and toning without breaking a sweat? Let us intro you to the Foreo Bear, $395. This innovative facial tool uses gentle microcurrents to re-contour and firm your complexion (it’s basically a spin class for your face), nixing fine lines and sagging in the process. It also features T-sonic pulsations to improve blood flow, helping to brighten and boost the skin’s natural radiance. Connected to your smartphone via the Foreo For You app, it offers a whole load of different facial workouts and intensities to up your skincare routine. The best part? Each treatment only takes a couple of minutes. We’ll take five of them.…

Last year, a small Melbourne company unveiled a room spray that claimed to break down airborne toxins. When it launched to the Chinese market, the Sensori+ Air Detoxifying Mist sold out in 15 minutes. Meanwhile, disposable face mask brand Tecmask saw a 7273 per cent increase in sales in Australia over our bushfire-ravaged summer. And this year, Ikea plans to bring out air-purifying curtains that detox your home as soon as the sun hits them. It seems clean air is on our collective minds. The concern is a legitimate one. According to the World Health Organisation, nine in 10 people on Earth are breathing contaminated air, while an estimated seven million will die from it this year alone. “We’re really understanding now that there’s no safe level of air pollution,”…

Talk to someone such as a parent, partner, friend, GP or health professional. Stay connected. Engagement with others is a protective factor against poor mental health. Reduce mood-altering substances such as drugs, alcohol and caffeine. Practise good sleep habits. They help, a lot. Develop a wellbeing plan, including activities that help you feel grounded and you can draw on when you’re not coping.…

AYURVEDA RETREAT Sri Lanka Heaven has an address: it’s the yoga pavilion overlooking the Indian Ocean at Barberyn Beach Ayurveda Resort. Just a two-and-a-half-hour drive outside of Colombo, located on a palm-fringed clifftop, this hotel-come-health centre is one of the most reputable spots for holistic healing in all of Sri Lanka. But despite what the frangipani incense and guava juice on arrival would lead you to believe, I’m not here for the Downward Dogs and holiday vibes. This, friends, is a 10-day detox with a difference. The DL on Doshas “Stick out your tongue,” my sari-clad practitioner, Dr Pushpa, instructs me. She’s looking for ‘ama’, a thin white coating that signals toxic build-up. In the 5000-year-old practice of Ayurvedic medicine, the tongue can tell you a lot about the state…

Popular opinion: some face wipes can make your skin irritated as shit. Now, however, brands have clocked onto the perks of pairing the goodness of micellar with vitamins and other hydrating, skin-loving ingredients. Micellar-infused face wipes like Burt’s Bees Rose Micellar Cleansing Towelettes, $12.99 (7), Neutrogena Deep Clean Purifying Micellar Cleansing Towelettes, $7.99 (8), and Garnier Micellar Cleansing Wipes, $6.95 (9), deliver effortless cleansing and soft skin. Winner, winner.…

The morning of our cover shoot, Laura Henshaw woke to a voicemail from her best friend and business partner Steph Miller. The almost two-minute-long message wasn’t about work, although they have plenty of it (the duo co-founded wellness program Keep It Cleaner, which has flourished into an app, a food range, a book and a podcast). It was an empowering pep talk for the big day ahead. “She was like, ‘You are so beautiful. Just be confident, just own it. You were booked for a reason, you don’t have to be anyone else’,” Laura shares. “It was so special, I was crying.” If you’re one of Laura’s more than 279K Instagram followers, it might surprise you to learn that this high-achieving entrepreneur-slash-model-slash-law student isn’t always totally chill in the limelight.…

There’s a holiday dedicated to it, a million poems about it, dozens of industries built around it and no synonyms for it: love. It’s perhaps the most fundamental human need, the one Buddhist monks consider the secret to a life full of joy – a life that makes you leap (OK, crawl) out of bed with a smile, even if everything around you is a shambles. This isn’t a bunch of woo. An overflowing bucket of research shows it’s the quality of your relationships – more than money, genes or social class – that predicts long-term happiness, health, even longevity. Marital satisfaction can lower your risk of depression, and content couples in their 80s report better perceived health than those who aren’t happily paired. Having good friends is linked to…

