Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i Women's Health Australia

thoughts on STRENGTH For a long time, I had a really skewed idea of what it meant to be strong. Whenever my life was hit with a metaphorical shit storm, I assumed the best approach was to bury any uncomfortable feelings as deep as possible and keep pushing on through. It wasn’t until I decided to take on my fears, doing one thing that scared me every day for a year, that I realised real strength came from having the courage to be vulnerable. Whether it meant sitting with those feelings we’d rather run away from, speaking your truth or having tough conversations – it was these moments that required the most amount of grit. Now imagine doing that on a world stage? Well, that’s strength multiplied by infinity, the…

Worried about the health impact of your screen time? Fear not. Apparently, it’s not using social media, but how you use it, that affects wellbeing. New research has found that while some digital habits – such as passive scrolling and comparison – led to negative feelings, using apps to talk to others or arrange to see them IRL boosted happiness. DM away. SOURCE: JOURNAL OF HAPPINESS STUDIES…

Come Clean Nude By Nature’s new skincare range features sustainably sourced bioactive native ingredients, like Australian olive seed powder, found in the Exfoliating Facial Scrub, $22.95. Plus, the formulas are vegan and free from toxins. Love. PEARLY WHITES Seems a brighter smile is on all of our agendas: there’s an average of 42,000 global online searches for “how to whiten teeth” each month, according to Express Dentist. Lighten up with this haul… 1 Lovebyt Charcoal & Mint Botanical Toothpaste, $19.95 Activated charcoal can help to absorb stubborn stains caused by coffee and your glass (bottle?) of red. 2 hismile PAP+ Mouthwash, $59 Phthalimido-peroxy-hexanoic (PAP) is a whitening ingredient that works as well as peroxide, minus the sensitivity afterwards. 3 Gem Whitening Pen in Coconut Mint, $19.95 Sulphate and paraben free?…

Ever been in so much pain you think you’ll pass out? That’s me every time my period arrives, struck with the urge to curl up and cry every few minutes. I was 15 when I started running my pill packets back-to-back to avoid the monthly discomfort, graduating to the Mirena coil at 24, which stopped my periods. But since I had it removed last summer, curious to sample life off hormonal contraception, those familiar throbbing cramps returned with a vengeance. Some months, I’ll spend five days taking the max dose of ibuprofen with a hot water bottle clutched to my body in a bid to manage the waves of pelvic pain that leave me feeling nauseous and unable to think straight, desperately trying not to call in sick to work…

01 JESS, DIGITAL WRITER “Post-breakup, I found the Mend app to be truly life-changing. It’s like a PT for heartbreak, delivering daily audio messages and encouraging self-reflection. 02 ALEX, COMMISSI-ONING ED “Being made redundant felt personal, and only with time did I realise it wasn’t. When it happened again (media = tough!) I knew selfcare and support from loved ones were crucial.” 03 LIZZA, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF “Losing my last boxing fight in a controversial split decision was devastating. But focusing on all the lasting things the sport gave me helped: like confidence, friends and my husband!”…

THE DILEMMA: I lent my friend $200 and they haven’t paid me back The Solution: No matter how frustrating this feels, take heart from the fact it’s a very common scenario. Nearly a third of adults say they’ve argued with friends about money, according to a UK poll, with lending it the main cause. “Ask yourself – do you want the money in that moment or would you just like it if they acknowledged the situation?” says Alex Holder, author of Open Up: Why Talking About Money Will Change Your Life (Profile Books, $22.99). Sometimes, just knowing they haven’t forgotten can help you feel better; ask them if it’s OK for you to remind them in a month and follow up then. But if it really is about the money…

For a true glow-up story, check out clean skincare. Once seen as a dinky alternative to mainstream cosmetics, it’s now a power player in the beauty industry, wielding ethical credentials and clinical studies like a total boss. Not long ago, if you wanted a natural beauty product you were reduced to searching the shelves of your local health food shop for jars of lavender-scented potions that promised not to irritate your skin. Enter, stage left: celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Alba, who called out chemicals and championed natural ingredients while stoking our love affair with wellness. Cut to a climate emergency and a world stopping virus and you end up here: the global clean beauty market is expected to reach a value of $15.6 billion by 2027. Not bad…

Forget the ASX200 and shut down that news site. To get an accurate aicture of exactly what our work ife looks like, you need only read the body language of the post office queue on a Saturday morning. Toes tap tensely. There’s a soundtrack of sighs. Eyes dart from the wall clock to just-refreshed Insta feeds and back as a room of frustrated full-time workers watch the free time they’ve worked so hard for all week slowly tick away. It makes you dream, doesn’t it? What if there were a day of the week on which you could line up all your general life admin, so that weekends were actually weekends again? What if Sunday evenings were a time of genuine relaxation, during which you felt mentally satisfied from all…

