The Best You Feel & Look Good Special Edition July 2015

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THE BEST YOU TRANSFORM • INSPIRE • MOTIVATE • ENRICH • EMPOWER • ENJOY

JULY 2015

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

SPECIAL

EDITION

RISE & SHINE

LIVE THE LIFE YOU REALLY WANT THIS SUMMER

MARATHON MAN

FROM RUNNING CHALLENGE TO CHANGING LIVES

KATIE PIPER

BE HAPPY AND LOVE YOURSELF

AMANDA HAMILTON

EATING SMART AND WHY FULL FAT CAN BE GOOD FOR YOU

PLUS: HOW TO BE MORE CONFIDENT

YOU CAN QUIT!

HOW TO STOP SMOKING FOR GOOD

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THE BEST YOU TRANSFORM • INSPIRE • MOTIVATE • ENRICH • EMPOWER • ENJOY

JUNE 2015 / Price £3.99

RUBY WAX

ON THE ROAD TO A SANE NEW WORLD

EMMANUEL JAL

FROM CHILD SOLDIER TO ARTIST AND PEACE FIGHTER

NOVAK DJOKOVIC HOW ONE CHANGE MADE HIM A WINNER

JOHN DEMARTINI

HOW TO STOP THE AGEING PROCESS FROM WITHIN

TOO FAT TO RUN?

HOW TO ACHIEVE 5k IN JUST FIVE WEEKS

PLUS: WHY STRESS COULD BE GOOD FOR YOU

EDITORIAL

MAKE THIS YOUR

BEST SUMMER EVER For many of us, summer is synonymous with looking and feeling fantastic, and so we wanted to create this special edition of The Best You to help you to celebrate and get the most out of the season.

Packed with fantastic advice and insights from some of the biggest names in personal development, plus superb interviews with nutritionists, stylists, life coaches and trainers, we have all you need to ensure you look and feel your best.

We also have an interview with Rob Young who has been dubbed ‘marathon man’ after he undertook a challenge to run at least one marathon every day for a year, and beat a world record. An amazing achievement in itself, Young’s story is made even more poignant since he has pledged to raise funds for children’s charities, having suffered unforgivable abuse at the hands of his father as a young boy.

Elsewhere we interview Julie Creffield, founder of toofattorun.co.uk, about her mission to get more women off the sofa and be physically active. Why not make this the year that you too commit to a personal challenge and make a big difference to your health and wellbeing?

At The Best You, we are embarking upon new and exciting challenges for the year ahead. This autumn will see the launch of The Best You Inspiring Talks, a series of London-based evening events which draw together speakers who will motivate you to become your best self.

And on 27-28 February 2016, we will hold the firstever The Best You Exhibition, a showcase for leading

coaches, personal development experts and transformational experts. With a fantastic line-up of keynote speakers, this unmissable event will be the first in a series aimed at bringing together those who are driven to achieve success.

I hope that you enjoy this special edition, and that you continue to read The Best You each month – visit thebestyoumagazine.co to download our app and please do leave a review – your feedback is integral to our plans for the future. There’s even the opportunity to contribute to The Best You too – read more on page 7 about how to get involved.

And remember, the only thing stopping you from achieving your goals is you – make today the first day of the best you.

BERNARDO MOYA,

Editor-in-chief Follow me: @Bernardo_Moya

To enjoy copies of The Best You, including digital content, video and online galleries, download The Best You app at thebestyoumagazine.co Exclusive bonus shots on iPad, iPhone and Android devices

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THE BEST YOU MAGAZINE/ C O N TE N TS /FEEL & LOOK GOOD

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Bernardo Moya welcomes you to The Best You’s Feel & Look Good Special Edition

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COULD YOU BE ONE OF THE BEST YOU’S STARS? How to become a contributor to The Best You

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MARATHON MAN

Read Rob Young’s inspiring story of overcoming adversity and an amazing year of achievement

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KATIE PIPER TALKS SELF-IDENTITY

The former model urges us to be happy with who we are, both inside and out

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NICKY HAMBLETON-JONES’ 8 STEPS TO PROTECT YOUR SKIN

How to ensure you look younger for longer

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KEEP IT REAL

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TV’s nutritionist Amanda Hamilton on eating the right stuff

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A HABIT UP IN SMOKE

MARATHON MAN

NLP practitioner Ali Campbell’s guide to quitting smoking

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Rob Young’s record-breaking year

HOW TO BEAT DEPRESSION

Rachel Kelly’s guide to tackling the black dog

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TOO FAT TO RUN?

Julie Creffield is determined to help more women to hit the road and get active again

INNER YOU 24

BE MORE CONFIDENT

Benjamin Bonetti wants us to be brave

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DO DIETS DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD?

The pros and cons of eating plans

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BATTLING ADDICTION

How a family is using its own experience to help others

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TARA STILES’ WELLBEING ADVICE The global yoga star’s guide to holistic health

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MOVE PAST YOUR FEAR

Jack Canfield is ready to help you tackle your phobias

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ARE YOU LOSING SLEEP?

When does poor sleeping become insomnia?

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MIND WHAT YOU EAT

Why mindfulness could help you to lose weight for good

12 KATIE PIPER Why the star wants us to learn to love ourselves

EDITOR/PUBLISHER Bernardo Moya · DEPUTY EDITOR Daska Davis · ASSOCIATE EDITORS Cynthia Phillips and Gail Kingsbury ADVERTISING advertising@thebestyou.co

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THE BEST YOU MAGAZINE/ CO NTENTS /FEEL & LOOK GOOD

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14 NICKY HAMBLETON-JONES Sharing her skincare secrets

BE SUPER IMMUNE

David Wolfe’s guide to boosting your immune system

ALL IN ORDER

Why the way you workout can boost your exercise results

15 WAYS TO COPE WITH CRITICISM Shrug it off – how to get the most from feedback

HOME REMEDIES THAT WORK Simple ways to sort those health niggles

EAT YOURSELF WELL

Rachel Kelly’s nutritional advice for overcoming depression

KNOW YOUR VALUE

What are you worth? How to boost your income

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LEARN TO LET GO

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The strength to cope with adversity comes from within

SWITCH YOUR DIET

Rhiannon Lambert’s guide to the latest eating plans

A STRESS-FREE SUMMER

The English Sisters’ step-by-step to letting go of stress

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TACKLING OBESITY

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HOW TO FEEL RICH… WHEN YOU’RE BROKE

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Why obesity affects all of us

All cashed out? Why wealth is a state of mind

SEASONAL SUPERFOODS

What to eat to boost your health and wellbeing

BACK ON TRACK

How to increase your vitality this season

SHOULD YOU EAT FIVE-A-DAY?

We all know the slogan, but do fruit and vegetables really improve our health?

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9 WAYS TO CLEAR THE CLUTTER

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TARA STILES Stretch out with the holistic living star

How actress Tanya Franks helped a stranger overcome fear

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TRUST A STRANGER

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Blitz it! Easy ways to make more space in your home

WORKING ON YOUR DIET

Stay on track with your working lunches

THE BEST YOU DIRECTORY

Where to find the best coaches, trainers and practitioners

MEDIA DIRECTOR Allan Banford DIGITAL DESIGNER Monica Notarnicola TECHNICAL CONSULTANT Martin Carter

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CONTRIBUTORS

ROB YOUNG

embarked upon a year of running a marathon every day, raising funds for the NSPCC, Great Ormond Street Hospital and Dreams Come True. Following his immense physical challenge, Young has ambitions to focus on educating children across the world. Read his story on page 8.

@MarathonMan_ UK

RACHEL KELLY is a former Times columnist and Sane ambassador.

Having suffered two breakdowns and battled depression, her strategies for tackling the ‘black dog’ come from the heart. Her memoir, Black Rainbow: How Words Healed Me – My Journey Through Depression is published

by Hodder & Stoughton.

KATIE PIPER

gave up her anonymity after she had sulphuric acid thrown in her face, to increase awareness about burn victims. The former model has since written about how she overcame the physical and mental trauma of the attack and launched the Katie Piper Foundation to support other victims of burns and disfigurement.

NICKY HAMBLETONJONES

is best known as the former presenter of Channel 4’s makeover show, 10 Years Younger.

An anti-ageing expert and celebrity stylist, Hambleton-Jones shares her insights and advice for protecting our skin today and for the future on page 14.

@NickyHJ

JULIE CREFFIELD

BENJAMIN BONETTI

@JulieCreffield

@BenjaminBonetti

@rache_Kelly

is a qualified and practising nutritionist, and a broadcaster, author and consultant in all matters of health.

An entrepreneur in digital health, she has created and contributed to several successful online and technology ventures.

She advocates a natural approach to diet and nutrition.

@AmandaNourish

@KatiePiper_

is the founder of toofattorun.co.uk, and author of The Fat Girls’ Guide To Running. Having tackled her own inactivity and health, she focuses on supporting women who are challenged wth getting physically fit and recently worked with a group on ITV’s This Morning.

AMANDA HAMILTON

is founder of the DNA coaching programme and has been involved professionally in hypnotherapy and coaching for more than ten years; He has helped thousands of people in his various clinics and over 1.8m with his award-winning hypnosis audios.

JACK CANFIELD

is an American author, and motivational speaker.

He is co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, which has more than 250 titles in print in over 40 languages. He holds the Guinness Book World Record for having seven books simultaneously on the New York Times Bestseller List.

@JackCanfield

ALI CAMPBELL

is a life coach and NLP practitioner who has worked with celebrities, business leaders and royalty.

An author and presenter, his book, Just Get On With It, is an international best-seller. His compassionate ‘kick up the butt’ approach has helped many followers to achieve lasting results.

@ali_campbell

DAVID WOLFE

is the rock star and ‘Indiana Jones’ of the superfoods and longevity universe.

The world’s top CEOs, ambassadors, celebrities, athletes, artists, and the real superheroes of this planet – mums – look to Wolfe for expert advice in health, beauty, herbalism, nutrition and chocolate!

@DavidWolfe

The Best You is published by The Best You Corporation Ltd, 5 Percy Street, W1T 1DG. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect The Best You Corporation Ltd, policy.

The Best You Corporation Ltd accepts no responsibility for views expressed by its contributors.

Advertisements and reader offers are not endorsed by The Best You or The Best You Corporation Ltd.

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COULD YOU BE ONE OF

THE BEST YOU’S

STARS?

Would you like to be part of the UK’s leading personal development magazine? Here’s your chance to share your story of success

At The Best You, we are passionate about helping people to reach their goals and achieve their full potential.

Each month, we bring you inspiring interviews and articles from individuals who are living life to the full and realising their dreams through personal development and following their path to success.

Are you a writer, blogger or vlogstar?

Now it’s your chance to share your story with The Best You. We are looking to publish articles within the magazine and at our digital channel, thebestyoumagazine.co, plus your videos on The Best You TV channels.

Additionally, each month we will be focusing on an area of personal development, and we would like to share your tips for success with The Best You’s audience. Tell us your: • • • • • •

Coaching tips Mindfulness ideas Weight-loss solutions How you tackle phobias Ways to boost your self-esteem Finding a partner and making your relationship sparkle

In addition to having your article published and the opportunity to share your story with those who are actively seeking personal development advice, we will pay for every published article and video.

So, get your thinking cap on and tell us about how you’ve become the Best You.

To find out more and how to upload your content, visit

thebestyoumagazine.co/ become-a-contributor

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MARATHON

MAN With a world record broken and a plan to transform the lives of disadvantaged children around the globe, Rob Young is a man on a mission

For most people, running a marathon would be a life achievement, a tick on the bucket list. When Rob Young watched the London Marathon in 2014, he was inspired by the amazing fundraising stories that he heard about. While the physical feat of running 26 miles and 385 yards (42,195km) was impressive enough, the reasons for enduring the gruelling road race were as individual as the whacky costumes that many of the entrants wore to raise £261.4m for charities and good causes.

Young was inspired to run a marathon, but his partner, Joanna, told him he’d never do it. Many of us would have concurred, turned over and moved on to the next thing. Thankfully, Rob Young is unlike most people.

The next day Young set out to run his first marathon, and decided that he would run at least one every day for the consecutive 364 days, to beat the world record of 366 in a year.

As he was holding down a 9-5 job to support his young family, Young’s running had to fit in around this, and so he often ran from 3-7am each morning before heading off to official marathons around the UK at the weekend, often in a kilt in recognition of his Scottish roots. Sleep was the first sacrifice, and despite being self-funded (refusing to take a penny of the money raised by his challenge to support him and his family) Young left his job to concentrate fully on running.

Along the way, 7,200 miles into his challenge, he headed to America to participate – the only European to do so – in the USA Super-Marathon Series, which covers snow-topped mountains and arid desert across 12 states from the Pacific to the Atlantic.

Mentally and physically strong, Young believes the ability to run a marathon lies within all of us. “I think you just have to keep going,” he says. “For the first

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

SPECIAL

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month there are problems as your body adapts to the amount of activity – your feet blister and go hard – but after that your body gets into a routine, your mental attitude changes and you think, ‘I can do it’.

“I was a non-marathon runner and went into the process without any background on the sport, but from the first day I’ve had help from friends and family.

I thought marathon running was an individual sport, but I quickly realised that people will support and advise you, and there’s a strong sense of community.”

TOUGH START

Fundraising is central to his race to break the record, and the three charities that he chose are integral to Young’s amazing story. As a child, he suffered unimaginable abuse at the hands of his father. Beaten daily, he still carries scars on his body, but his suffering went much further.

Sometimes his father would zip him into a suitcase and push him down the stairs, or dangle him over the bannisters at the top of the stairs by one leg. He was told that if he cried or made a noise, he would be dropped and so he learnt to close his eyes and focus on other things.

One evening, aged six, he heard his father crash into the house. Knowing he was angry, he anticipated a bad beating. The usual insults, attack and dangling ensued, and when Young’s mother tried to intervene, she was beaten and told to stay out of the way. His father then tied a rope to Young’s neck and hung him on an old-fashioned coat hanger near the front door. “It seems strange now,” he says, “but I remember feeling relieved that it was all going to finally come to an end.

I remember the sensation of having no air to breathe and struggling as my father held my legs. It then got very scary before he decided to let me down. Needless to say I’m very glad now that he did.”

Later that night, as his mother put him to bed, Young told her that he couldn’t cope anymore, that he was in too much pain. She promised to take him away as soon as he could walk again. Several days later, they left with his sister and were placed in a safe house in Yorkshire, although his father tracked them down. Feeling unsafe, they left by foot to walk south to his grandfather’s house in Hampshire, sleeping overnight in a ditch.

Along the way, a car stopped in front of them on the motorway. A middle-aged man got out and approached them, but Young, just a child, stood in front of his mother and sister to defend them.

Seeing they were scared, the man asked his wife to speak to them and explain that they were concerned for their wellbeing, having seen them on the road earlier that day.

The couple offered to drive them the rest of the way, buying them a meal at a service station on the way.

“The taste of that cheap roadside burger was like heaven!” says Young. “I had been used to very poor quality food at home, so this was an unprecedented treat. To this day, that burger is still the tastiest thing I have ever eaten (or at least that’s how I remember it).

I will never forget that act of kindness from complete strangers and how it gave me the hope of freedom.”

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To learn more about Rob Young’s challenge and to donate to support the work of the NSPCC, GOSH and Dreams Come True, visit

marathonmanuk.com

The feeling of gratitude and hope is something that has stuck with Young, and it’s now guiding his life journey to fundraise for children’s charities, the NSPCC, GOSH and Dreams Come True, a commitment that he says will continue long after the last marathon is run.

FUTURE PLANS

Although a court order prevented Young’s father from making contact, the toll on his mother left her feeling unable to cope, and so he was placed in an orphanage. Exposed to an unstructured environment with children twice his age, Young endured many frightening experiences and was bullied into doing things that distressed others. Anger became his defence mechanism, and it was only at 11 that he was moved to an orphanage were he felt safe and started to enjoy school.