You don’t have milk straightaway Don’t panic. For a day or two, your body produces colostrum, a highly concentrated fluid made of antibodies. The Fix: Be patient and prepare. When your milk does come in, your girls may go up a few cup sizes. You feel like a milk factory Because you kinda are. Newborns need to nurse eight to 10 times in a 24-hour period, for as long as 40 minutes at a time. That can be seven hours – almost a full workday. The Fix: Delegate. Get your partner, friends and family to take care of changing, burping or meal prep. Your nipples hurt as if they have carpet burns Repeatedly putting your nips in a wet mouth can make them dry and cracked, which equals toe-curling pain…

Bonding difficulties Baby blues: Your connection is a slow build, not love at first sight. Beyond: You’re indifferent to or ambivalent about your child, or you actively dislike them. Mood swings Baby blues: You ugly-cry one moment and then belly-laugh the next. Beyond: You have severe emotional shifts that last longer than two weeks. Anxiety Baby blues: You feel unsettled and on edge. Beyond: Obsessive fears make it hard to function. For example, you stay up all night to compulsively check on the baby. Scary thoughts Baby blues: You worry about accidents (like dropping the baby). Beyond: You persistently think about harming your child, even if you would never act on it. 4 The number of years after giving birth that postnatal depression can peak. Yes, years. Long-lasting postnatal depression…

Savoury Toss 4 cups sprouts (halved) with 3 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs apple cider vinegar, 1 tbs maple syrup and 2 tbs wholegrain mustard; roast at 230°C for 25 mins. Mustard seeds have anti-inflammatory selenium, omega-3s and disease-fighting phytonutrients. Sweet Toast 1 cup walnuts in a skillet, then chop. In a bowl, mix nuts with ¼ cup EVOO, 1 clove garlic (pressed), 2 tbs lemon juice, 2 cups sprouts (shredded), 1 bulb fennel (sliced) and 1 apple (chopped). Toss with parmesan and S&P for a salad. Spicy Toss 3 cups sprouts (halved) with 3 tbs avocado oil; roast at 200°C for 40 mins. Saute 3 tbs coconut aminos (a soy sauce alt with way less sodium), 2 tbs maple syrup, 1 tsp sriracha, 1 tbs lemon juice and 1…

A Soulmate, Lizzo B Lose My Breath, Destiny’s Child C South of the Border, Ed Sheeran ANSWER: All of them Yep, you can now get motivated by the same bangers as the former FLOTUS, who recently tweeted her fave exercise playlist. It could boost results as well as your vibe: compared with a podcast or no music, upbeat tunes helped a group of sprinters in a study improve their peak power output. See you in the download queue. SOURCE: PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORT AND EXERCISE…

Clarified Aka ghee, this is the go-to for dairy-sensitive stomachs: since the butter has been “clarified” to remove milk solids, it’s lower in lactose (the milk sugar that some can’t tolerate) and potentially less inflammatory. It tastes just like butter. Oh, and an open jar will keep in your pantry for three months (longer in the fridge). Cultured Adding live cultures to cream and fermenting it before churning blesses your meal with a dose of gut-healthy probiotics. This imparts a richer, buttermilky texture, perfect for baking extra-fluffy everything. The smoke point (the SOS moment when it’s about to burn) is higher than regular butter, which brings out flavour in sauteed vegies, too. Plant-based Some vegan butters are made with a combo of cashews and coconut oil, while others are soy-or…

Oh how European you felt, making reservations for 10pm and tucking into tapas hours after your usual bedtime. But what holiday eating habits deliver in feelings of reckless abandon, they also deliver in heartburn and sleepless nights. Research suggests eating late could be affecting your health in other ways, too. Physiologically at least, you’re more suited to eating in the daytime. Your ability to process glucose peaks in the morning and there’s also some evidence to suggest that kilojoules eaten during the day may be more satiating than those devoured at night. The time it takes for food to leave your stomach depends on what you’ve eaten and how much, and large meals and those high in fat can take up to five hours, with both digestion and stomach-emptying slowing…