The last time barre was A Big Deal, #meatdress was trending on Twitter after Lady Gaga turned up to the VMAs in a, well, you know. But fitness is nothing if not fickle, and as the cult bootcamp studios credited with honing half of Hollywood made their way across the world, barre waited patiently for the moment when low-impact, low-kit workouts would be in demand once again. Now, the ballet-workout hybrid is more popular than ever. According to ClassPass, the number of users tuning into digital barre classes has tripled since October 2020. So, besides the change of venue (slick studio to living room) and the kit involved (ballet barres have been replaced by chairs and small children), what else is new? “Barre today is taught in a way that…

Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian or omnivorous, that bodymind connection you’ve cultivated in yoga can work on your plate too. Bryony and Harry Lancaster (left), founders of Egg of the Universe yoga studios and cafe, say it works by helping us let go of any unhelpful stories we might have around food while bringing awareness to the choices that leave us satisfied. And if you’re not a yogi? We have no doubt these nourishing picks will still hit the spot! Now, over to Bryony and Harry... BREAKFAST CORN AND KALE FRITTERS These fritters are light and easy to digest (gluten-free for Bryony and our coeliac daughter, Olive), and make a great addition to our weekend brunch repertoire. A splash of hot sauce at the end adds a little kick. We…

Sharing Really Is Caring “I was an 18-year-old who had their first panic attack and suddenly found themselves unsure of what was going on and where to turn for help. I eventually did get the right support. I sought therapy and, once I was taught the skills I needed to manage the panic, I was no longer just surviving but felt like I was thriving. I couldn’t believe there was information out there that could help people in such a way but was not [always readily] available. So [later with my work] I was like, right, this is the time for me to get that information normally kept behind the closed doors of therapy rooms, in the ivory towers of academia, out into the world, so that people don’t have…

Turn It up Psyching yourself up for a post-work run after a big day? Get your headphones out and turn on your fave playlist, suggest University of Edinburgh scientists. After completing a taxing thinking task, people who went running with music ran as well as they did when they weren’t mentally fatigued. READY, SET, GLOW Keeping fit may have a lasting impact on skin. In a small study, McMaster University researchers found that the skin of active people aged over 65 more closely resembled that of 20 to 30-year-olds than it did their sedentary peers. Just 12 weeks of working out twice a week was enough to roll back the years. 4 THE NUMBER OF SECONDS OF HIGH-INTENSITY EXERCISE, DONE FIVE TIMES AN HOUR, THAT COULD COUNTERACT SOME OF THE…

NUROKOR MITOUCH This Game Boy-looking device uses bioelectrical currents to target nerve endings, blocking pain signals from reaching the brain. $595, nurokor.com.au NOHA BY OVIRA It might look like a Mac mouse but this clever device utilises pulse therapy to relieve pain. It’s discreet too! $189, ovlra.com.au ACTIVBODY This versatile TENS kit not only relieves period pain but can be used anywhere on your body. $235, activlife tech.com.au…

During a 28-kilometre run last year, I logged 26,660 steps and burned 6,363 kilojoules over two and a half hours. Sounds like a successful marathon training, right? Not according to my fitness tracker, which deemed that run “unproductive” based on the pace and heart rate data it recorded (which can be thrown off by external variables like the weather). Despite the fact that my training was right on point according to my IRL coach, the tracker sent me into a mental tailspin, throwing my game off for weeks as I obsessed over changing my status back to “productive” instead of paying attention to how my body actually felt. I’m not the only one letting numbers dictate my relationship with fitness. Chances are, you know (or are) someone who’s done laps…

Useful stuff to upgrade your every day Homebody. After the past year, the term takes on new meaning. But for Nathalie Emmanuel – an introvert – home, alone, quiet in her space is the definition of happiness. “It’s my natural state of being,” she says. “When the lockdown happened, I was like, ‘I’ve been training for this my entire life.’” The quiet time helps the 32-year-old “bring myself back to myself.” Game of Thrones fave Nathalie especially craves the hush when she’s juggling a busy schedule, like for the six-month stretch of projects she recently wrapped. First, she returned as hacker genius Ramsey in F9, the latest instalment of the Fast & Furious franchise (out now on Apple TV and Google Play). Then she’ll appear in the film Army of…

There are some experiences that are so quietly profound, they change you forever. And standing at the top of an epic ridge after hours of trekking – looking out over the vastness of the Northern Territory landscape, feeling the breeze on my sweat-soaked skin and hearing nothing but silence – was one of those moments. The famous Larapinta Trail has long been on my bucket list. But it wasn’t until an invitation with the subject line “Women’s Business” landed in my inbox that I seriously contemplated my first multi-day hike and camping escape. But my six days on Arrernte country – some of the most ancient and beautiful landscape on Earth – were much more than just a hike. Created by adventure-loving runners Samantha Gash and Bec Wilcock, the first…