“We talked about walking across the North Pole for six months, a challenge not previously thought possible,” explains Young. “I would definitely consider it, but I have also thought about the record for the most marathon miles in one go, without sleep, and I reckon I could go for 500 miles.”

Young was fostered shortly afterwards by the deputy headmaster of an independent school who taught him traditional values and skills for life, and supported his education. “To this day, I believe he enabled me to become the person I am today,” explains Young. “All my best aspects developed under his watchful eye.

If it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t have passed my exams and been able to prepare for a good life.”

After school, Young joined the British Army’s Royal Signal Corps, and it was here that his lifelong love of athletics was nurtured. “As a kid, I always loved sport and had a very competitive nature, always giving 100 per cent, always pushing myself,” says Young.

“I enjoyed athletics and I remember turning up to meetings and competing in all kinds of events. If other athletes failed to turn up, I would happily take their spot.” And compete he did – 5km, 3,000m steeple chase, 1,500m, 400m hurdles and flat, 100m relay, shot put, hammer, pole vault, javelin, the list is endless. Alongside he represented Great Britain at the Biathlon event and was selected for the GB junior duathlon team.

From here, Young became a pro-cyclist, although the birth of first his daughter, Olivia, and later a son, Alexander-Lui, with Joanna, meant he was forced to concentrate on looking after his young family.

“I worked as a manager of a motor parts company, but I gave it up to concentrate on running. ”I don’t have sponsors, and all the money that I raise is going to my charities. My approach is different, I don’t push for sponsorship, but friends are helping us out. Although I am running, it’s equally tough for Joanna, taking care of Alexander and keeping things together back home, particularly while I’m away.”

For a man who has lived on adrenaline for a year, the inevitable question is, what next? Although not bothered by celebrity and stardom, Young has met a number of famous people over the last few months, including Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

Hand in hand with his physical achievements, Young also has plans to continue making a positive difference to the lives of disadvantaged children. “I will always look after my three charities,” he says, “and they fit into my vision. I want to get kids into sport and to let those who have endured hardship or abuse know that they don’t need to be ashamed of the past, they can move forwards and overcome it, it doesn’t have to define their whole life.

“From the age of 10, I wanted to create self-sustaining schools across the world, to take kids off the streets and rubbish tips, get them into education and create their success stories. The reality is that a child on the street is likely to be abused and become seriously unwell if they are neglected. ”It’s shocking that the world allows children to be treated as rubbish and we don’t consider them as people. I want to create something to change this, where each generation can take care of the next.”

Young’s story is an inspiring one, overcoming extreme adversity to change both his own life and that of others, but he believes that all of us have the power to make a positive difference in the world. “Anyone can do it,” he says. “A good heart and a strong mind will carry you through.”

Katie Piper overcame a life-changing experience and has inspired others to do the same through her television shows, books and the Katie Piper Foundation – now she is helping a new generation to embrace who they are

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KATIE PIPER TALKS SELF-IDENTITY For many women, being comfortable with your identity is something that typically emerges in your 30s or 40s. It comes as no surprise that Katie Piper, a woman who has overcome overwhelming trauma after she was attacked by a man who threw acid in her face, announced earlier this year that she is a proud survivor, saying, “When I look in the mirror, my scars no longer upset me, they just remind me I am stronger than the person who tried to hurt”.

Piper’s story is an amazing one of strength, defiance and triumph over adversity, and she found a place in the nation’s heart when she bravely gave up anonymity to increase awareness about burns victims. Following an early modelling career, Piper was just moving into television work when she met Daniel Lynch. Unbeknown to Piper, Lynch had previously been jailed for throwing boiling water into a man’s face, and just two weeks into their relationship he seriously assaulted and raped her.

Two days later, he convinced her to go to an internet café where he had paid Stefan Sylvestre to throw sulphuric acid at her face.

Blinded in one eye, Piper had to wear a plastic pressure mask for 23 hours a day for two years as part of her treatment, and her injuries also meant that she needed to be fed through a tube in her stomach. The two men were later convicted and received life sentences.

Just over a year after the attack, Piper shared her story in a Cutting Edge strand for Channel 4, entitled, Katie: My Beautiful Face which was watched by more than 3.5m viewers and nominated for a BAFTA award.

Piper’s physical and mental recovery has been remarkable, but her resolve and compassion to campaign and support others has been equally inspiring. The Katie Piper Foundation, of which Simon Cowell is a patron, raises awareness and provides support to victims of burns and other disfigurement injuries, also campaigning for the specialist treatment that Piper received in France, to be more widely available in the UK. Piper also presented Body Shockers, a Channel 4 series about people who are considering plastic surgery or who have undergone a procedure they now want to reverse. Piper has the ability to empathise and connect at a deeper level with the participants, perhaps because of the experiences

she has had. “There has been a generation of young men and women who have gone for full body tattoos, body piercings or exaggerated breast enlargements, and the alternative has become mainstream,” she says. “Plastic surgery is now readily accessible to anyone, not just Hollywood stars.

“But that’s been followed by a generation that want to regress. When we announced the second series, we were inundated by people who regretted what they had done – they have mutilated their body by choice. I can really empathise, and whether it’s by accident or because you want to change something, it’s a hugely emotional area.

“I’m a nosey person and one of the favourite parts of my job is meeting people from all walks of life.

I’m not a snob, and I like tattoos that are tasteful or personal. Also, I can understand where they are coming from, and while some may be misguided it’s important that people are able to express themselves and experiment. None of us know what lies ahead.”

Today, Piper is firmly in control of her own destiny.

Now a mother, to Belle Elizabeth who turned one this year, and engaged to her partner, James, Piper’s career, continues to flourish.

A well-earned holiday earlier this year offered time as a family, to envisage their wedding. “We packed a ton of bridal magazines and planned to lay on loungers and decide what we would like, but we spent all our time running around with Belle,” she laughs. “So I’ll be looking on Pinterest for some great ideas instead.”

She appears a pinnacle of success but says overcoming such a horrific experience was never a straight path. “My first book came about because my psychologist suggested writing as a therapy,” says Piper. “So my journal became the place that I could put down what had happened and how I felt. Now I write for Belle, and I might give her the password to read it when she turns 20.

“Part of me is a strong person, but part of me still isn’t and there were many days when I didn’t cope, but I would encourage anybody facing a tough situation not to lose hope. Recovery is a roller coaster and it’s often ten steps forward, five back, but that’s human nature.”

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NICKY HAMBLETON-JONES’

8 STEPS TO PROTECT YOUR SKIN 1. Your skin begins to show the first signs of ageing at around 25 years old. This is when your natural collagen levels begin to deplete. You may not even notice any damage until you are well into your 30s. So it is very important to protect your skin as early as possible.

2. Never leave the house without wearing a moisturiser that is at least SPF25, to ensure skin is protected around the clock from harmful UV rays.

3. Remember to take time to cleanse, tone and moisturise each and every day. This will make a significant difference to your skin.

Late nights and partying will eventually take their toll on your skin. No matter how late it is or how tired you are, you should always remove make-up after a big night out. Keep in mind that your skin ages eight days for every night that you don’t remove your makeup. It might feel like a hassle, but just go to bed will make a huge difference on the fine lines and wrinkles that will appear in your 30s and 40s.

4.

In today’s increasingly polluted environment, our skin is constantly subjected to harmful outdoor elements which heavily contribute to premature ageing, making antioxidants relevant as ever. Vitamins C & E and Green Tea are the vital ingredients that are found in most of the skincare lines today. Meanwhile there are continuous discoveries being made of the latest and most powerful antioxidants.

5. We also begin to lose a lot of volume in our face as a result of fat loss under the skin.

This means the fine lines and wrinkles we had in our 30s may deepen and we might

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see folds appearing on the skin around the ‘nose-to-lip’ lines and the jowls, and a general loss of vibrancy in the skin.

6. It’s a good idea to invest in products that will plump, boost collagen production and firm your skin. Serums are the name of the game. If you’re not using a serum yet, I definitely suggest you start now. Serums are usually oil-based and they penetrate the skin far more deeply than any cream can. Deep penetration means that your skin will get the nutrients it needs deep down into the dermis, which can help stimulate collagen production. I love Skin Vivo Serum which uses pure thermal plankton extract and reverserol SV to combat the visible signs of the skin ageing. This product leaves your skin feeling plumper, retautened, with a youthful radiant look.

7. Scientifically-formulated ingredients that have been inspired by the sheer power of nature have revolutionised the way we look at skincare, providing significant results instantaneously. Look out for ingredients such as Syn-Ake, an advanced neuropeptide which mimics the effects of a snake bite to instantly freeze muscles for up to nine hours and, if used over a longer period of time, can actually reduce fine lines by 52 per cent.

Glamoxy Snake Serum by Rodial and Sarah Chapman’s Skinesis range both include this active ingredient to enhance the anti-ageing benefits of the products.

8. In our 40s we might want to consider cosmetic intervention and non-invasive procedures such as Thermage. It uses radio frequency to stimulate the body’s own collagen production and the effects are apparent over a period of six months and often last for more than two years with a top-up.

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Looking after your face today can save years in how you look in the future, says the former 10 Years Younger star

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With her Scottish burr, healthy looks and sensible approach, Amanda Hamilton’s outlook on nutrition offers a voice of reason in a world where sugar has become the new enemy, and 5:2 provides a numerical solution to our eating plans.

Not that Hamilton is dismissive of such approaches, but her view is that a sustainable approach is better than the perennial falling off the diet scenario.

“My starting point, nutritionally, is always a real approach – real evidence about real food,” explains Hamilton. “When I’m satisfied that food is not laden with chemicals, but instead leaves you satisfied naturally, I’m comfortable to recommend it.”

The daughter of two P.E. teachers, Hamilton was health-conscious from an early age, and represented Scotland in badminton internationally. During her degree she spent time in the US, and says that it was a year that shaped her passion for healthy nutrition. “I was 18 and arrived in mid-America but what I experienced was a life jolt,” she explains. “On campus I saw people who were too obese to walk even short distances, and the highly processed foods that were on offer were unrecognisable to me – so much was deep fried, and it was vastly different to the Scottish upbringing I’d grown up with, where mum grew and cooked her own vegetables. I found it disturbing and asked the Dean for a budget, and cooked and fed myself instead.”

After university, Hamilton moved into journalism and presenting before going on to train as a registered nutritionist, adding studies in Ayurvedic medicine, yoga and a post-graduate degree in obesity science to her portfolio.

Over the next few years, she specialised in health-related broadcasting and her shows included The Spa of Embarrassing Illnesses, Should I Worry About?, The Last Resort, and she became GMTV, BBC radio and Sky’s go-to nutrition expert.

In 2013, Hamilton acted as the guinea pig in a documentary for ITV’s Tonight programme, where she substituted her usual diet for one eaten by a typical British female – she gained five pounds as a result. “My diet is higher in fat than the average British person’s,’ says Hamilton, “but it’s a particular type of fat that I eat. We should be eating essential fats, such as Omega-3, typically found in oily fish. Trans fats are a no no.

“Calories are often seen as the enemy, but actually the impact is where they come from. Sugar and refined carbs are far more

damaging. The processed foods that we eat today are a speck on history’s timeline, and we

need to go back to eating foods in a more natural state.

“There is utter confusion around nutrition at the moment, and we are programmed to think that low fat is good but those foods don’t satisfy us. High protein foods fill us up for longer and fat content helps with mouth feel to make us feel good. Nobody binges on salmon, and our body naturally has a switch-off, so it’s about choosing wisely not taking a blanket approach to ingredients. In fact, look at ingredients lists on packets – if you can’t pronounce it, generally speaking it’s probably not good for you!”

What is Hamilton’s view of those passing food fads then? “Cutting out all added sugar or fasting for short periods of time are great, but the problem is that often these can’t be sustained for long periods so people feel like they’ve failed and revert back to previous behaviours,” says Hamilton. “We’ve lost a bit of common sense along the way, and we need to get back to a more moderate approach where healthy eating underpins it all. In my work I focus as much on long-term change as shortterm results.”

With a company that offers health retreats, three books under her belt, and upcoming TV projects, Hamilton is taking her nutritional approach into schools, to educate the next generation. “There’s lots of snobbery around nutrition, right now,” says Hamilton. “My aim is to simplify the advice on offer and create consistent messaging.”

Her last book, Eat, Fast, Slim, was published in 20 countries, she advises the nation on television and radio, but nutritionist Amanda Hamilton’s dietary approach is everyday simple

Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known to humankind, but if you’re a smoker, the time to quit is now and life coach Ali Campbell says you can do it

A HABIT UP IN

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FEEL & LOOK GOOD

SPECIAL

EDITION

The human brain, and especially the subconscious mind, is capable of so much more than we use day to day. Habitually we only use about 10 per cent of our mental capacity and therefore have 90 per cent available to break that habit of smoking. Suddenly it doesn’t seem quite so difficult does it? Once you know how of course.

1. BREAK ALL SUPPORTING HABITS

Most smokers really are creatures of habit: you sit in the same chair to smoke, stand in the same part of the garden if you’re unlucky enough to have been exiled from the house when you want a fag, and I even know people for whom the ritual of lighting up behind the wheel is almost as automated as putting on their seatbelt and letting off the handbrake.

So, next time you fancy a puff after dinner, go and sit in a different chair and notice how it feels. When you get in the car change your sequence.

Put the car in gear, fasten your seatbelt and then the hand brake for a change, basically anything to mix it up a bit and break all those old anchors that hang onto you.

2. THINK OF SOMETHING YOU WOULD NEVER, EVER, EVER EAT, EVER!

When it’s safe to do so, close your eyes and picture something you would never eat bigger and brighter than life size. Make it so vivid that you can feel your stomach churn. Now double that feeling and then double it again till you just can’t feel any worse. Then quickly think of a cigarette, and as you picture it double it in size again and again till the very thought of it makes you feel nauseous. Repeat as many times as you need to so that every time you even think of a cigarette you feel sick.

3. MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE REAL REASONS TO QUIT

Keep reminding yourself why you really want to stop smoking. Write it big and keep it somewhere you can see it all the time, especially in the places you used to smoke. Make a list of all the reasons and read it, if and when you need some support. Ex-smoker Chris, 28, says, “I used to take a picture of my baby daughter with me when I went out. If I was tempted, I’d look at that and knew I wanted to be around and healthy to see her grow up. If that was the choice it really was no contest… I was a non-smoker.” Whatever it is that works for you, do it!

It only takes about 72 hours for nicotine to leave your system so drink plenty of water to flush out your system and fruit juice to balance your blood sugar and in just three days all physical cravings will be gone too.

For more information or to book a single session to quit smoking with Ali Campbell, visit alicampbell.com

Former Times columnist and Sane ambassador Rachel Kelly has suffered two breakdowns and battled depression, and her strategies for tackling the ‘black dog’ come from the heart

At a time when stress, depression and mental health problems have become everyday, our tactics for dealing with each remain remarkably limited. Talk with your GP and the likelihood is that, after a simple assessment, you will be offered anti-depressants or six weeks of cognitive behavioural therapy. But the ‘medical model’ doesn’t always provide a neat solution.

Writer Rachel Kelly knows first hand that conventional medicine has its limitations when it comes to healing the mind. An Oxford graduate, Kelly worked for The Times for more than a decade, but says she suffered huge anxiety from constantly trying to achieve perfection in all aspects of life. “Like many women I was constantly trying to be the perfect mum, worker, wife, daughter, daughter-in-law,” she says.