If inflammation were a person, we’d picture her as a confident power woman, AirPods in and belting out Mariah Carey’s “Why you so obsessed with meeee?” That’s because the wellness world is hooked on everything anti-inflammatory – from spa treatments to adaptogenic herbs and recovery supplements. Put plainly, inflammation is your body’s response to inside threats, like an injury – and too much of it can sabotage your health. But let’s take a step back: there’s both a bad and a good kind of inflammation. “Inflammation is often mentioned as a dirty word, but it can be lifesaving if you have an infection,” says rheumatologist Dr Robert Shmerling, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. The protective stuff he’s referring to is acute inflammation, which is the temporary…

6AM to NOON Cortisol (which affects sharpness) is released, blood pressure goes up and you become alert. Your reaction times and focus are likely to be at their peak. NOON to3PM Many people experience a sleepy dip somewhere in here, so you may want to avoid scheduling important meetings or appointments during this window. 5PM to 8PM Your joints and muscles are generally at their most flexible by now, so you may be less likely to get hurt if you sweat during these hours. 6PM to MIDNIGHT Your blood pressure begins to decline, and eventually your body starts secreting melatonin, signalling it’s time for sleep. MIDNIGHT to 6AM You enter your deepest sleep state, and your body temp hits its low. Sweet dreams.…

“I’m showing my mates a funny Instagram thread when the first notification comes through: ‘Don’t forget, you are going to die.’ No, this isn’t the opening scene of an AI horror flick, but a reminder from the WeCroak app. It’s based on the Bhutanese folk saying: ‘To be a happy person, one must contemplate death five times daily.’ Like most people, I’m terrified of the finality of death and the sense of powerlessness, so I was hesitant to receive five daily reminders. The verdict? If I learnt anything from my digital Grim Reaper it’s that death also offers great perspective – don’t sweat the small stuff, appreciate the little things and stop wasting your time on TikTok (guilty).”…

➜ COMO SHAMBHALA ESTATE , INDONESIA Set on a lush rural property above the Ayung River, this residential health retreat is one of Ubud’s most sought-after escapes. Try the Shirodhara (a stream of warm oil or buttermilk drizzled on the ‘third eye’) and prepare for a whole lotta ‘ahh’. ➜ ANANDA SPA, NORTHERN INDIA Ananda is a one-stop-shop for an East-meets-West-style spiritual awakening. Don’t miss the Choornaswedan: a treatment where herbal powders are stuffed into linen pouches, drenched in heated oil and bounced on the back. Bliss! ➜ FOUR SEASONS MALDIVES, LANDAA GIRAAVARU Sun, surf and dreamy overwater bungalows aside, this is the perfect place to get your doshas diagnosed. Scan the spa menu for a chakra blessing or turn your world upside down with anti-gravity yoga.…

“I do three sessions a week from the KIC running program, and then I do a few strength and HIIT sessions as well. But honestly, it depends on how my body feels. Sometimes I might have four rest days a week, sometimes one or two.” “Remember that you can’t expect to be motivated for every single workout, so scheduling it in really helps. But you have to listen to your body – there’s a difference between feeling really tired or exhausted, and not wanting to get out of bed because it’s cold outside. So it’s about working out that feeling and making sure you’re not pushing yourself past your limit.” “Sometimes, after a workout, I write down how I feel. When you push past the point that you didn’t think…

BRING BACK THE SEXTING The biggest turn-on, says Fleming, is being desired by your partner. Sure, you’re in a LTR, so it’s safe to assume your partner wants you, but how much sexier is it to hear them say, text or show it? Throw a teasing note in their work bag, shoot a flirty email (to their personal account) or snap a suggestive pic. Great sex starts outside the bedroom. MAKE ANYTHING KINDA SEXY “We can’t command ourselves to be aroused any more than we can command ourselves to be sleepy,” says Fleming. So on days when life has squashed your sexual simmer, ask yourself, “What’s one small thing that would feel good right now?” Maybe a massage or an extra-long hug. Sharing a sweet moment will amp the intensity…