You’d be forgiven for consigning compassion to fluffy territory, with all the wellness credentials of a jade egg. You probably don’t really understand what compassion is – especially when it comes to showing it to yourself. But experts suggest you get on board, and quickly. “It’s a way of relating to yourself kindly, of embracing who you are, flaws and all,” says Dr Kristin Neff, associate professor at the University of Texas and a researcher of self-compassion. Neff has contributed to a body of work crediting the concept with everything from improving athletic performance to reducing the impact of stress and helping you cope better in times of severe anxiety and hardship, of which you’ve undoubtedly had your share this year. Research event suggests it could help you reach your…

CONFESSION... “I PICK OFF MY GEL NAIL POLISH” HOW BAD IS IT? “That depends on what the nail looks like after you pick off the gel,” says Dr Dana Stern, a dermatologist who specialises in nails. “If the gels peel right off and leave your nails looking healthy, this may, in reality, be a better way to remove them.” That’s because alternative removal methods (acetone soaks, electric filing or scraping with a stick) can be pretty agg, and more damaging to the nail plate, according to Stern. On the flip side, if your nails look damaged after you’ve peeled off the polish – signs include white patches, surface irregularities, dryness, peeling or splitting – Stern recommends resisting the urge. BREAK THE HABIT Your nails would benefit from some TLC if…

INTERROGATE YOUR PRIORITY The word ‘priority’ emerged in the 1400s, meaning ‘the very first thing’. Start the day by asking: ‘What’s the most important thing I need to do today?’ Other tasks will arise, but defining the most important one will keep you focused. SPOT YOUR TIME-WASTERS Keep an eye out for those non-essential tasks you often over-invest in. There are many things we do out of habit – like writing wordy emails, checking the news or updating social feeds – that preoccupy us, yet deliver minimal return. WRITE A ‘TO DO TODAY’ LIST To-do lists are endless; it’s not enough to have a list of tasks you aim to finish “at some point”. Identify a doable list of tasks for the day ahead that, if completed, will leave you…

01 Workouts What can help with DOMS? a. Camomile b. Feverfew c. Ginger ANSWER: C A daily dose of ginger can reduce post-exercise muscle pain by 25 per cent, found the University of Georgia. As well as the ability to relieve stomach upset and nausea, ginger contains compounds shown to curb inflammation, reduce oxidative stress and modulate other healing mechanisms within the body. Let your foam roller know that it has a new partner in crime. Taking vitamin D throughout a tough a tough training regimen will help regimen will help prevent... a. Your bones from breaking b. Your muscles from aching c. Your bowels from evacuating ANSWER: A According to the Journal Of Foot & Ankle Surgery (where’s your subscription?), by upping your bone density, vitamin D can reduce the…

Dragon fruit AND pistachio SERVES 1 2610 KJ 23G FAT 73G CARBS 33G PROTEIN We suspect dragon fruit isn’t really competing for space with apples and bananas in your shopping basket. But it’s actually a great way to diversify your fruit and vegie intake. Not only is it delicious but, combined with a scoop of protein powder, this bowl is a great chaser to a strength workout. Winner, winner! ♦ 1 packet of frozen pitaya (dragon fruit) ♦ 200g frozen banana, chopped ♦ 1 scoop of vegan protein powder ♦ 150ml almond milk ♦ Handful of coconut shavings ♦ Handful of chia seeds ♦ Small handful of pistachios, shelled ♦ 1/4 fig, sliced ♦ Edible flowers (optional) ♦ Slice of pineapple (optional) 1 Start by – you guessed it –…

HEALTH ACCESSORIES Founded by chronic asthma sufferer Valentine Mirzayantz, new brand The Asthma Collective offers chic puffer cases and medical ID jewellery. CLUTTERCORE This interiors trend is the opposite to minimalism. It’s about celebrating your stuff in all its glory, displaying it proudly and with personality rather than hiding it. Our desks are so #cluttercore RN… EPIC EXPLORATION Adventure seekers, this one’s for you: the new-generation Isuzu D-MAX seamlessly combines luxury and safety with epic off-road capability. To book a test drive, search ‘Isuzu D-MAX’ online. COOKING FOR A TOP CAUSE Join MasterChef alumni Sarah Todd this Oct as you whip up an Indian feast at home to raise vital funds for leading research org Breast Cancer Trials. Visit 3coursechallenge.com.au.…