“My depression was largely anxiety-driven. Working in a busy newsroom is a hugely demanding job, you have to reinvent yourself every day. It’s like being on a hamster wheel where you constantly try to do more, but it never feels like it’s good enough. It was a bad fit for my temperament but ironically many people with anxiety are drawn to challenging environments such as law, the City and media.”

For Kelly, life fell apart after the birth of her second child, George, when anxiety and depression took hold, and a second, much deeper attack several years later as a mother to five young children.

Having tried conventional medication, Kelly found huge solace in other areas such as poetry and nature. “I’m not original in my thinking,” Kelly says, “and if you look back at psychiatry over the past 20 years, there are many who have suggested that the creative arts can be helpful in treating depression.

“The ‘medical model’ has its limitations and the answer isn’t always in medication. There can be lots of side effects and, while the exact outcomes are much debated, 30 per cent of people feel an immediate effect, 30 per cent can see an improvement over time, but 30 per cent may not benefit at all from anti-depressants. ”They can be a bit of a sticking plaster and you need to look much deeper. It’s not enough to fix one part of the problem, and it’s best to look at many aspects of the mind and body to get well.

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“I developed lots of approaches and strategies to tackle my depression. Partly I adjusted my mindset to shift from needing to be ‘perfect’ to ‘good enough’, but I used four or five physical techniques to support this.”

Today, Kelly has a much calmer lifestyle, her talents as a writer combined with her own life experiences to support others both through her memoir, released last year, her voluntary work and as an ambassador for mental health charity Sane. Her first book, Black Rainbow: How Words Healed Me – My Journey Through Depression, has been well-received with a second title planned.

“I am blown away to be involved with Sane,” she says, “and it is a privilege to work with them. The role and scope of mental health charities has grown enormously in recent years and often fills the cracks in the NHS. “I’m well now and I have found an answer for me, but it’s like being a diabetic I’ll always be vulnerable and have a tendency towards depression, but I’ve learned to manage it. I would urge anyone whose mental health is suffering to experiment and dip a toe in every water, try everything. It’s like a road map and everyone has to find their own way.”

Rachel Kelly has created a tool kit to tackle the warning signs of an attack, which for her include insomnia, obsessing and physical symptoms such as breathlessness and a racing heart.

Her tactics to keep anxiety in abeyance include vitamin supplements, poetry, nature, mindfulness and using a compassionate mental voice to be kind to herself.

Here are her tops for staying sane.

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

SPECIAL

EDITION

HOW TO BEAT

DEPRESSION 1. BREATHING

Anxiety tends to make breathing shallow and fast but by forcing yourself to inhale and exhale more slowly, your body has to calm down, and with it your anxious, racing mind, lowering levels of stress hormones cortisol and adrenalin.

2. DIET

When I eat a Mediterranean diet, with more lean proteins, whole grains, pulses, fruit, fish, nuts, cereals and olive oil my mind is more stable. I also take a vitamin B supplement as those suffering from depression tend to have low levels.

3. EXERCISE

Although I’m not ‘sporty’ I know activity helps, and so I cycle to pick my son up from school or sweep the back garden as I wait for a call on speakerphone to be answered. Even a short walk outside to get some vitamin D helps, especially in the winter months.

4. ALCOHOL

I’ve never been a drinker, but after an initial ‘high’, alcohol depletes the neurotransmitters in our brain that tell us to feel happy, so cutting out alcohol can be a good tactic.

5. COMPASSION

It’s easy to let negative thinking take over – self-supporting thoughts and mantras can provide a support. Stick them or your computer and use them in moments of adversity.

6. POETRY

A poem can be a lifeline when insomnia strikes. Take Love

by George Herbert, Hope by Emily Dickinson and Invictus

by William Ernest Henley are personal favourites.

7. MINDFULNESS

It’s not successful for everyone, but focusing on what one is experiencing in the moment can provide full stops amid the rush, and a reminder to slow down.

8. GENEROSITY

Acts of generosity are often linked to higher levels of mental wellbeing. I volunteer to support literacy learning at my local prison, and work with a number of charities and I always feel much better after a session with others.

9. SLEEP

It doesn’t matter when you sleep, your body will rest when it needs it. Instead of worrying about insomnia and becoming tense, be flexible about napping at another time.

10. FIND YOUR OWN WAY

In depression, there is a tendency for people to overadvise. Well intentioned as this is, it’s important to create your own path to recovery. Make a list of approaches that help you, copy and laminate them, and refer back to this when you are struggling.

Rachel Kelly is a journalist with a long-standing interest in mental health. Her best selling memoir Black Rainbow describes how poetry helped her overcome depression and is published by Hodder & Stoughton, with all author proceeds going to the charities SANE and United Response.

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TOO FAT

TO RUN? No, really, you’re not.

That’s the unwavering belief of Julie Creffield who is on a mission to get more women physically active Boot camps, too aggressive. Triathlons, too competitive. For anyone who’s ever contemplated trying to get fit after too many years on the couch, the entry point to exercise, and specifically running, can seem inadmissible.

It’s the issue that Julie Creffield, the creator of toofattorun.co.uk and author of The Fat Girls’ Guide To Running, is tackling. It’s also a scenario that she experienced herself when she took the decision to transform herself from self-confessed 20-stone, beer-guzzling, cheesecake-eating couch potato to marathon runner and plus-size role model. “It is, absolutely, a decision that each of us has to make individually,” says Creffield. “I have been overweight for most of my adult life, but you get to the point when you think, ‘I can either accept it or do something about it’.

“I am a big believer in doing it quickly too. Lots of plans say it takes 12 weeks to achieve a level of fitness, but if I did that I would die of boredom – my #5weeksto5k programme means that in just five weeks you can see results. It requires commitment, with three sessions a week, but in five weeks it also becomes a habit and you’re then hooked, whereas changes are harder to make over the longer term.”

Creffield recently worked with a group of women on ITV’s This Morning to inspire more ladies into taking action. She believes that, in particular, women are inhibited from physical activity by a number of factors. “Women feel embarrassed or guilty about taking time out to exercise. They worry about looking silly or falling over, and that fear is crippling. One of the ladies on the show says her girls make fun of her, and she’s even

received abusive comments from people in her community who say she’s making a fool of herself. There’s a total lack of support, and that’s a common experience.

“There’s also the issue of what to wear.

Sportswear is so unforgiving and doesn’t go up to bigger sizes, so we end up wearing men’s fitness wear that’s uncomfortable and we’re tugging at it while we’re trying to exercise. It’s another barrier.”

Creffield also says we lack a wealth of sporting role models to inspire women, and to encourage that we can achieve reasonable levels of fitness, without being at the extreme level of sport.

“Running is one of the first things we do as children,” she says. “I have a two-year-old and when she runs I see that she experiences pure joy. We must remember some of that and get back to childish movements. We start to doubt our bodies after a while but we need to realise that we can do something. A lot of the obstacles to running are in our head, not our bodies.

“At school, unless we are fast, teachers aren’t interested in us – at school you’re picked or you’re not, and it reinforces a feeling that, unless I am good, it’s not worth trying. It’s hard to rock up and try, but it doesn’t have to be impossible.”

Creffield’s next mission is to develop #OneBigFatRun, a global virtual 5k on the last Sunday of every month, like parkrun but aimed specifically at women. “So far we’ve had 3,000 women take part in runs around the country.

Whether you run or walk, the idea is to get people to commit via social media and then post their success shot afterwards. We’re looking for a sponsor and we want #OneBigFatRun to be completely inclusive, and for women to bring their kids, family and social circle to run 5k.

I want everyone to tell their neighbour and for #OneBigFatRun to grow until everyone’s running.”

Find out more about #OneBigFatRun at toofattorun.co.uk

Who are you? Knowing who you are is the key to fully understanding and achieving high levels of confidence. In knowing the ‘true you’, you actually become perfectly aligned with your central nervous system, which, in turn produces little or no conflict with your deeper responsive system, and thus changes the behaviours retrospectively.

Confidence can be referred to and described as many things, however in my world it is far simpler; it’s not being nervous in challenging situations, it’s being ‘true to you’ and having valued purpose. In possessing these two personality traits opens up choices, it’s these choices that are useful in awkward situations, verbal confrontations or general conflict.

For me, confidence is about standing on your own and having the self-respect and understanding that you are allowed to be ‘you’, not necessarily a different extroverted character, but simply a better version of the person you are right now.

Increase confidence in three simple steps.

STEP 1: STOP TALKING,

START DOING…

Internal conversations can be both ability to control the linguistics you the ‘can’ts”’, only strengthens and you desire. In this instance someone negative context.

positive and negative depending on your use, being in the present and talking about confirms your inability to have the confidence who lacks confidence will usually talk in the

“I can’t do this. What happens if made to look like a fool. I failed at you change the whole ‘behaviour’ of via your senses, and the internal

things go wrong? What will they think of me? I will be that before.” Sound familiar? When you change those the thinking process – thus changing the reception and external projection of that event.

By a simple alteration to the words be anything than positive. Start consciously control the internal negative language patterns gently

you use, makes it harder for the conversation to living in the present moment today. Take time to conversations and words you use. If you slip into bring yourself back to conscious control.

BE MORE CONFIDENT Do you regularly wonder how some people are overly confident? Ever wondered what’s different about them, wishing you were similar? Benjamin Bonetti has three tips to change your life

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STEP 2: AVOID SHYING AWAY…

This tip is about immersion; it’s about putting yourself in the situations that you would have usually avoided and not been the ’true you’. Lets face it, no one actually cares if you have an embarrassing twitch, mess up a presentation or say something you shouldn’t. People have their own issues, faults and differences. Yes, even the overly confident people have their faults.

This step is about reducing the power you have installed with the opinion of another; especially those who fail to play a fundamental role within your life. The harder you attempt to ‘fit in’ with the rest of the world, the more obstacles you will face. Whether it’s your opinions, emotions, feelings, words or choice, avoid wasting your thoughts on what another would think of what you’re doing. No apologies.

No explanation. Just be.

STEP 3: BE THE TRUE YOU…

This is similar to the previous step, but hear really are, you will do things like dress in a even laugh at something alone. This in turn and that produces a level of confidence that By honouring who you are and what you truly environment for confidence to grow. You’re allowing express yourself in the way, which is true to your attract the right people, opportunities and generally When the right people and opportunities come along, seem easy. They work for you and your personality, Don’t ever pretend to be someone or something unique and this is a fantastic asset.

me out. When you honour who you certain way, eat a certain food or makes you feel comfortable, exceeds the previous step. prefer in life, you’re creating an yourself to be comfortable and values and beliefs. In turn, you more into your life. you feel confident because things thus supporting the ‘true you’. you’re not! Just be you. You are

Find out more at benjaminbonetti.com

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DO DIETS DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD?

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Clubs, organisations, diets and plans across the world meet a general hunger for weight loss. Organisations like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and Slimming World create a sense of camaraderie that makes people stay with the programme. But with obesity an ever-growing problem, is the diet industry working?

Diets are supposed to limit the amount of calories you put in your body and encourage you to burn them off, often by combining a points system with specialist food and exercise.

For many people, obsessive calorie counting does help in the short-term. For others, days are filled by thinking about the food they are denied. In interview, one lapsed diet club attendee said: “I didn’t use to think about food, much.

“When I was hungry, I would eat. I might have eaten unwisely, but I ate and then I got on with my life. On my diet, I felt hungry all the time. I thought about food every minute of the day. I was thinner, but I was also miserable, that’s for sure.”

Of course, it’s only one person’s experience and others are happy with the diet regime, at least while they are on it. Having a group to report successes to, or share failures, is a strong psychological spur for many to stay ‘on the wagon’.

The problem comes for some when they fall off the wagon. Facing all those friends they’ve ‘let down’ can be demoralising and isolating. of course, the bright-eyed excitement of starting the next weight-loss programme soon wipes out any painful memories.

And with an industry worth $20bn a year in the US alone, you can be sure you won’t have to wait long before another wagon comes along.

Some diet plans provide dieters with powdered drinks or such rigid regimes so devoid of nutritional content that the consumer cannot help losing weight – for a few months, at least.

Then, when he comes off the diet after achieving his ideal weight his body heaves a huge sigh of relief at not being starved any more, and it’s binge time.

Successively, year after year, he gains more and more weight as starvation mode kicks in after each diet, and his body stores extra fat in case it happens again.

For those disillusioned with diets, surgical options are open to them, such as liposuction or gastric bands. While the prospect of have a big hose

stuck under your skin to remove a layer of fat might seem radical and strange, it does hold an appeal for people at their wit’s end on how to lose weight.

The same can be said of gastric bands, which appear at first sight to hold the answer to overeaters by constricting the opening to the stomach.

What is not mentioned prominently in the literature for these are the complications, which include ulcers, erosion (in which the band migrates through the stomach, potentially causing severe illness), internal bleeding, infection and prolapse.

A recent survey showed that a fifth of people with a gastric band fitted have to be readmitted to hospital, with many requiring further surgery.

Surely, there must be a better way? With the gimmicks, money-making gadgets, bars, calculators and counter to one side, what does a person need to do to lose weight?

Clearly, people get fat for different reasons. For some, the nature of ‘emotional eating’ means that food is a solace. Learning to find happiness elsewhere is a skill that involves looking at your whole life, rather than heaping all your hopes and fears on to a plate in front of you. For some ‘yoyo dieters’ who take weight off and put it on again, thinking food is the problem actually is the problem.

Instead of obsessively imagining that attaining an ideal weight will bring them happiness, simply learning to feel good about themselves will stop them eating sugars and fats just to feel good.

For others, there are genuine genetic factors to contend with, but even with these people, there is a very simple fact to consider. People lose weight if their calorific input is lower than their calorific output. To achieve that, they don’t need to starve themselves obsessively or run marathons.

They just need to change the relationship between what goes in and what they put out. Considering your life in the round, then, can ironically make you thin. It is not just a well-balanced diet you need although this can bring a subtle change to finally tip the scales… in your favour! Putting all those programmes to one side, deep down you know: if you eat less, you eat wisely and you exercise frequently, you will burn more calories than you eat and lose weight.

BATTLING

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It’s time to rise up and help others overcome addiction.

Kristen White chats with Dr Jean LaCour about life as a professional recovery coach

Such is the case with LaCour herself. “None of this is academic for me. I come from a family of multigenerational alcoholism, and so does my husband,” she says. She has dealt with addiction herself as the couple’s experience in the counterculture era of the 1960s made it difficult for them to transition to a sobre lifestyle in dominant culture. In the corporate world, her husband’s alcoholism became increasingly severe.

“I was a five-star co-dependent,” says LaCour. “I kept everything working so well that my husband could continue to drink.”

Addiction and loss are often terrifying and chaotic experiences that can wipe out people’s health, success and financial stability. “It is very shaming and stigmatising to not be able to control your behaviour around a substance or activity that has negative consequences,” says Dr Jean LaCour.

It was during this time that the couple began looking for other options. As LaCour personally began to search out solutions for her own family, she ended up going to a local treatment centre and learning the dynamics around co-dependency and addiction. That led to her personal recovery, then her husband’s recovery, and eventually their combined passion to teach others.

For the past 15 years, she has helped others impacted by addiction find pathways to recovery and success.

Through her company, Net Institute, she has educated and empowered thousands of certified professional recovery coaches to help clients gain freedom from addiction and co-dependency. In her tenure at Net Institute, LaCour has touched the lives of more than 250,000 clients, and they are only the beginning.

“I was looking for something new. I’ve really been searching for a better way to help people, and that’s when I created this new approach that we call Rise.

Through Rise, I am bringing together the proven protocols around professional coaching or professional life coaching with the best practices that we’ve been using in drug and alcohol addiction recovery. It’s a way to join the clinical with the non-clinical, and it’s a much wider ability to equip people to be very effective in nonclinical ways.”

Those things that almost kill you sometimes create the doorway to your destiny, according to LaCour.