MOTHERHOOD IS MAGICAL. Really, that’s the only word that can describe the act of creating, delivering and raising a child. But there’s another sleight of hand at play, one that’s rarely discussed: the mysterious power to make the woman who endured nine months of pregnancy, hours of labour and birthing a baby the size of a small pumpkin feel virtually invisible after birth. Don’t get us wrong – few things in life are sweeter than a baby’s gummy smile. But while newborns are doted upon, mums are often relegated to the background, with limited help or resources as they navigate one of the most profound physical and psychological shifts a woman can experience. One reason: there’s a myth that motherhood comes naturally and that we’re completely fulfilled just by taking…

says Dr Sally Shepherd, clinical psychologist and author of Beyond the Bump (Allen & Unwin, $29.99) “Breast milk is wonderful, but we are lucky to have a perfectly healthy, safe, second feeding option in infant formula. Women might not breastfeed for so many reasons: mental or physical health issues, the need to stay on medications, excessive shyness, trauma history, needing to return to work, latch or supply issues, adoption, breastfeeding aversion… the list goes on and on, and every single reason is valid. What’s ‘best’ for one woman and baby may not be ‘best’ for another. If you’re feeling guilt in this space, remember that you know your own family’s situation better than anyone, and you’re feeding your baby the way you are for good reason. People have the right…

Post baby, changes to your repro goals may lead to rethinking your birth control. Dr Leah Millheiser, director of the female sexual medicine program at Stanford University Medical Center, helps you consider your choices, whatever your situation. BEST FOR Women who are still breastfeeding Progesterone-only contraception such as the mini-pill, intrauterine devices (IUDs), the shot or an implant. Combined hormonal methods – those containing oestrogen – may hurt milk supply. BEST FOR Women who want to get pregnant again soon Condoms, cervical caps and diaphragms. They’re commitment-free, so you can toss them whenever you’re ready to try again. BEST FOR Women who are on the fence about having more kids LARCs (long-acting reversible methods), including an IUD, an implant or a shot. They’re 99 per cent effective, and once they’re…

POWER DRESSING Update your work wardrobe at Witchery. From April 15 to May 8, the retailer will donate 100 per cent of proceeds from sales of white shirts to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation as part of its 2020 White Shirt Campaign. You’ll feel as good as you look. BARBIE GETS WOKE All the yes to this! The newest members of the Barbie Fashionistas line include a doll without hair, another with a prosthetic limb, and one with the skin condition vitiligo (where patches of skin have no pigment). It’s one small step for Barbie, one giant leap for diversity! OM FOR A CAUSE Need more incentive to meditate? Commit to Mindful in May’s daily 10-minute mindfulness challenge and you’ll be raising money for clean water projects in developing countries.…

Low carb-ers, watch out: people who depend on carbs for less than 45 per cent of their daily kilojoules are more likely to develop atrial fibrillation (AF), or an irregular heartbeat. Why care? Folks with this are five (!) times more likely to have a stroke than those without. Theory goes that because low-carb dieters often eat fewer fruits, vegies and grains (all carb sources), they miss out on the anti-inflammatory benefits of these foods. Plus, eating more protein and fat may lead to oxidative stress, which has been linked to AF. Your carb sweet spot, say researchers, is 45 to 52 per cent of your daily kilojoules. SOURCE: AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY…

This just in: beauty sleep does exist. We replenish thin collagen fibres while we snooze, according to University of Manchester researchers. Its aim is to keep us active and alert throughout the day, but since collagen (an abundant protein in our bodies) is responsible for keeping our skin plump, smooth and healthy, it’s a beauty win, too. And enough to make us want to hit the sack, stat! 11,500 THE NUMBER OF AUSSIES DIAGNOSED WITH A MELANOMA EACH YEAR. NEED A REMINDER TO SLIP, SLOP, SLAP? LA ROCHE-POSAY MY SKIN TRACK UV SENSOR, $89.95, IS A WEARABLE TRACKER (ABOUT THE SIZE OF AN M&M) THAT DETECTS YOUR UV EXPOSURE AND TELLS YOU WHEN TO TOP UP YOUR SUNSCREEN. WELCOME TO THE FUTURE.…