Clock On Looking to nail your Zs schedule? Good plan. A University of Michigan study revealed that those with greater variation in their daily sleep and wake-up times were more likely to show symptoms of depression and have a worse mood throughout the day. And with the proven benefits of slumber consistency including boosted heart health and sharper focus, it’s worth setting that alarm. Pep Quiz! What’s Instagram’s most popular house plant? A MONSTERA B CACTUS C FIDDLE LEAF FIG ANSWER: B. The spiky classic is the house plant with the most Instagram hashtags (more than 23 million, since you asked). Whatever your green thumb preferences, know this: Japanese research suggests the mere sight of a plant can help to ease workplace stress. SOURCE: HOMETREE.CO.UK PLEASE EXPLAIN Self-nudging Not a…

Health & fitness inspo to feel amazing all over In her five and a half years as a cycling instructor, PT Roxie Jones taught upwards of 10 cycling classes per week (that’s more than 2,500 classes in total!). Since then, Jones has had to deal with and recover from the repercussions – including hormonal issues and sleep problems – of going overboard with this traditional form of cardio. She has also learnt to embrace more balance in her training that nets healthier results for her… but it wasn’t easy. Of course, the average sweat fanatic may not be pedalling vigorously on a stationary bike 10 times a week, but it’s not unusual for some women to have had a complicated relationship with cardio at some point in their lives. And…

TRACK METRICS YOU CARE ABOUT Program your own goals into Fitbit workouts, like the number of active-zone minutes, time, distance or calories. The tracker will buzz when you’ve met them and when you finish (meaning you can stop peeking down at your wrist and enjoy the scenery instead). PEEP THE MUCH BIGGER PICTURE Instead of focusing solely on closing your Apple Watch rings, head to the Fitness+ app on your iPhone to check the Trends page, where you can compare your last 90 days of activity with the last 365 for a more zoomed-out look. SMARTLY HYPE YOURSELF UP Set certain Garmin devices to display customised motivational reminders (think: “focus on feeling strong” or other language you know you respond well to and will feel encouraged by) whenever you reach…

You hear it all the time: “If only I had closure!” But what does that even mean? “It’s about crafting a narrative so you can move forward productively after something traumatic,” says Joanne Davila, a professor of psychology. You crave it after a variety of crappy experiences; when you can’t make sense of something, your brain demands answers so you aren’t doomed to repeat whatever got you there. “Learning from your mistakes keeps you safe,” explains Davila – this survival tactic drives that intense need to know what went wrong. The good (and bad) news is that no one can give you closure but you... YOUR PARTNER ENDED THINGS Is reaching out to an ex ever a good idea? Well, defo don’t do it when emotions are raw. You may…

Called “one of the most charismatic Australians of the internet”, Lillian Ahenkan (@flex.mami) is your go-to woman for good energy, colourful suits and real talk, and her new book helps you work out who you are, what you want and how to get it. “I have a thing about women having agency. You’re allowed to be an active participant in your own life, and change things for yourself,” she says. Check out her juiciest advice. Think Differently 01 Own Your Power “There’s a distinction between being a passive participant in your life and someone who’s constantly evaluating, someone who gets to change their circumstances and improve their life. You can change how you want to see things. It’s all you! So if you can take more time to figure out…

Visualise Think of a situation that’s causing you stress – perhaps you’ve fallen out with a friend or you have money worries. Visualise it clearly in your mind. Acknowledge Sit with the emotion for a moment and acknowledge how it makes you feel, saying whatever comes to mind, like, “This is stressful.” Self-soothe Ask yourself what words you need to hear to feel better. If it helps, imagine what you would say to a friend who was in the same situation.…

Were you to embark on a 10k with this year’s new breed of runners, you might think you’d wandered into a sporting dystopia. Mouths clamped shut, they tread for kilometres breathing just through their noses, sometimes holding their breath for strides at a time. Welcome to the world of breath optimisation. On the wings of wellness, breathwork is gliding out of the yoga camp and bumping up next to nutrition and sleep in your fitness toolkit. And the latest techniques promise to do more than soothe your mind after a tense Teams call. Change the way you breathe, say proponents of these methods, and you can hack your fitness by improving your oxygen efficiency, boosting circulation and delaying muscle fatigue. While techniques like nasal breathing and hypoxic training have been…

Repeat after us: hitting your health goals is not about focusing on a number on a scale. That’s what Joe Wicks, aka The Body Coach, constantly reminds his 4.1 million followers on Instagram and 2.8 million YouTube subscribers. For starters, take exercise. If you’re moving purely to change how your body looks in some way, Joe says you’re bound to feel less than great. Instead, he suggests focusing on your intrinsic reasons for wanting to live a fit life. Tell yourself: “I want to do this today so I feel good, so that I have more patience, a better relationship, so I can be really energised and happy today,” he says. “That’s the reason you should exercise. If, as a by-product, six months later, you look fantastic because you feel…