Through coaching, the Net Institute has an opportunity to offer a service that does not have the stigma that counselling has. Coaching is future-centric; it helps clients realise they have a life, a plan, and a solution to their problems. Many of the Net Institute’s clients move through the experience of recovery to see that it’s part of who they are. It makes them stronger, more compassionate, and more able to fulfil the destiny that is theirs uniquely.

After years of being a drug and alcohol counsellor, her husband began moving into a coaching relationship with his clients, and he saw such great response.

LaCour began searching out the best professional coaching skills to match up with the recovery skills that the couple brought. That’s how LaCour discovered Berry Fowler, the founder of the Sylvan Learning Centre and expert professional coach, as an integral member of the Rise Recovery programme.

Traditionally, addiction has been treated in centres by overloaded therapists. This is a new model that allows more freedom and results in lasting results for the clients. Both the recovery coach and the person fighting addiction end up feeling empowered.

What makes the Rise Recovery program different is a true understanding of the power of the joyful connections between clients and coaches. “We want to move from mere survival, to sobriety, to a place where clients can truly taste the success of living a life free from the compulsion of addiction.”

Rise Recovery emphasises the power of connection between the client and the coach, which will increase the incremental time that the client will stay with that coach. “How we create the coaching bond is unique with what were doing,” says LaCour. This is the key to making the life-altering changes that take clients from addiction to lifelong success.

Visit recoverycoachtraining.org

TARA STILES’

WELLBEING ADVICE

Have more energy, lose weight, relax, eat better – each of us has our own goals to achieve, so a one-size-fits-all approach to wellbeing might not be the best route, at least that’s the suggestion of yoga guru Tara Stiles.

Stiles is the founder and owner of Strala, a movement-based system that encourages freedom and expansion. Laid-back and energetic simultaneously, Strala is HQd in New York but is a global phenomenon with classes in Los Angeles and Paris.

Stiles, who radiates health and positivity, credits her ‘straight-edged hippy’ parents for her inspired and invigorating approach to life.

Raised in a solar house in Illinois, she talks of an idyllic childhood overflowing with home-grown vegetables, recycling and reusing – way ahead of today’s trend – and playing and meditating in the woods. She studied dance and yoga as a teenager and became interested in how breathing and movement can help to make us feel fantastically alive.

Strala is the culmination of this approach, and Stiles works carefully with instructors to ensure a class experience is as positive and invigorating, whether it’s delivered on the West Coast or in the French capital.

“People consistently say, ‘That was so much fun!’ ‘I felt free to be myself!’ ‘I did more than I thought I could and it was easy,” exclaims Stiles.

“The concept is about achieving a breath body connection, moving in a way that feels great to move and naturally through simple and challenging moments alike.

“From my earliest memories, I was interested in connection and expansion and the concept of movement with ease. It’s an evolution of yoga, but the concept is very open and connected to elements of nature, science and the human experience.

“The more I got into yoga, the more I saw a divide and people who didn’t practise. I started making videos and sharing classes with friends. I needed a name for my studio and came up with Strala. It’s a Swedish word that means to radiate light. The meaning was synchronicity.

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I thought I had invented a word combining strength, balance and awareness. I created a concept that was simple and natural, but didn’t exist in the industry.”

What makes Stiles’ Strala classes distinct from traditional yoga is a series of moods and paces to suit participants, according to how they are feeling. “Natural movement allows people to get further with less effort,” she continues. “Dance understands this concept very well. Yoga often gets stuck on dissection. I’m not interested in teaching people about their elbows or an evolution of Hindu philosophy but more in guiding people to connect with how they feel and move naturally so they can build strength and a healthy range of motion.”

But Stiles’ approach is not solely based around exercise. Her holistic approach to life is reflected in her book, Make Your Own Rules Diet which encompasses self-reflection, relaxation and diet. “Healthy and balanced living means having a consistent practise of mindfulness that spreads through the day,” she explains. “From meditation to mindful eating and interactions, self-care and reflection, there is so much variety to keep things interesting and balanced. Start small and do something every day – whether it’s five minutes of yoga in the morning or after work, or five minutes of meditation or both.

Keep at it consistently.

“My first two books were more about yoga practice and aim to make that more approachable for people. Food and mood were the next steps to tackle. Everyone wants to feel better. I wanted to demystify healthy eating and show that it can be delicious, as well as healthy and, just as importantly, cost-effective.”

With step-by-step goal setting processes, six yoga routines, breathing and meditation practices, plus an array of recipes, Stiles invites us to create our own paths to realise our individual goals. Based on her own achievements, it’s a route we might be welladvised to choose.

Make Your Own Rules Diet by Tara Stiles is published by Hay House.

Tara Stiles has collaborated with Jane Fonda and Deepak Chopra, is author of three books, has more than 200,000 YouTube subscribers and was described

by Vanity Fair as, ‘the coolest yoga instructor ever’

Tara’s tips for healthy living: 1. PRACTISE REGULARLY I have loads of videos online to help people fit in a few minutes of yoga wherever you are and however much time you have.

2. DRINK YOUR GREENS! Green juices and smoothies are an easy way to get your energy up and keep your whole body and energy vibrant.

3. DO NEW THINGS, LEARN NEW SKILLS TO STAY INTERESTED AND ACTIVE I’m into knitting, learning languages and Japanese culture. Pick something and make a hobby out of it. It will keep your mind sharp.

4 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT

TARA STILES

How do you start your day…

Green dream – spinach, banana, almond milk. Blend and enjoy. Then five minutes of yoga.

Fly on the wall – who would you visit?

The Dalai Lama – I want to see if he really meditates all day long.

What’s your driving force?

I have no idea, I just love what I do and I have a lot of energy. Also, I want to help.

I know my work helps, so that’s why I go after it every day.

What rules must be broken in life?

All of them – except for traffic lights

MOVE PAST

YOUR FEAR 3 WAYS TO OVERCOME YOUR WORRIES 1. DISAPPEAR FEAR BY CHOOSING A POSITIVE MENTAL IMAGE

When we’re afraid, our minds are full of negative thoughts and images. When you are feeling afraid, tune into the negative images in your head, then choose to replace them with positive images that reflect your desired outcome. For example, if you’re afraid that starting your own business will end in bankruptcy and losing your house, instead picture your new business becoming wildly successful and buying a second home with all your extra income.

2. FOCUS ON THE PHYSICAL SENSATIONS

You may feel fear in your body as a sinking feeling in your stomach, a tightening in your shoulders and chest, or an elevated heart rate. Next, focus on the feelings you’d rather be experiencing instead, such as peace and joy. Fix these two different impressions in your mind’s eye, then move back and forth between the two, spending 15 seconds or so in each.

After a minute or two, you’ll find yourself feeling neutral and centred.

3. RECALL YOUR SUCCESSES

You’ve overcome countless fears to become the person you are today. New experiences always feel a little scary. But when you face your fears and do them anyway, you build up confidence in your abilities. The situation you’re facing now and how your fear is manifesting may be different than what you’ve experienced in the past, but you know how to overcome your fears. Every successful person I know has been willing to take a leap of faith even though they were afraid. They knew that if they didn’t act, opportunity would pass them by.

Fear is a mental trick that your ego uses in attempt to protect you from the negative outcomes it imagines. You create your fear and you have the power to dissolve it as well.

Use these techniques to overcome this roadblock, so you can turn your dreams into reality and live the life you deserve. Remember, no one achieves greatness by playing it safe.

Fear is one of most common reasons people procrastinate on taking action toward their goals. Motivational speaker and co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Jack Canfield, gives some advice about overcoming this ubiquitous obstacle

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In an effort to avoid failure, rejection, being embarrassed, disappointing or angering other people, getting hurt and a plethora of other things, we play it safe and avoid trying new things.

Fear is natural. But it’s important to remember that, as humans, we’ve evolved to the stage where almost all of our fears are now self-created.

We scare ourselves by imagining negative outcomes to any activities we pursue or experience. In fact, psychologists like to say that fear stands for Fantasized Experiences Appearing Real.

It is important to identify any unfounded fears. Try this simple exercise.

First, make a list of the things you are afraid to do. These are not things you are afraid of, such as spiders, but instead the things you are afraid do to, such as skydiving.

Next, restate each fear in the following format: I want to_______________, and I scare myself by imagining ____________________.

For example, I want to start my own business, and I scare myself by imagining that I would go bankrupt and lose my house.

By completing this statement for all of the things we are afraid to do, it’s easy to see how we create our own fear by imagining negative outcomes in the future.

EDITION

ARE YOU LOSING

SLEEP? Insomnia is a big and scary word, but being a light sleeper is not insomnia. Neither is requiring less than eight hours of sleep. And anyway, that eight-hour myth has been debunked by research. If there is a yardstick, it is most properly seven hours a night. People who regularly sleep seven hours experience better quality of life, and live longer than others. But that does not mean that this particular yardstick applies to you. We all have different requirements in many areas. Our requirements may also change over time.

Back to insomnia. Are we quibbling about words? Yes, and no. Yes, because some of these other conditions can be quite stressful as well. No, because in my understanding, insomnia sets in when you get obsessed with the amount and quality of sleep you are getting (or not getting), and you obsess about it. You may try to control sleep consciously and, as a consequence, you become hyper-vigilant. You get upset because you are not sleeping. You start thinking thoughts like, ‘Oh, no… not another sleepless night, and another sleepy and tired day tomorrow. Why is this happening to me? Why can’t I sleep normally like other people?’ And so on. Now, what keeps you awake is your reaction more than anything else. Being upset at anything is not particularly sleepinducing.

In my book, Buddha’s Book of Sleep – Sleep Better in Seven Weeks with Mindfulness Meditation, I suggest mindfulness practices for achieving better sleep.

Mindfulness practices promote being in our senses over being in our thoughts, and being in the ’here and now’ over being in the past or the future. You may be physically lying down in a dark, quiet, and comfortable bed, but mentally you may be going over an acrimonious argument you had with your teenage son earlier that day.

And the body does not know the difference between an imaginary argument and a real one. In both cases it gets all worked up, and pretty soon, you are more ready for jogging than for sleeping.

Mindfulness makes it possible to let go, and to abandon yourself to sleep. This is different from trying to control sleep. There are some things we can and do control, like our skeletal muscles, and which way our car is going when we are behind the wheel. There are other things we cannot control consciously. Sleep is one of them.

The conscious mind may be good at creating the conditions for sleep, like turning off the light and so on, but it has no clue about how to do sleep. The ‘doers’ among us may carry the control habit too far where it stops functioning and backfires.

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EDITION There is a difference between insomnia and mere sleep disturbance – waking up regularly at 3am is not insomnia. Sleep expert Joseph Emet and Paul McKenna help us see reality

Mindfulness makes it possible to be aware of our habits of mind, our attitudes, and our thoughts. Awareness is the first step towards change.

My book addresses these and other sleep problems; it also has guided meditation exercises you can do in order to develop a more accepting attitude towards yourself, and a more peaceful attitude in bed. Just knowing about these things may not be enough. Mindfulness is a skill, and the exercises are designed to develop this skill so that it will be available when needed. Many people find that as a result of doing these exercises the quality of their daytime life, and the quality of their relationships also improve. The same mindfulness skills also help reduce the amount of stress we feel.

ADVICE FROM THE SLEEP EXPERT,

PAUL MCKENNA • Research shows that if you get up just half an hour earlier than your usual waking time, it resets your body clock and works a treat in helping you sleep. So get up at 6:30am instead of 7am.

• The bedroom is for two things, sleeping and making love. Do not watch TV in bed. Action movies will get your adrenalin going in a way that is different to sexual excitement, and the news will get you all wound up because of all the negativity.

• Use a hypnosis CD or app to help calm you down.

Getting to sleep is a process, and people who suffer from insomnia get wound up and obsess about how much sleep they are getting. To fall asleep you need to be calm and relaxed, and if you wake up in the middle of the night, get up and do something boring, like your accounts or cleaning the house. Don’t reward yourself by doing something interesting.

• A common cause for not being able to sleep is a racing mind. To overcome this you need to silently describe your stream of consciousness, but it is very important that you do this silently. Use a boring voice, like a university lecturer, and say, ‘Now I am aware that I am thinking about this. Now I am aware that I am thinking that’ as each thought pops into your head.

• Stay away from apps that focus on the time you spend awake rather than the quality of your sleep. It’s not about the number of hours of sleep you get, but rather the quality of sleep. My app, ‘I can help you sleep’ will help you relax before you sleep and encourage the quality of sleep you need. w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

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MIND WHAT YOU EAT If you’ve ever overeaten, rushed your meal, eaten comfort or junk food, you’re not alone, but knowing each of these things isn’t good for you and figuring our why you do them could be the key to weight loss and a healthy life. Authors Ruth Wolever and Beth Reardon, both leading experts from Duke Integrative Medicine, spent 14 years researching The Mindful Diet, the first book to combine health psychology and nutrition.

While most of us have a fairly good idea of what we shouldn’t eat, it’s the ingrained unhealthy eating habits that hold us back from succeeding when it comes to making the right nutritional choices.

“Our culture is very externally focused,” says Wolever. “People look for external advice, and diets become a set of rules to follow with someone else telling us what to do. That can work for a short period of time, but we are likely to return to old eating habits over time, and that’s why many people will lose weight but then gradually regain or increase their body weight over the long-term.”

It’s a challenge that many yo-yo dieters experience repeatedly, but weight-loss success is far more likely to come from within than from others, believes Wolever. “Lots of people ignore their own bodies and internal wisdom,” she says. “It’s counterintuitive and leads to a disconnect between our mind and body. If we access the incredible power of our mind and appreciate what we have internally we improve both our mind and self-esteem.”

Knowing the nutritional make-up of your diet is one thing, but have you ever thought about the psychology of what you eat? A new book combines both to help you lose weight and keep it off for life

As the book’s title suggests, mindfulness is a powerful tool in changing our approach to food and affecting our behaviour.

Stress, unhappiness and unconscious beliefs are all likely contributors to unhealthy eating and so being in the moment and thinking about what and how we eat can make huge inroads to change. Arianna Huffington, Miranda Kerr and Daisy Lowe are all advocates of mindful eating.

“Mindfulness helps people shift their behavior,” continues Wolever.

“We experience behaviours as single events – we buy and eat fries – but what goes into that single action are hundreds of tiny events psychologically. Mindfulness enables you to see those other events and gives you more choices and control.

“For example, hunger and fullness are not an all or nothing state.

There are gradations of fullness and it’s a powerful recognition when you experience that for the first time. Instead of eating on autopilot, mindfulness allows you to be far more procedural and see the different neurological events that are at play. When we see how fluid our existence is, and how we can make different choices, we see that we are not so stuck as we think we are, and feel empowerment.

“It takes real exploration and practice to make it work, but mindfulness can help people to reap the benefits of making healthy choices, losing weight and keeping it off for life.”

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5 TIPS FOR MINDFUL EATING 1. Make time to learn how to pay attention – The Mindful Diet contains a number of practices to achieve this.

2. Practise on a daily basis, even in tiny bursts so that you are consistent in using mindful eating as a regular framework.

3. Tune into your internal signals – when you eat, how hungry are you, how full and what are you experiencing emotionally?

4. Ask these questions from a curious and non-judgmental place – we are so self-critical and hard on ourselves, but mindfulness creates a space to be exploratory and kind.

The Mindful Diet by Ruth Wolever PhD and Beth Reardon MS, RD, LDN with Tania Nannan is published by Scribner.

5. If you really want something have it – take a single bite and relish it. If you don’t want it, say no, even if others are pressuring you to share the experience.