“There’s always something to learn [from mentors]. I took away the importance of authenticity and always trying to be true to your values. It’s also important to build and maintain relationships, and not be afraid to reach out”Jessica Fox, canoe slalom athlete and Toyota ambassador “Self doubt has come into play [in my career], especially because pentathlon isn’t big in Australia ... but I’ve always had in the back of my head, ‘If you put in the hard work, anything is possible.’ I knew I could back myself 110 per cent”Chloe Esposito, Olympic gold medal winning pentathlete We kicked off our massive tenth year of the Women’s Health Women in Sport (WinS) campaign with a Life After Sport mentoring session, powered by Toyota, in February. Among the mentees were canoe…

You’re all over the benefits of meditation for your stress levels, but guess what: it can be a major win for your sex life, too. Women who meditate score higher on measures of sexual function and desire compared to those who don’t get it Om, according to research published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. Even better, it didn’t matter how often or for how long the women in the study meditated. Translation: every little bit helps. That’s why we tapped up top experts to help troubleshoot your bedroom woes. Ready for some (meditation) action? “Sex has become routine” If you can predict each other’s moves more easily than a Fast & Furious plot, the passion in your LTR might need reignition. “Sex is about pleasure and being…

SAY: “How are you feeling about your dad/mum/friend?” WHY? “It can help open the conversation and show that you care, giving people the space to say as little or as much as they like,” says Hoang. DO: Keep showing up after the funeral. WHY? “Grief isn’t linear, it’s cyclical, so showing up afterwards lets them know you understand that this is something they’re going to be working through for the rest of their life,” explains Trollope. GIVE: A ritual to honour those who have passed. WHY? “Nature is extremely healing, so offering to take someone who is grieving out for a walk and creating a simple honouring ceremony for the person who has passed can be really beautiful,” says Hoang. wh…

Micellar water is the real skincare MVP. The stuff literally never lets you down, removing stubborn waterproof mascara, lifting dirt and cleansing your skin all in one cute-as swipe. The thing is, while it may look and feel like regular water, the micellar (my-sell-er) kind is powerful stuff. “Micellar water is a mild surfactant – the component of a cleanser which removes make-up, pollution and other debris from the skin – made up of tiny balls called ‘micelles’,” says Dr Katherine Armour, a dermatologist and founder of Bespoke Skin Technology. “These are suspended in a ‘soft’ water, which is gentle on skin. Due to the chemical structure of the micelles, oil and other impurities are drawn to them, making cleansing really easy.” While it seems like micellar water has only…

NUTRITIONAL KEY FOODS GOOD FOR: 01 ROASTED SEAWEED SNACKS Jamie Oliver attributed a 12kg drop in weight primarily to eating more seaweed. But this underwater marvel is also full of nutrients. “Seaweed is an amazing source of iodine,” says nutritionist Amy Savage. “Typically a 5g snack-size serving will exceed 100 per cent of your recommended daily intake. Iodine is an essential nutrient for thyroid health … think of the thyroid as the number one player in balancing hormones, as well as regulating your metabolism, growth and body temperature.” 02 POPCORN Salute the kernel! Popcorn contains 15 times the disease-fighting polyphenols of wholegrain tortilla chips, so says a study by The University of Scranton. Bonus: one cup contains just 230kJ. Eat on a recliner in front of Netflix…

NUMBER OF TIGHTS YOU OWN? Maybe 15? I have my favourites, and my sisters and I are the same size so they get my hand-me-downs. HOW MUCH RUNNING DO YOU DO? Usually 25-30km per week. I follow the KIC running program, which has things like hill training, tempo, endurance and intervals. It keeps things interesting. AM OR PM WORKOUTS? Morning. But often I’ll do one at lunch because our filming gym is in the office. I’ll take 20 minutes and get it done. FAVE WORKOUT MOVE? Burpees. Because they hurt, but then you just feel so happy when they’re done. ENERGY SNACK? A KIC protein ball – my fave is the Cinnamon Doughnut flavour. They’re a great source of protein, healthy fats and energy. SURPRISE FACT? Up until I was…