Honour yourself and stay committed. w w w . t he b e s t yo uma ga z i ne . c o

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Actress Tanya Franks has appeared in EastEnders, The Bill and Broadchurch, but she’s also helping other overcome their phobias with NLP

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TRUST A STRANGER This sounds totally pretentious, but I’m going to say it anyway – I am literally amazing myself. For those of you familiar with neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), you’ll understand exactly how I feel. For those of you who haven’t heard of NLP, I hope this will introduce you to this powerful tool, which has the potential to help each of us live better, more fulfilling lives.

As an actress of stage and screen, I am constantly channelling and overcoming my nerves. And yet my fear of spiders absolutely floored me. I would end up in tears and a nervous, quivering wreck at the very sight of the tiniest eight-legged creature.

Dr. Richard Bandler, co-founder of NLP, cured me of my debilitating, life-long phobia. I name this anniversary Rosie Day, the day I held, for the first time, a spider (Rosie the tarantula) in the palm of my hand. My fears (of spiders, snakes, and even the crucifixion) eroded. Having been so blown away by this life-changing technique, I trained as an NLP practitioner, and with a few added techniques of my own creation that have proven to work, I now help others overcome their phobias.

I was entering the underground at London Bridge station. I believe in using the escalator for exercise and, as I began to step down, I saw a young lady of about 20 standing ahead of me. She could hear my footsteps descending towards her as she tightly held on to the arm of the young man standing next to her on the same step. She was shooting worrying looks over her shoulder at me as she heard me approaching. “Excuse me please”, I asked, wanting to pass her.

She shuffled in a frozen fashion closer to her friend, with a petrified look on her face as she apologised to me, “I’m so frightened, I’m scared I’m going to fall.” I placed my hand on her shoulder, attempting to reassure her that she would be absolutely fine and that she wouldn’t fall. As I carried on down the escalator I thought, “Hang on a minute, I wonder if she will respond to NLP if I offer to help her.” I knew I was risking her thinking me nuts, but so what – the worst she could do is refuse my help – it was worth an ask.

I waited for her and her friend to reach the bottom of the escalator. “I know I’m a stranger and this may sound crazy”, I said, “but my name is Tanya and I can help cure you of your fear if you have about five minutes to spare.” “Ok, why not trust a stranger for once”, she replied.

We moved to the side, out of the main pathway, and over the next few minutes I took her through my trust and self-control exercises and the process of visualisation. I had her reverse and shrink the fear in her mind to the point where she no longer felt scared of being on an escalator at all. She opened her eyes and thanked me. “Well, as we are still standing next to the escalators,” I said, “how about we put it to the test. Fancy giving them a go?”

“Why not”, she said bravely, smiling back at me. With that, she stepped on to the upward escalator completely on her own, went all the way to the top and came back down the descending one, not just standing, but walking down. In fact, she skipped down the last few steps! As she stepped off the bottom she was ecstatic.

“May I give a fellow Londoner a hug?” she asked.

We threw our arms around each other, said our goodbyes, and parted ways. I didn’t even learn her name.

Being able to change somebody’s life in a moment was one of the most fulfilling experiences I have ever had.

Hence, I even amazed myself!

Tanya also uses similar techniques to release people of their sugar addiction and to live a healthier life. If you are tired of having a phobia or would like to be free of sugar controlling your diet, please email nosugarnofear@gmail. com for enquiries or to book a session with Tanya.

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BE SUPER IMMUNE There are many superfoods, superherbs and super products that promote the immune system. David Wolfe, the rock star of the superfoods and longevity world, has some advice to help you boost your immune system Your immune system is vast and complex. It is designed to detoxify your body as well as protect your body from illness and foreign invaders. Harmful bacteria, viruses, calcium-forming microorganisms, and candida are part of our world. Unfortunately, so are toxic chemicals, including everything from pesticides and nuclear radiation to car pollution and most tap water. In our world, these harmful microorganisms and the endless list of toxic chemicals assault our immune system constantly. Coupled with these assaults are the daily stresses of life and their deleterious effects upon All of these add up to a weakened immune system, which can lead to a host of other physical and mental health problems: colds and flus, chronic disease, skin disorders, digestive distress, nervous conditions, even cancer. When the body has too much to deal with, it stops being able to get rid of its waste efficiently and requires more support to help it fight off what is attacking it.

We can all learn more about empowering our immune systems.

I believe the best way to activate the genius within the immune system is by ingesting certain superherbs and superfoods, taking probiotics and cultured foods, minimising toxic food exposure by eating pure organic, raw-living foods, and making healthy lifestyle improvements.

In 400BC Hippocrates wrote, ’Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food’. Out of more than 40,000 herbs used worldwide, perhaps only 50 or 60 of them are tonic superherbs. These superherbs should be taken for long periods because, like all tonics, they are more like food and they build health treasures within and nourish our ‘stress defence shield’.

Whenever possible, try to include the following superfoods, superherbs, and super products in your daily regime.

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REISHI MUSHROOM

Reishi is the queen of medicinal mushrooms. It has been the most revered herbal mushroom in Asia for more than 2,000 years. The Daoists consider Reishi an ‘elixir of immortality’. They celebrate it for its ability to improve the functioning of the immune system by protecting us from the onslaught of viruses, bacteria, pollution, chemicals, moulds and the toxicity that we are often subject to in our world.

PROBIOTICS

Consuming a combination of good quality probiotics and cultured and fermented foods, such as coconut and other kefirs, unpasteurised sauerkraut and kim chi, will lead to enhanced immunity as the beneficial probiotic bacteria are symbiotic allies to your body that help fight viruses, candida and other infections, produce B vitamins, and assist in detoxification.

CAMU CAMU BERRY

If Reishi is the queen, Chaga is the king. It contains the highest amounts of anti-tumour compounds of any herb.

Chaga is also extremely high in nourishing phytochemicals, nutrients, and free radical scavenging antioxidants, especially melanin. Chaga is second only to cacao in antioxidant content.

It’s the most powerful cancer-fighting herb known, and it fights all kinds of radiation damage to healthy tissue.

GYNOSTEMMA

It has been identified as the most medicinal of all the Chinese herbs. It contains 120 saponins (immune modulating molecules that are fat soluble on one side of the molecule, and water soluble on the other) – all of which possess specific, dualdirectional health-giving properties. This means it boosts the immune system when it needs it, but also calms it down.

When you start investigating and utilising these substances consistently and regularly as part of your overall health and exercise programme, you will notice that your immunity will be enhanced.

CHLORELLA

Chlorella is a natural, green, micro-algae, superfood detoxifier. It is the highest chlorophyll-containing plant in the world, with 40 times that of the best wheatgrass juice. The chlorophyll binds with heavy metals and chemical toxins, helping to eliminate them from the brain and nervous system.

Your thoughts will have more clarity.

Your overall energy will increase.

Feelings of wellbeing will begin to dominate your life. Superfoods and tonic superherbs can be added into anyone’s diet. Get out a blender and have fun. Make different teas with the superherbs or create new smoothies with the superfoods.

Better yet, take your superherb tea and blend it with your superfoods to make the best elixirs ever.

Getting healthier is fun!

GINSENG

Known throughout the world for its amazing energy-restoring and strength-building properties, ginseng is an adaptogen that helps our bodies ‘adapt’ to stressful environmental conditions.

Ginseng root can boost energy, induce mental alertness, improve the ratio of healthy hormones, and increase endurance. Ginseng also helps fight pain and alleviate radiation damage to healthy tissues.

ALL

IN ORDER

An effective exercise regime should achieve results (sounds pretty obvious) but so many don’t. One principle that makes the difference is exercise order.

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is forced to utilise more fat-stores as an energy source – resulting in more fat loss. Sounds pretty good, huh?

For example, many people start their programmes with cardio-vascular (aerobic) work and move on to resistance (weights) work afterwards. This is not taking advantage of the body’s natural order of utilising energy substrates. a simple, yet amazingly effective rule is simply to reverse this order.

The stimulation of muscle from the resistance work will increase your resting metabolism, providing you have adequate rest and nutrients (e.g. protein). So this will result in an increased metabolism, increased fat breakdown as well as better posture, tone, strength and so much more…

After doing 5-10 minutes’ warm-up, carry out your weight-training programme (to improve strength, posture, stability and lean muscle tone). This requires sugars for energy (in the form of blood sugar and stored glycogen from muscle and liver stores).

And don’t forget to stretch. As far as resistance exercise routines are concerned there is an array of formulas for reps, sets, sequences etc. I am not going to prescribe any set routines as I feel this should only be done after assessing each individual.

Then move on to your cardiovascular work. Since your sugar stores have been depleted, your body

What I will say is that a few simple guidelines will help you on your way: Beginners may do well on

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Fitness expert Cain Leathem says many people fail to get real results from their exercise regimes because they make simple mistakes

a whole body routine to start, but only one or two exercises should be carried out, per body part.

This is to practise correct exercise technique (preferably post-professional instruction). I would suggest starting with larger muscle groups, such as the chest, legs and back and descending on size and complexity of movement. The heavier compound exercises are more taxing on the central nervous system and stabiliser muscles (co-ordination, posture etc.).

upper body sequence to instil some rest periods for those areas during the workout.

I also work opposing muscle groups sequence.

For instance putting chest and back together, hamstrings and quadriceps, biceps and triceps, and so on. This is to ensure that you do not cause imbalances in muscles, which can negatively affect movement and posture. I would maybe suggest that you complete the exercises for the chest and back followed by the legs and then return to shoulders and arms. This gives an upper-lower-

This is not a blueprint for all workouts and as you progress you should move into split routines to intensify your workouts without over-training.

Never let your weights session last longer than one hour and ensure adequate rest between workouts.

Always finish your workout with abdominals, as starting with them will weaken your support structure and can easily lead to lower back injuries, especially if undertaking overhead work or heavy work such as squats. To strengthen your stabiliser and core section consider some exercises specific to these areas such as Swiss-ball work.

So why do so many people get it wrong? All I know is that my clients get it right, and look great for it. If you want expert advice see an expert.

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15

WAYS

TO COPE WITH CRITICISM

I’ve obsessed over what people think of me.

I’ve assigned speculative and usually inaccurate meanings to feedback I’ve received, and I’ve lost myself in negative thoughts about criticism and its merit. I work at minimising this type of behaviour – and I’ve had success for the most part – but, admittedly, it’s not easy.

I remember taking a summer acting class back in college. I actually made the people around me uncomfortable with my defensiveness. One day, the teacher was giving me feedback after a scene in front of the whole class. She couldn’t get through a single sentence without me offering some type of argument.

After a couple minutes of verbal sparring, one of my peers actually said, “Stop talking. You’re embarrassing yourself.”

Looking back, I cut myself a little slack. You’re vulnerable in the spotlight, and the student’s reaction was kind of harsh, but I needed to hear it. Because I was desperately afraid of being judged, I took everything, from everyone, as condemnation.

I realise criticism, when it comes from people who are legitimately trying to help, is rarely gentle.

A lot of the feedback we receive is unsolicited and doesn’t come from teachers – or maybe all of it does. We can’t control what other people will say to us, whether they’ll approve of our actions, or form opinions and share them. But we can control how we internalise, respond to, and learn from criticism, and, perhaps most importantly, when we release it and move on. If you’ve been having a hard time dealing with criticism lately, it may help to remember the following.

5. You have the chance to practise forgiveness when you come up against harsh critics. Most of us carry around stress and frustration that we unintentionally misdirect from time to time.

6. It’s helpful to learn how to sit with the discomfort of an initial emotional reaction instead of immediately acting or retaliating.

All too often we want to do something with our feelings – generally not a great idea.

7. Criticism gives you the chance to foster problem-solving skills, which isn’t always easy when you’re feeling sensitive, self-critical, or annoyed with your critic.

8. Receiving criticism that hits a sensitive spot helps you explore unresolved issues.

Maybe you’re sensitive because you’re holding onto something someone said to you years ago, something you need to release.

9. Interpreting someone else’s feedback is an opportunity for rational thinking. Sometimes, despite a negative tone, criticism is incredibly useful.

10. Criticism encourages you to question your instinctive associations and feelings. Praise is good, criticism bad. If we recondition ourselves to see things in less black and white terms, there’s no telling how far we can go.

11. Criticism presents an opportunity to choose peace over conflict. When criticised, our instinct may be to fight, creating unnecessary drama. The people around us generally want to help us, not judge us.

1. Looking for seeds of truth in criticism encourages humility. It’s not easy to take an honest look at yourself and your weaknesses, but you can only grow if you’re willing to try.

12. Fielding criticism helps you mitigate the need to be right. Nothing closes an open mind like ego – bad for your personal growth and damaging for relationships.

2. Learning from criticism allows you to improve. Almost every critique gives you a tool to more effectively create the tomorrow you visualise.

13. Your critics give you an opportunity to challenge any people-pleasing tendencies.

Relationships based on a constant need for approval can be draining for everyone involved. It’s liberating to let people think whatever they want – they’re going to do it anyway.

3. Criticism opens you up to new perspectives and ideas that you may not have considered.

Whenever someone challenges you, they help expand your thinking.

4. Your critics give you an opportunity to practice active listening. This means you resist the urge to analyse in your head, planning your rebuttal, and simply consider what the other person is saying.

14. Criticism gives you the chance to teach people how to treat you. If someone delivers it poorly, you can take this opportunity to tell them, “I think you make some valid points, but I would receive them better if you didn’t raise your voice.”

15. Certain pieces of criticism teach you not to sweat the small stuff. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter that your boyfriend thinks you load the dishwasher ‘wrong’.

When Lori Deschene feels exhausted, you can be sure she’s bent over backwards trying to win everyone’s approval

’Criticism is something you can easily avoid by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.’

– Aristotle

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HOME REMEDIES

THAT WORK

A PENCIL FOR TENSION HEADACHES

When we are stressed, we tend to clench our jaws, which can lead to a tension headache – never a pleasant experience.

To stop a tension headache in its tracks, take a pencil and place it horizontally between your teeth. Don’t bite down – just leave the pencil there with enough resistance to keep it in your mouth. This forces your jaw to relax, stopping the tension headache before it even starts.

It’s cheaper and healthier than taking pain killers, which can cause a massive number of health problems if abused.

YOGHURT FOR BAD BREATH

Suffering from bad breath or halitosis is both unpleasant and embarrassing.

But not to worry – there is an easy and healthy solution to your problem.

Yoghurt, particularly of the plain or natural variety, contains numerous good bacteria. And since bad bacteria are the cause of bad smells, it stands to reason that the good bacteria in yoghurt cancel out the bad bacteria that are causing your bad breath. Unsweetened yoghurt is also much better for your teeth than gum or boiled sweets, and it’s tasty too.

From butter on burns to headbands to cure headaches, the world is full of home remedies – most of which are total rubbish. That doesn’t mean they’re all snake oil, though.

Here are six reliable home remedies for common maladies

LEMON BALM TEA FOR COLD SORES

If you are prone to cold sores, you know that, like family, November and December are the months that cold sores are most likely to drop by for a visit. The cold weather paired with the stress of the upcoming festive season wreaks havoc on your immune system, and these nasty sores will start to take hold. “Lemon balm tea has antiviral properties that work to tame herpes outbreaks,” says James Duke, PhD and author of The Green Pharmacy. Prepare the tea by brewing 2-4 tbsps of the herb per cup of boiling water. Let it cool, then dot with a cotton ball on the cold sore several times a day.

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OLIVE OIL FOR ECZEMA

Those of us who suffer from eczema know that it’s no joke. It is incredibly uncomfortable, and it can get in the way of even the simplest day-to-day tasks, like wearing jeans if you have it on your legs, or using your phone if it affects your hands. The good news is that there is an easy and inexpensive treatment. “Soothe flare-ups by applying olive oil directly to the irritated area,” says Christopher Dannaker, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at the University of California San Francisco.

Packed with antioxidants, it can reduce the inflammation. It is the basis for many storebought moisturisers, but when used alone, it helps you avoid the chemical irritants common in store-bought moisturisers.

OLIVES FOR MOTION SICKNESS

Living a fast-paced city life means that many of us don’t have time for motion sickness. How can you pull over the car or get out of a train if the motion is making you nauseous when you are on your way to an important meeting? Not only are olives tasty and add a bit of flavour and texture to your Greek salad, they also have compounds that dry your mouth of the excess saliva caused by motion sickness, which will make you feel instantly better. The only downside is you might get some strange looks for carrying a jar of olives around in your handbag or briefcase.

SUGAR FOR HICCUPS

We all know how annoying it is when you get a bad case of the hiccups that just won’t go away no matter how many counts you hold your breath for or how many glasses of water you drink.

Sugar is believed to modify the nerve muscles that would otherwise tell the muscles in the diaphragm to contract spasmodically and contribute to hiccups.

So, to paraphrase Mary Poppins, ’Just a spoon full of sugar makes the hiccups disappear’.

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’Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,’ wrote the Greek physician Hippocrates more than 2,000 years ago.

Despite such age-old wisdom, it was only after two serious bouts of depression that I’ve followed his advice and learnt how medicinal food can truly be.

Initially, I was treated with antidepressants. But their debilitating side effects – I put on a stone – meant that increasingly I’ve searched for other ways to treat my anxiety. Eating carefully has hugely helped me manage my low mood and tendency to anxiety, and I’m not alone.

More and more research is being done to show the impact of food on our emotions. Pioneers in the growing field of ‘food therapy’ are breaking new ground: researchers at Louisiana State University are even treating post-traumatic stress disorder with the common blueberry, and yielding positive results.

I was lucky enough to be able to turn to Alice Mackintosh, a highly respected nutritionist who works at The Food Doctor, to help me choose a diet that has improved my mood. Here are the tips that have helped me improve the relationship between my food and mood

1. ADD A DASH OF COLOUR

My first colourful tip is to eat foods that reflect the many colours of the rainbow; and not only because it’s a joyful experience to fill your plate with as many vibrant hues and shades as you can possibly find.

Greens, purples, oranges, and blues – all these are found in fruit and vegetables. They are key sources of the vitamins and minerals that are essential for life and happiness. These colourful plant-based foods are full of phytonutrients, natural compounds that prevent disease and help our bodies achieve optimum health and improve our mood. Meanwhile white foods, be they bread, pasta or rice, have had much of their nutritional goodness processed out of them in preparation for the consumer.

2. GO WITH YOUR GUT

Secondly, Mackintosh also helped me increase the amount of ‘good bacteria’ in my system. For decades, antibiotics have been used both in medicine and in the food chain, which in turn has reduced the presence of both good and bad bacteria in our bodies. We need to try and up our supplies of good bacteria. They help speed up our metabolism and improve our mood by producing serotonin and dopamine which are conducive to calm. Thus the birth of ‘psychobiotics’, a catchy name for the live organisms that, when eaten in adequate amounts, can help improve people’s mood. Not for nothing do we use the expression ‘gut feeling’, our gut being connected to our emotional limbic system.

Probiotic foods include sauerkraut (a type of fermented cabbage), kimchi (a vegetable dish) and tempeh (a soy product). I must confess I’ve never managed to eat any of them. Probiotic or live yoghurt is easier for most of us. It’s also proved relatively easy to try and eat the pre-biotics that feed our good gut bacteria. They include onions, leeks, artichokes, garlic and asparagus.

Trying to avoid factory-produced meats with high levels of antibiotics is another good approach.

Organic meat, which shouldn’t have been exposed to as many antibiotics, but given its expense even easier

is to cut down on meat altogether. Although I know it’s more effective to eat the right foods rather than take a pill, and I do manage to eat industrial quantities of yoghurt, sometimes I resort to taking a probiotic supplement in the morning. I’ve popped a smiley face on the bottle to remind me that good bacteria can make me jollier.

3. BOOST YOUR ‘BS’

Thirdly, I now try and seek out peas, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, chickpeas, soya beans, peanuts, wholegrain rice and porridge. All are rich in B vitamins. Many people who suffer low mood have been found to be low in vitamin B. It may even be worth investing in a supplement to make sure you’re getting your fill. But we all know eating the right foods is best.

My final tip is to try and cultivate a loving and empowering relationship between your brain and the food on your plate. For me, and I suspect it’s the same for most people, our attitude to food is as much about emotion as it is about satisfying hunger. It is a case of mind over platter.

So, instead of allowing a rush of emotion to drive me towards comfort food, I try to stop and ask my body what it actually needs from me. Try not to feel deprived by your positive choices, but rather as if you are gaining something extra; be it the steady and relaxing effect of a bowl of vegetable soup or how much better you might sleep after a grounding bowl of warm porridge at night. And remember the wise words of one Ancient Greek philosopher.

Rachel Kelly’s memoir, Black Rainbow: how words healed me – my journey through depression, is published by Hodder & Stoughton and is available for purchase on Amazon. The Black Rainbow app is available for download on the Apple App store and Google App store for free.

All author proceeds to SANE and United Response.

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

SPECIAL

EDITION

EAT YOURSELF

WELL Author Rachel Kelly believes that food can be a valuable tool in achieving a positive state of mind

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Are you lacking energy and tired of living from paycheck to paycheck? Maybe you’re tired of 60-hour workweeks, or your deadlines prevent you from having a happy, balanced home.

Stefanie Hartman asks if a work life balance is just a pipe dream

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FEEL & LOOK GOOD

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If you’re dragging your feet to work every day, it might be time to cash it all in for a better life.

According to one survey, more than 50 per cent of workers feel tremendous stress on the job, and 77 per cent say they feel burnout. If you can relate to this, then perhaps it’s time to re-examine life’s possibilities for you.

You can find a new way of working, earning money and truly achieving a work life balance.

It may require a complete shift in how you think about earning money. Most people trade time for money, but you should be trading your value for money. One major way to do this is to use your life experience to help transform other people’s lives in the areas of business, money, relationships, health or spirituality by becoming an ‘expert’ and building a business around your expertise.

You could be like Dr Dubynski, who decided to build a business beyond his medical practice and become a parenting expert. Or Dr Scott Brown, who is The Wallet Doctor, an expert breaking open the doors on Wall Street and teaching the little guy how to win big through savvy investment strategies. He went from a $65,000/year university professor’s salary to earning more than $445,858 in his first year, simply by packaging up his knowledge.

If you could replace your income without having to clock in to work every day, why not do it? Selling your expertise allows you to get paid for your value – not your time. Here are the top reasons to get paid for your value rather than your time.

You can’t shake the feeling you were meant for more. There are many professionals who’ve worked in the same business for 25 years and decide they want a different lifestyle. They’re tired of the 9 to 5 grind and want a life where they can spend more time traveling or being at home with their families.

You are a vault of information and experience.

You’ve spent years learning and observing. You can see people around you making mistakes that you would have avoided. What is common sense to you that is not for others. Stop selling yourself short!

Flexibility. Work from home or build your own office. Work five days a week or work three. Move to a new city or country every year and maintain your business from your laptop and phone.

Take that six-month sabbatical you have been dreaming of.

Customisation. Experts can package their information in the form of books, speeches, DVDs, live group trainings, executive consulting, online programs and services, or creating a company that trains others to ‘do’ what you ‘know’. Choose the combination that suits your strengths.

The Green! Finally! Can I say it? No more begging for vacation time or your next raise. You are in charge of how much you earn and when. You write your own payslip, when you need or want it.

Go forwards and make the life that you really want – it’s yours for the taking.

KNOW

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LEARN

TO LET GO Recent years have brought about a plethora of techniques that can help to release emotions. This list has been put together based on my personal experience of these therapies in my own quest to recover from childhood sexual abuse.

I am walking testament to the fact that emotions can be released.

Limiting beliefs like ‘I’m no good’ or ‘I deserve to be punished’ can be released forever. Here are some of the most popular techniques.

PSYCHOTHERAPY: Essentially a ‘talking cure’ that centres on the client working through their issues with a therapist. The idea is that talking about your problems and past will give you a better understanding of yourself and raise self-awareness.

AFFIRMATIONS: Repeated positive affirmations might change your

state of mind or mood in the short term, but they doesn’t remove limiting beliefs. Also, in order for affirmations to change your state, you have to remember to say them.

PSYCHODRAMA: This is where you act out painful situations from your past and change them so you can experience something different, like fighting back, feeling more powerful.

EFT: This technique is based on tapping meridians to release the

emotion. The tapping points are usually on the face, torso and hands.

EMOTRANCE: By paying attention to where you feel the emotion in your body, allowing it to soften and flow using attention, the feeling leaves your body and with it, the emotion.

SHAMANIC HEALING: Based on various tribal cultures, this uses

altered states of consciousness, dream work, energy work and symbolism to change your experience of the physical reality.

NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING AND HYPNOSIS: NLP is a

collection of techniques that are based on modelling successful therapists and therapies. I found this amazingly enabling; it allowed me to access more resources and cope with situations that had previously caused me great anxiety. It’s quick and effective.

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It’s a myth that once you’ve had a traumatic experience, you will be emotionally scarred for life.

Dr. Lisa Turner knows otherwise

TIMELINE THERAPY: TLT is phenomenally powerful and, as someone who had been daily haunted by my past, was barely able to function normally, and found even the most ordinary situations traumatic and terrifying, TLT was a miracle.

HIGHER SELF THERAPY – This technique is even more effective than

time line therapy as it is even quicker and removes emotions at an even deeper level. Whereas TLT removes the emotions from the emotional and mental body, higher self therapy also releases it from a soul or karmic level.

These last two are the ones I now teach to my students and are the ones I recommend most highly. If you have had trauma in the past, even if you are not healed yet, please take this one thing from reading this. You can recover. All you have to do is decide.

If you need free instant access to abuse recovery advice, go to www.recoverfromabuse.com

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With a new diet craze making the rounds every few weeks, it’s tricky to know what advice to follow.

Nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert offers some advice on the current crop of eating plans

SWITCH YOUR DIET

Recent scientific research has been heavily focused on sugar and processed foods (which I feel is a right move) and the effects they have on both weight management and one’s risk of developing metabolic diseases. I am an advocate of a healthy lifestyle and eating what I call ‘real’ and ‘clean’ foods; faddy diets are not good for your body.

DUKAN DIET

Also known as the caveman diet, this is a good way of eliminating anything processed such as wheat, dairy, potatoes and refined sugars, which were not present before the Palaeolithic era.

It can be dangerous to exclude whole food groups without seeking nutritional advice first.

Nutrient deficiencies may arise from this diet, but if you adapt it to cater to your nutritional requirements this is a great way of ‘eating clean’.

Based on a low-carbohydrate and high protein diet with strict rules to follow, you can eat as much as you want during the four phases of the diet, as long as you stick to the rules. It is possible to lose weight fairly quickly during this diet, but, ultimately, it is not a healthy way of going about this. The diet is not nutritionally balanced, which is emphasised by the requirement of a multi-vitamin supplement and additional fibre added from oat bran.

If you are unable to follow the rules of this diet, there may also be long-term health risks alongside the short-term side effects such as bad breath, dry mouth, tiredness, dizziness, insomnia and nausea from cutting out carbs (the only fuel your brain can use is from carbohydrates).

ALKALINE DIET

5:2 DIET

This is a great rounded diet, but it’s tough to get into. Known as the low-GI (glycaemic index) diet, this was originally developed for patients in the US with heart conditions. There’s no calorie counting and the diet includes three meals a day with snacks and an exercise plan. As tempting as the promise of a weight loss of up to 13lbs in the first instance might be, the South Beach diet isn’t for everybody.

Remember, this is not just fat loss; water and carbs are also reduced, and they’ll eventually be replaced when you begin eating normally again. Overall, once you get past the first phase of the diet, the basic principles of healthy and nutritionally balanced eating and exercise are great to follow.

This diet involves intermittent fasting (IF) – where you eat normally five days a week and fast on the other two days – which works by reducing calorie intake. This diet has been found to significantly lower one’s risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and may help lower the risk of certain obesity-related cancers, such as breast cancer.

However, if you are considering it, you should first talk to your GP to see if it is suitable for you.

Not everyone can fast safely. It is important to remember nutrients are equally important as numbers. I’d only advise following this diet if you chose to abide by a balanced eating plan devised by a nutritionist to avoid nutritional deficiencies, dehydration or over-eating on non-fast days. Be sure to ask yourself if this diet is maintainable for you?

PALEO DIET

Another low-carb, high-protein diet, the Paleo Diet focuses on food that can be hunted, fished (meat and seafood) or gathered (eggs, nuts, seeds, vegetables, herbs and spices).

This diet promotes good healthy eating habits such as cutting down on meat consumption, refined sugar, caffeine, processed foods (acid-forming foods) and upping the intake of vegetables, fruit and whole grains otherwise known as ‘alkaline foods’. The belief is that excess acid in the body turns to fat and contributes to conditions such as osteoporosis and kidney and liver disorders. The body actually maintains its pH balance regardless of diet and, once again, cutting out whole food groups without consulting a health professional is not advisable. That being said, I think the alkaline diet contains a number of sound dietary principles.

SOUTH BEACH DIET

The food that you eat can be the difference between feeling merely okay and feeling on top of the world, both mentally and physically.

Ultimately, any nutritional programme should be carefully considered. No single plan is suitable for all so take advice before you embark on an eating plan.

Find out more at rhitrition.com

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We all have the potential within us to be the best version of ourselves each and every day, yet so many of us keep this potential at bay.

Maybe it’s because we are stressed and frightened of what we do not know; maybe it’s because we hold on to unhelpful thinking patterns simply because they are familiar to us; maybe it’s because what we really fear is discovering our own immense inner power, so we tell ourselves stories based on our own limiting beliefs.

We tell ourselves that we could never do this and that we can never become that, and then we end up believing these stories and feeling even more stressed and uneasy.

Being the best you is all about learning how to be who you really are. It’s about letting go of the labels and judgments you have placed upon yourself with or without other people’s help. It’s about remembering to forget the unhelpful stories you tell yourself everyday.

It’s about remembering to tell yourself a different story, a story that inspires you, a story that empowers you and leaves you feeling good and at ease.

You are more than what you will ever truly know and when you think you can be no more, you will discover yet another side to yourself that you have not yet discovered.

You have the potential within you to become the best version of yourself at any given time, and that is extremely empowering and freeing. The word potential itself is derived from the Latin verb meaning ‘to be able’. You are able.

The power and ability to excel at being yourself is within you, and it will happen naturally once you allow it to happen, and the more you begin to get curious about the wonderful future possibilities, the more you will be able to create these for yourself. You are your own master; nobody

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knows you better than you do, and you may have forgotten what it feels like to be the best. However, you have the capacity to embrace lifelong learning and to develop yourself day by day.

Being the best you is what you naturally did as a very small child when you took your first step forwards. You cried and laughed in the best possible way and you did it naturally and with ease. Those first words you spoke and those first steps you took were you at your best and naturally stressfree. Free from worry, free from anxiety and free from not being good enough. Free from fear except for the fears that kept you safe and sound and are innate in all of us.

Take a moment now to close your eyes for a second or two and focus on how easy it is for you to take a deep breath and begin to wonder about who you truly are. Just as the sun is always above the clouds you can wonder about the earth you live on.

The sky, and the deep blue seas all nurture a longing to fulfill their purpose and do so without any effort at all.

The trees and the flowers and nature all come together and flow like a wondrous poem.

When you are just you, you are naturally in a state of calm wellbeing, without a care in the world just growing and learning and feeling inspired by what is.

We can all benefit from this feeling of connection and you are no exception. And the more we feel connected to our loved one’s, our friends and our colleagues the more we feel a sense of wellbeing, purpose and satisfaction.