Masturbation comes with all kinds of life-enhancing perks: improved confidence, self-awareness, stress levels and sleep, to name a few. And get this: orgasms look the same in the brain whether they’re triggered by you or a partner, research confirms. So stay in tonight – and make your solo sesh hotter. BREATHE DEEP Lengthening your inhales and exhales prompts your body to relax (necessary for arousal). It also helps you centre your mind to focus on what you’re feeling, says sex therapist Nan Wise, author of Why Good Sex Matters. Rock your hips up and down and match the movement to your breath – you’ll increase blood flow to the area, heightening sensitivity. MULTITASK “When different lady parts – your clitoris, vagina, cervix and nipples – are stimulated at once, the…

Your arse, not your vagina, will hurt the most. Between stretching, pushing and tearing (most women do), your perineum – ie, the vag-to-anus zone – may feel battered and bruised. Stock up on perineal ice packs before your due date. You’ll have contractions This is a good thing! It’s your uterus shrinking back to its normal size. Nursing mums: expect them when your baby feeds; a chemical released during breastfeeding triggers the contractions. Get help in the form of a heating pad. Sweet relief. You might get haemorrhoids Another pain in the butt? Pushing out a baby can cause veins in or around the anus to pop out, throb and itch. Soak in a sitz bath (a special tub for down there) or send your partner to the store for…

Why do women often feel a loss of identity after having a baby? Sacks: It’s a wild change. Just like how a child evolves into a teenager and an adult, there’s a period of body morphing and hormone shifts that a woman goes through when she becomes a mother. Plus there’s an identity transition: you go from living a life where you are at the centre, to waking up and realising you are responsible for – and in love with – a completely dependent human who now runs the show. Literally. What do you wish more women knew about this metamorphosis? Birndorf: That almost every new mother is ambivalent in some way about becoming a mum. Sacks: Exactly. Women come to me and say, “Today I felt like I wanted…

Six months after giving birth, writer Sara Gaynes Levy is still navigating fitness as a new mum. “At my postpartum check-up, I asked my doctor if there was anything I needed to be careful about as I got back into working out. Her vague response: ‘Don’t do anything that doesn’t feel comfortable.’ Um, what? My entire life is uncomfortable! I’m exhausted and hormonal. My giant breastfeeding boobs hurt 24/7. I pee a little every time I do a jumping jack. And I’m still recovering from the last year of my life: the first-trimester nausea that left me so weak I could barely stand up to take a shower; the third-trimester belly that let me drop down only an inch during modified push-ups; the baby that compressed my lungs for a…

Forget the morning-after sheet mask or 12-step Korean skincare regimen. Turns out what you pile on your plate every day is one of the most powerful things you can do for your face. Enter dietitian and author of The Australian Healthy Skin Diet, Geraldine Georgeou. Her deliciously healthy recipes are designed to nourish your skin from the inside out. The bonus? They’re kind to your gut, help balance hormones, and support your skin to improve pesky conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis and eczema. Move aside food for the soul, we’re all about food for the skin! Geraldine, over to you for skin-loving recipes so insanely good you’ll wonder how you lived without them. Ready? Tofu & eggplant curry WITH ZOODLES SERVES: 4 PREP TIME: 20 MINS COOKING TIME: 25 MINS…

Flexibility is Key “At the start of each week, I plan my schedule [including] my workouts, which can involve everything from going to the gym to long walks. Routine is vital, but modify it when you need to. If I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I try to change my immediate environment and go for a scenic walk to help me relax and unwind.” Get Back to Base “My skin is my livelihood, [so] I never go to bed before I’ve cleansed with micellar water and moisturised with Aveeno Skin Relief. I also use Biologi soluble solution morning and night while, in winter, my go-to [for combating dryness] is rosehip oil. Staying hydrated also has a dramatic effect on the quality of my skin, so I drink a lot of water…