You can begin to notice the moments throughout your day when you connect to your heart and through that connection travels love, for yourself and for those your

heart touches that day.

Take a moment to share your sunny rays with those that just now are touching the clouds.

As you know, clouds come and go and the winds of change blow and you can think about the fact that potential does not come in a fixed quantity. There is no end to your potential and the good news is that it doesn’t finish or run out.

There are no limits to what you are about to achieve and with each new achievement comes a new sense of wellbeing the kind of wellbeing you felt as a child when you took your first step and when you spoke your first words and smiled.

The English Sisters are authors of Stress Free in Three Minutes.

The English Sisters are experts when it comes to letting go of life’s unnecessary worries. Join them on this journey, and you too could be stress-free in minutes

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

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A STRESS-FREE

SUMMER

Even if you don’t have a weight problem, the chances are you will know a relative or a friend that does. As the years pass this will only get worse as obesity issues are affecting younger and younger people. It is up to us all as a nation to speak up and work towards change for ourselves and future generations.

“Obesity does not have only one cause,” states nutritionist Jessica Villa, “even though diet plays a major role in the development of this problem, it could be referred to as an ‘umbrella’ term, meaning that there are multiple causes to obesity, such as lifestyle, diet, illness, social environment or levels of education.” ”Diet alone may not make you obese, but the sum of a sedentary life, together with a fast food-based diet, laced with saturated fats and refined sugars, could most certainly lead to obesity. Fizzy drinks are a big problem too, full of refined sugar syrup, which is readily turned into fat by the body and challenges the pancreas, which can lead to diabetes.

People need to stay away from refined, prepared foods and stick to a more natural, wholesome diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, wholemeal breads and pastas, grilled meats or fish and plenty of natural water.

If you are not overweight, it can be easy to think that the obesity is not your problem.

But with around 60 per cent of our adult population overweight or obese, Susannah Gilbert explains that it is an issue that is going touch all our lives 58

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Putting thought into what we eat can really make the difference in our health and is the best policy for an obesity-free life.”

There is no quick fix. If there was the world would not be facing an obesity crisis. We all know that heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancers are more common in obese people, but there are also a whole range of other problems that overweight people face.

We regularly hear from people about their struggle with emotional issues relating to food and weight.

This is something that covers a wide arena from bullying to low self-esteem, bulimia, depression and comfort eating. The latter can start subconsciously and then lead to a lifetime of unhealthy food habits.

These problems are often kept secret which can in turn cause feelings of isolation.

We live in a society that offers to supersize everything for us from plate sizes to milkshakes. Walking into some shops there are stands of fat-filled products to tempt shoppers before they reach the main aisles.

Trays of muffins and cakes stand proudly in prime position. What makes it even more astonishing is the quantity in these packs – ten doughnuts are not an unusual sight! We know as a nation we need to review our relationship with food and portion control so this doesn’t help the problem.

Being active is important for us all, but this in itself can be a challenge both physically and emotionally for overweight people – a swimming pool or gym can be daunting. What’s needed is more nationwide plus sizeonly sports sessions.

This will not only raise people’s activity levels but also their self-esteem.

Mobility issues are also a common problem. We also need to make sure overweight children are given every opportunity to get active in an environment where they don’t feel uncomfortable or bullied.

Don’t be put off, everyone has their Day One: make today yours. You can do it.

Set yourself smaller goals – a stone at a time – so you reach your targets.

For those of you without weight problems, don’t judge. Offer positive support and remember people may have emotional issues that need to be dealt with too.

Any long-term approach has to be a holistic one to help curb the obesity crisis and create foundations for a healthier future.

Big Matters addresses all aspects of daily life for overweight people in the UK. Being overweight can be very isolating and the charity aims to help people interact with others in the same position by offering positive support.

For more information visit

bigmatters.co.uk

TACKLING

OBESITY

HOW TO FEEL

RICH...

No matter what your bank statement says, there are countless ways to create the experience of feeling prosperous. These practices don’t have to cost a lot – or even any – money, and they can shift the way you experience money instantly.

1. CREATE A MONEY LOVE JOURNAL

What we put our attention on grows. Many of us forget to include our money in our regular mindfulness practices. A money love journal will give you a special place to write your own money love story. It’s a great place to journal about your emotions regarding money, to keep a desire list, and to do the exercises outlined below. Creating a book with the specific intention of cultivating a loving relationship with your money can have a very powerful, positive energetic effect on your money.

Task: Find a blank book that looks and feels really abundant to you. The

colours gold, deep purple, red and royal blue are associated with prosperity in feng shui, so choosing a book in those tones would be perfect. This is your sacred book for the practice of loving your money, so make sure you love it.

If you want to save money, you can even make one yourself. Just Google DIY blank books and you’ll find tons of ideas.

2. MONEY CAN BE SPIRITUAL

Many people hold the belief that having money or wanting to make money is unspiritual. It’s important to be aware of the beliefs that are running your relationship with money. If you believe it’s unspiritual to have or want to have money, there’s no way you’re going to allow yourself to have abundance. Since money is simply a stand-in for what we value, and since we earn money based on the amount of value we’ve offered to the world, making money can, in fact, be a deeply spiritual practice. If you’re focused on being of service and adding value, you will earn more money. Moving through the world in this way is a spiritual practice. That’s a win-win.

Task: Begin to pay attention to your thoughts, beliefs and words about

money. What we think and say are powerful forces that shape our realities.

Stop making negative comments about people with money. Replace ‘I can’t afford that’ with ‘I’m choosing not to buy that.’ Examine your inner money monologues so you can change your story.

3. PLUG FINANCIAL ENERGY LEAKS

Since money is a stand in for what we value, it’s important to spend money only on those people, places and things that we value. When our spending is in alignment with our values, we feel good. When our spending isn’t in alignment with our values, we feel guilt, shame, fear or worry.

Task: Look at your most recent credit card or bank statement. Go through

each expense and check in with yourself. Ask yourself: ‘How do I feel about that purchase?’ If you get an expansive, good feeling, put a smiley face next to it. If you get a contracted, negative feeling, put a frown next to it. Now, go through and identify what sort of situation you were in when you made each frown face purchase. Who were you with? Where were you? What were the emotions you were feeling at the time? This will give you the powerful information you need to change your future spending habits in a way that repairs your financial energy leaks. Next time you’re in those situations, be more vigilant when you take out your wallet.

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4. THE TRUE MEANING OF ABUNDANCE

True abundance isn’t about stuff, it’s about a feeling. Having material goods like a beautiful home, good food, and nice clothing may make you feel abundant, but so will health, great friends and adventure. Each person will have a different set of circumstances that make him or her feel whole and abundant; it’s important to define what those are for you. Detach your perception of abundance from just material wealth and start to create a new, broader, more inclusive definition for yourself.

Task: Make a practice of cutting out pictures from magazines that evoke a

feeling of abundance to you that aren’t necessarily associated with material things. A beautiful picture of an ocean, an image of a family seated around a table or a photo of a woman practicing yoga might all be great images that represent abundance.

Even if you are overrun by debt or struggling with money, it is possible to have the experience of true abundance, according to Kate Northrup

WHEN YOU’RE

BROKE

LIVER-LOVING SUPER PASTA With a ‘wow!’ taste factor guarantee, this rocket and artichoke recipe is pure yumminess on a plate that’s ready in just 12 minutes.

Seasonal wild rocket helps to detoxify the liver by stimulating bile flow and contains many phytochemicals and anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants negate free radicals, molecules that are associated with cell damage and ageing, while one of the indole phyto-chemicals rocket contains helps detoxify hormones via the liver, among other things, helping to counter the carcinogenic effects of oestrogen.

Artichokes, too, are great for the liver. They contain the phytonutrients Cynarine and Silymarin, known to boost liver cell regeneration, and have long been considered a good natural remedy for hepatitis.

Remember: eat plenty of fresh salad vegetables and you’ll ‘rocket’ yourself to sky-high health.

Ingredients (per person):

• 1 handful gluten-free or wholemeal pasta • ¼ tsp chilli flakes • 1 clove of garlic • 1 small pinch Himalayan crystal salt • 2 handfuls of rocket • 4-5 pieces of grilled artichoke in olive oil, chopped (you can also use fresh artichoke) • 50g halloumi cheese, diced • 1 tbsp pine nuts, lightly grilled • 1 tbsp olive oil (for cooking)

Preparation:

1. Add pasta to boiling water in a pan.

Meanwhile, make a generous bed of green leaves in a pasta bowl, add chopped artichokes.

2. Grill the halloumi pieces until they just start to turn brown. Then lightly grill the pine nuts. Use a dry frying pan – no oil.

SEASONAL

SUPERFOODS

3. Once the pasta is cooked (keep testing to catch ‘al dente’), drain and place the empty pan back on the gas. Add olive oil, chilli flakes and the garlic. Before the garlic starts to turn brown, add the cooked pasta and toss so that it’s coated with the olive oil, chilli and garlic. Add a small pinch of salt.

4. Lay the pasta on top of the green bed of leaves and artichokes, place Halloumi cubes and sprinkle the pine nuts over the top before serving.

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With a plethora of interesting and colourful fruits and vegetables on the supermarket shelves this season, nutritional therapist Angela Steel guides us on why they’re so good for us and how to use them

RAW ENERGY BROAD BEAN DIP Such a bright green colour and distinctive flavour can only mean one thing: broad beans are bursting with nutritious goodness.

This dip makes a tasty snack, high in plant protein (helping to even out blood sugar spikes and troughs) and is particularly rich in B vitamins (great for energy production) and minerals like iron, copper, manganese and magnesium. Not to mention the cholesterolbusting phytosterols.

Broad beans also contain Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, which are component parts of the myelin sheath fatty layer around neurones in the brain. That means broad beans are great brain food, supporting efficient transmission and potentially slowing or reducing the effects of Alzheimer’s.

I tasted broad bean pate for the first time in Turkey and this is what inspired this recipe.

The Turkish version is usually made with dried broad beans, but here I use them fresh, almost raw and ‘in season’.

Ingredients:

• 500g fresh broad beans, shelled • 1 tsp cumin powder • 2 large spring onions finely chopped • 1 pinch Himalayan crystal salt • 2 cloves garlic • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 1 tbsp lime juice • 1 tbsp filtered water • Sprig of mint

Preparation:

1. This is not a recipe to do in a hurry.

Shelling the beans can be quite a meditative experience. Sometimes it’s good to have an excuse to slow down! Once you’ve removed the beans from their pods, drop them into boiling water for a couple of minutes.

2. Drain and transfer them to a bowl of cold water so they retain their colour. Squeeze them out of their outer skin, leaving the bright green flesh.

3. Place the peeled beans in a food processor with all the other ingredients. Stream in a tablespoon of olive oil while puréeing.

4. Place the dip in a bowl and garnish with a sprig of mint. Serve with oatcakes, crackers or raw veggie sticks.

• As a dip with nibbles for 4 people:

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BACK

ON TRACK

Getting healthy, says Dr Pedram Shojai, starts with our attitude. Most people come to the world of health when something goes wrong, a doctor sounds a warning, a spouse complains, or a friend beats us in sport, but it can start from within

Many people end up caring about health when it is very late in the game. Instead of making course corrections and staying fit, we all too often charge ahead and end up getting sick, injured, or psychologically worn down before we realise we have a problem.

The key is to realise that health isn’t a destination; it is the journey itself. The whole point of getting healthy is to enhance our vitality so we always have a reserve of energy we can work with. When stress hits, it impacts the force field of our vitality. When others are sick, we’ve got a cushion that protects us.

When we need to work through the night to meet an important deadline, we don’t crash because we have enough in the bank to get through it.

Over the years, I’ve worked with thousands of patients who come in complaining of one thing or another. For most of them, it is a simple matter of their system’s energy producing capacity being down. This often happens when our guts are unhealthy, which means the immune system is fighting off invaders all the time. We then have trouble digesting and absorbing nutrients from our food, and the cycle continues. We spend energy trying to get energy, and eventually, the math doesn’t pencil out anymore.

Our immune system is most active in the gut.

When we are not absorbing foods well, we end up having trouble distinguishing friend from foe in the gut lining, and our systems start to attack food particles and, eventually, our own cells when things get bad. This is where a lot of autoimmune problems originate.

So how do we get out of this mess?

The first step is cutting out the highly inflammatory foods: • Sugar • Gluten • Dairy • Corn • Soy

If you can cut these out for three weeks and then slowly add them back one at a time over a few days, you’ll see which ones your body isn’t happy with and which ones are the foods you’ll want to avoid for a few months. From there, start taking smaller more nutritious meals that don’t aggravate your system.

You’ll quickly start to feel more energy after meals and less drowsiness. The next big step to building your vitality then becomes to get out of deficit spending – the taking of caffeine or other stimulants to get through the day.

If we continually borrow energy from tomorrow to get through today’s struggles, we’ll never catch up and recover. This leads to sleep debt and all kinds of nasty hormonal imbalances that come when we burn the candle at both ends. Once you start to pull back on the caffeine, you’ll see how much better you can feel without it. You’ll be less jittery, and probably less moody as well.

Again, waiting until you can’t make love with your partner means that you’re too late in the game. Try paying closer attention to any significant dips in your libido. Look for the warning signs, and start to address any problems early in the game when the corrections are easy.

Remember, our vitality is a product of the net energy surplus in our bodies. More energy to the brain means more clarity, focus and enthusiasm. Wherever you are in life, look to maximise your body’s ability to get energy from good, clean, nutritious food. Keep moving, and maintain your muscle mass to keep your energy levels up. From there, keep learning and growing so your brain keeps demanding energy and vitality.

When we fire on all cylinders, the body becomes more efficient and asks for more energy. The better we get at extracting it from food and maximizing our output, the better we will feel and the more clarity we will have throughout the day.

DR SHOJAI’S VITALITY RULES 1. Eat only organic food 2. Cut all GMO foods 3. Walk at least 5,000 steps daily 4. Strengthen your core every morning 5. Get some sunshine 6. No caffeine after 2pm 7. No TV in bed 8. E at at least 30g of protein at breakfast 9. Learn to meditate

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SHOULD YOU EAT

FIVE-A-DAY? Ask the next person who tells you to eat five-a-day where this slogan comes from. Odds are, they won’t know.

Five-a-day was invented by the American National Cancer Institute and a bunch (excuse the pun) of produce companies in California in 1991.

These companies clearly stood to profit from any increase in consumption of their products.

The National Cancer Institute has since trademarked the term.

This myth has become a global nutritional cornerstone, although, as often happens with things that are not based on fact, it has mutated and become four-a-day in Ireland, six-a-day in Denmark, while Australia has gone for seven-aday.

There was no evidence at the time that any number a day would cure cancer, or any other health condition. There has been none since. In April 2010, a study was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute written by Paolo Boffetta, the head of a large group of European researchers.

The study sought to quantify if cancer risks were inversely associated with intake of fruit and vegetables. This review of data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC) study, involving almost half a million people, found that eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day had little effect on cancer risk. The small observable difference they did see could, they said, be explained by other factors.

The study grouped participants into five categories, from the lowest intake of fruits and vegetables (0 to 226 grams a day) to the highest intake (more than 647 grams a day). Significantly, the cancer risk did not vary between the groups.

In November 2010, the UK part of the EPIC study published its findings in the British Journal of Cancer. Professor Tim Key concluded that: “The possibility that fruit and vegetables may help to reduce the risk of cancer has been studied for over 30 years, but no protective effects have been firmly established.”

Even in the absence of evidence – and notwithstanding the potential harm from the 5.6bn pounds of pesticides used worldwide each year – is there still some benefit for consuming pick-a-number-a-day?

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This is where we must distinguish between fruit and vegetables – they should never appear together in the same sentence. Some vegetables – especially dark green varieties like spinach, kale and broccoli – can be rich in vitamins and minerals. These need to be served with butter (as granny knows), so that the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) can be optimised by the body.

We still need animal foods (meat, fish, eggs, dairy) for retinol (the form in which the body needs vitamin A), B12, D3 and K2, but certain vegetables can be helpful.

Fruit, on the other hand is unhelpful. Fructose (fruit sugar) is called the fattening carbohydrate and this has been known, incredibly, since 1916.

Fructose is implicated in non-alcoholic-fatty-liverdisease and Alzheimer’s (now being called diabetes type 3). Fructose goes straight to the liver to be metabolised, where it is nicely turned to fat.

Fruit is not even nutritionally worth its fattening properties – it is good for one out of 13 vitamins (vitamin C) – meat, fish and eggs clean up on the other 12. It is good for one out of 16 minerals (potassium) – rarely a mineral we are deficient in – animal foods, again, are abundant sources of all essential minerals.

Working in the field of obesity, as I do, I am horrified by well-intentioned parents trying to get five-fruit-a-day into their children (fruit being an easier ‘sell’ than veg). This kind of behaviour is actually fuelling the obesity epidemic. Table sugar is sucrose – one molecule of glucose and one of fructose. Fruit varies in its balance of glucose and fructose, but it’s the same sugar to the body – fruit just has some nutrition and sucrose none.

Fresh fruit is way too high in sugar for anyone concerned about his or her weight. As for dried fruit and fruit juice – don’t even go there. Don’t take my word for it. As Dr. Robert Lustig says, “you wouldn’t dream of giving your child beer or cola, but fruit juice is metabolised by the body in the same way.” Or, as Gary Taubes says, “If you are overweight, fruit is not your friend.”

If only public health officials had promoted the five most nutritious foods on the planet, we might not have epidemics of obesity and ill health. An optimally nutritious five-a-day would be meat (ideally liver); fish (ideally sardines); eggs; sunflower seeds and spinach. However, this was never about optimal health – it was a marketing slogan to increase profits of fruit and vegetable companies.

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

SPECIAL

EDITION Five-a-day is the best-known health message in 25 countries and three continents.

Zoë Harcombe looks at the slogan’s origin, evidence, and nutritional facts

One of the things that gives me most peace is to have a clean, simple home. When, on the other hand, I walk out into a living room cluttered with toys and books and extra things all over the place, it is chaos and my mind is frenetic. I’ve been a simplifier and a declutterer for nearly a decade and I’ve gotten pretty good at it, but I’ve found that you have to keep coming back to revisit your clutter every once in a while. Here’s how to nail the clutter-free home.

1. DO IT IN SMALL CHUNKS. Set aside just 15 minutes to declutter one shelf, and when either the shelf or the 15 minutes is up, celebrate your victory.

Then tackle another shelf for 15 minutes the next day. Conquering an entire closet or room can be overwhelming, and you might put it off forever.

2. SET ASIDE A COUPLE HOURS TO DO IT. This may seem contradictory to the above tip, and it is.

It’s simply a different strategy, and I say do whatever works for you. Sometimes, for me, it’s good to set aside part of a morning to declutter a closet or room. I do it all at once, and when I’m done, it feels awesome.

3. TAKE EVERYTHING OUT OF A SHELF OR DRAWER AT ONCE. Whichever of the two above strategies you choose, you should focus on one drawer or shelf at a time, and empty it completely.

Then clean that shelf or drawer. Then, take the pile and sort it, and put back just what you want to keep.

4. SORT THROUGH YOUR PILE, ONE ITEM AT A TIME, AND MAKE QUICK DECISIONS. Have a trash bag and a give-away box handy. When you pull everything out of a shelf or drawer, sort through the pile one at a time. Pick up an item, and make a decision: trash, give away or keep.

5. BE MERCILESS. You may be a pack rat, but the truth is, you won’t ever use most of the junk you’ve accumulated. If you haven’t used it in the last year, get rid of it. It’s as simple as that.

6. PAPERS? BE MERCILESS, UNLESS IT’S IMPORTANT. Magazines, catalogues, junk mail, bills more than a year old, notes to yourself, notes from others, old work stuff… toss it. The only exception is tax-related paperwork, which should be kept for seven years, and other important documents like warranties, birth and death and marriage certificates, insurance and wills.

9 THE CLUTTER WAYS TO CLEAR

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7. IF YOU ARE ON THE FENCE WITH A LOT OF THINGS, CREATE A ‘MAYBE’ BOX. If you can’t bear to toss something because you might need it later, put it in the box, then close the box, label it and put it in storage (garage, attic, closet), out of sight. Most likely, you’ll never open that box again. If that’s the case, pull it out after six months or a year, and toss it or give it away.

8. CREATE A SYSTEM TO STOP CLUTTER FROM ACCUMULATING. There’s a reason you have tall stacks of papers all over the place, and big piles of toys and books and clothes. It’s because you don’t have a regular system to keep things in their place, and get rid of stuff you don’t need. This is a topic for another day, but it’s something to think about as you declutter. You’ll never get to perfect, but if you think more intelligently about how your house got cluttered, perhaps you can find ways to stop it from happening again.

9. REJOICE WHEN YOU’RE DONE. This is actually a general rule in life: always celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small. Even if you just decluttered one drawer, that’s great. Treat yourself to something delicious. Open that drawer or closet and admire its simplicity. Breathe deeply and know that you have done a good thing. Bask in your peacefulness.

THREE TO READ

How Happy Is Your Home?

By Sophie Keller Help boost the energy in your home The Art of Happiness

By Dalai Lama A Handbook for Living Somebody Should Have Told Us!

By Jack Pransky Simple Truths for Living Well

Studies show we work better and are happier in uncluttered spaces.

Leo Babauta of Zen Habits tells us to start with the small things

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The French have a saying: ‘Metro. Boulot. Dodo.’

This translates to: “Tube. Work. Bed’.

Does this sound familiar? Rushing out of the door with a soggy piece of toast? Skipping meals completely, or managing energy mid-morning or afternoon crashes with sugar fixes?

Well, you and thousands of other office workers can all claim to not have enough time to exercise or pay attention to the food you consume at work. According to US research, obesity-related conditions cost organisations $12bn each year.

So what is the solution?

The office nowadays can be the hardest place to keep fit and healthy due to long working hours, not moving around and increased stress levels.

However, for all of us, whether you are sat in an office all day or training for the Olympics, the cornerstones of each and every daily diet should be based on single-ingredient, nutrient-dense food that keeps you nourished and feeling fuller for longer.

This isn’t a fad or a celebrity diet. It’s very simple.

A piece of fish is a piece of fish. A potato is a potato. Fresh produce, ideally organic, seasonal or locally grown is preferable. Many of these foods contain all the nutrients our body needs to function to its full potential, keeping you alive and alert at work throughout the day and when you get home.

A basic rule of thumb is to have one portion of protein (meat, fish, eggs) and a wide variety of vegetables with each meal: one palm-sized portion of protein for women and two for men, plus half a plate full of vegetables.

Supplementing meals with high-quality Omega-3 fish oil or eating a portion of oily fish each day will also boost brain function and concentration levels. Be careful with meal replacements or tablets. Unless you understand how vitamins are processed within the body (and what other elements are required for the body to process them) stick with food fuel as a safe and stable option.

If time is an issue, pre-planning should come into play. Firstly, a lack of time often comes down to bad time management, so try and make a list of everything you need to achieve each day. Eating well means planning and shopping well. You should also stock up on essential homeware like

WORKING ON

YOUR DIET

Tupperware. Making your own food can also save you an awful lot of money (funds that can be put towards a gym membership, personal training or even a holiday).

Just Google ‘the latte factor’.

Many clients come to me and say they don’t have enough time to eat healthily. When they actually break down how much time they waste, once the pattern shifts, they start to love cooking and food. This is part of the challenge when it comes to healthy food prep and eating. When it comes to meal planning, you can prepare things a few days in advanced or even for the whole week. If you make a healthy dinner, make extra and have it for your lunch the next day. Most workplaces will have both a fridge and a microwave to store and reheat food.

If you run out to the local supermarket for a meal deal option or something similar, it will take just as long to grab a pre-prepared salad and a packet of cooked meat (beware of sugar content in many of these precooked meats).

There are many types of marinated fish that you cook in the microwave for three minutes that taste amazing.

Have a few small bottles of chili sauce, good olive oil and balsamic or apple cider vinegar nearby, and voila!

Talking of sugar, this happens to be one of the life’s health enemies. This includes ‘diet’ drinks and foodstuffs. Some ‘diet’ ranges actually have a higher fat rating than their regular counterparts. Consuming too much sugar can lead to too many diseases and impact upon effectiveness at work. Chains of coffee houses have a lot to answer for with the introduction of mocha, caramel mixes and similar drinks.

Water is essential to keeping you and your brain hydrated, as well as fooling you into thinking you are hungry when, in fact, you are dehydrated. Stuffy, air-conditioned offices wreak havoc with the sinuses as well as the head. Most people do not drink enough water. Check on your bathroom habits (no joke), and aim to drink two to three litres of water a day, depending on your sex and size, having a drink every 30 minutes or so.

Eating out and consuming excessive alcohol can also interfere with healthy living practices. Each action has a reaction, and eventually all this catches up with you. And as for the ‘dodo’ part, let’s discuss sleep.

You should aim for seven to eight hours a night. This will help control stress levels in the body (cortisol levels) and also help control your food and drink choices during the day. A poor night’s sleep can lead to grabbing sweets or chocolate for an energy high, which are inevitably followed by an energy crash. The same is true of coffee.

Try and have total blackout in the bedroom and turn off your phone to avoiding flashing lights disturbing your REM. Before you go to bed, make a list of the things you need to achieve the next day. This will prevent you from lying in bed that night worrying about what you may or may not have to do when you wake up.

Once your food system is on track, exercise is the other piece of the jigsaw. Getting yourself fit will not only help you look and feel great, it will also provide you with more energy and help you get your va va voom back. And every workplace needs some va va voom.

Sitting behind a desk all day and snacking on unhealthy foods will make you feel tired and irritable.

Personal trainer and nutritional advisor Scott Roberts offers advice for office workers who want to stay fit while they work

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BY AMANDA HAMILTON AND SANDY NEWBIGGING Traditional dieting can actually make your body more toxic, leading to long-term weight gain and health problems.

Leading detox experts Amanda Hamilton and Sandy Newbigging show you how to harness the power of your body and mind to achieve significant, long-lasting weight loss. Their simple three-step plan – discover, resolve and enjoy – will help you to reach your target weight and regain your health and vitality.

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THE 4-HOUR BODY: AN UNCOMMON GUIDE TO RAPID FAT-LOSS, INCREDIBLE SEX AND BECOMING SUPERHUMAN

BY TIMOTHY FERRISS Do you want to lose fat, double testosterone, get the perfect posterior or give your partner a fifteen-minute female orgasm?

Whatever your physical goal, The 4-Hour Body eclipses every other health manual by sharing the best kept secrets in the latest science and research to provide new strategies for redesigning the human body. And you don’t need to exhaust yourself. International bestselling author, Timothy Ferriss, helps you reach your true genetic potential in 3-6 months with a commitment of less than four hours per week.

‘Mr Ferriss makes difficult things seem very easy.’

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- NY Times

FEEL & LOOK GOOD

SPECIAL

Packed with expert advice, insights and healthy eating recipes, our pick of titles from nutrition and fitness experts will help you to achieve your summer personal development goals.

EDITION

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THE ‘LOW-GL’ DIET COOKBOOK: EASY, RECIPES FOR WEIGHT LOSS, HEALTH AND ENERGY

BY PATRICK HOLFORD The Low-GL Diet Cookbook is perfect for everyone who wants to lose weight quickly yet still enjoy great-tasting food. It features a range of recipes that do not raise your blood sugar quickly and hence have a low glycemic load, or GL. Based on the latest research, top nutritionist Patrick Holford explains that by having no more than 40 GLs a day and eating protein with carbohydrate, you can not only lose weight quickly and permanently but also improve your health and feel truly energised.

‘Full of easy-to-follow, tasty dishes that should help you lose fat safely and permanently.’

- Psychologies

ALLEN CARR’S EASYWEIGH TO LOSE WEIGHT

BY ALLEN CARR Lose weight without dieting, calorie-counting or using will-power Allen Carr’s revolutionary eating plan allows you to enjoy food, savour flavours all while you’re losing weight. You can: • Eat your favourite foods • Follow your natural instincts • Avoid guilt, remorse and other bad feelings • Avoid worrying about digestive ailments or feeling faint • Learn to re-educate your taste • Let your appetite guide your diet

‘I’ve found the answer I’ve been looking for for 20 years!’

- A. Smith

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HYPNODIET: LOSE WEIGHT, FEEL FABULOUS – THE STRESS-FREE WAY

BY SUSAN HEPBURN Hypnodiet is not a diet. It is a mind-body revolution: a way to change the way you eat, forever. Susan Hepburn’s approach works because it removes the guilt and stress of yo-yo dieting.

Hypnosis provides a simple yet radical way to lose inches, but more importantly it is a way to gain control of your eating habits and build a healthy relationship with food. With Hypnodiet you put away the scales. There is no calorie counting, no forbidden foods, no faddy menus or deprivation. Instead, using simple hypnotherapy exercises, you will learn to reprogramme your mind.

You will quickly start to enjoy food and make healthy choices, reaching and maintaining your target weight without hunger, guilt or stress.

‘Lily Allen has gone from size 12 to size eight after several sessions with Susan Hepburn.’

- US Weekly

YOU CAN BE THIN: THE ULTIMATE PROGRAMME TO END DIETING... FOREVER

BY MARISSA PEER Marisa Peer introduces her revolutionary method of reprogramming the brain to alter feelings and associations related to food, to enable everybody to have a healthy relationship with it and, as a result, have a healthy body at a sustained ideal weight. With its refreshing and empowering style, You Can Be Thin works on many levels by using techniques including fun and powerfully affecting exercises, subtle repetition and straightforward questionnaires to break negative patterns and banish cravings.

‘Whether you have a few stone to shift or just want to maintain your weight without going on yet another diet, Marisa promises you can do it by following her programme.’

- Daily Mirror

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I CAN MAKE YOU THIN

BY PAUL MCKENNA Welcome to a revolutionary way to stop overeating, control cravings and feel totally motivated to take exercise.

Paul McKenna has developed a breakthrough weight-loss system that re-patterns your thoughts, attitudes and beliefs about yourself, your health and food to help you easily take control of your diet and lose weight permanently. As you use Paul’s amazing system, the latest psychological techniques will automatically help you to start losing weight straight away! You can use it again and again to make you feel happier about yourself as you go all the way to your ideal shape, size and weight.

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FEEL HAPPY NOW: SMALL CHANGES THAT MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE

BY MICHAEL NEILL No matter what is going on in your life right now, no matter what you have gone through in your past, it is possible for you to Feel Happy Now! In his bestseller You Can Have What You Want, success coach Michael Neill revealed the practical benefits of cultivating inner happiness and creating tangible real-world success. Now, he reveals the ‘how’ of happiness – over 100 different ways to beat stress, overcome anxiety, move beyond depression and reap the benefits of feeling happy, in spite of it all.

‘Michael Neill is the finest success coach in the world today.

Buy this book - it will change your life!’

- Paul McKenna

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RUBY WAX

ON THE ROAD TO A SANE NEW WORLD

EMMANUEL JAL

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JOHN DEMARTINI

HOW TO STOP THE AGEING PROCESS FROM WITHIN

TOO FAT TO RUN?

HOW TO ACHIEVE 5k IN JUST FIVE WEEKS

PLUS: WHY STRESS COULD BE GOOD FOR YOU