The Best You Magazine May/Jun

THE BEST YOU M A G A Z I N E

H E A L T H

A N D

W E L L B E I N G

S P E C I A L

I S S U E

TOP TIPS FROM THE BODY COACH JOE WICKS HOW HYPNOTHERAPY CAN GET YOU HEALTHIER

BEYONCÉ HER RISE TO THE TOP

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EVERYONE EVERYWHERE

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EDITOR/PUBLISHER

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COVER STORY: “WE HAVE TO TAKE THE TIME TIME TO FOCUS ON OUR MENTAL HEALTH”

Bernardo Moya info@thebestyou.co DEPUTY EDITOR

Emma Ledger editorial@thebestyou.co THE BEST YOU ADVISORS

Steve Kelly steve.kelly@thebestyou.co Julian Daley julian.daley@thebestyou.co Katie Wright katie.wright@thebestyou.co

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Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect The Best You Corporation Ltd. policy.

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THE JOURNEY With nearly 50% of this year already passed, it’s time to look back at our commitments for 2017 and review how on track we are.

Having recently competed our Turning Pro programme, and having been part of similar programmes in the past, I appreciate the important feeling of belonging that comes from being part of a group. It helps you focus on your goals, and can offer great support, hold you accountable and push you. Whatever you set out to do in life, seek out support to help you achieve your dreams.

If you don't you might find yourself in exactly the same place you are now.

At The Best You we continue to push the boundaries in our quest to support everyone to live their best life. Amongst our many exciting upcoming events, next year we will be running The Best You EXPO in London 16th - 17th of February and, for the first time, one in Long Beach California on the 24th - 25th of March. We hope you join us.

We are also very excited about our campaign The Best You - A Better World, through which we help individuals make global impact through social movements, increasing awareness of vital issues and helping to make the world a better place.

This month’s issue we profile Beyoncé, a woman who has got to the very top of her game thanks to the support of a close network of trusted individuals. We also explore the incredible success of The Body Coach Joe Wicks and actress Jessica Alba.

I hope it leaves you feeling inspired on your own journey.

Until next time.

BERNARDO

MOYA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Twitter: @Bernardo_Moya facebook: bernard.moya64 To enjoy additional digital content, interactive features, video and digital galleries, download The Best You App.

DR.RICHARD

BANDLER LONDON DATES 2017

NLP LIFE TALKS

6 October 2017

GET THE LIFE YOU WANT

With Paul McKenna & Dr. Richard Bandler 7-8 October 2017

Dr. Richard Bandler

NLP

LIFE TRAINING BOOK TODAY!

+44 (0) 207 927 6500 www.nlplifetrainig.com info@nlplifetraining.com 6

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PERSONAL ENHANCEMENT With Dr. Richard Bandler 10-12 October 2017

LICENSED MASTER PRACTITIONER OF NLP

With Dr. Richard Bandler, John & Kathleen La Valle 14-22 October 2017

LICENSED PRACTITIONER OF NLP With Dr. Richard Bandler, John & Kathleen La Valle 16-22 October 2017

INNER THE BEST YOU

YOU

EXPO LEARNING TO BE YOUR VERY BEST SELF

S P E C I A L Realising your full potential

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Transcendental Meditation has grown in popularity thanks to its power to enhance connectivity. The Best You’s Emma Ledger explores the positive effects Learn some simple practices and tools to help you feel calmer and more in control whenever life gets on top of you

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CALMER, HAPPIER, MORE BLISSFUL The Best You’s Emma Ledger explores how Transcendental Meditation is helping a growing number of people live a more connected, positive life

To be a human living in the modern age is to be anxious, tired and distracted. We read articles on our smartphones about how we’re all slaves to our smartphones, wishing there was another way.

For thousands of people around the world, Transcendental Meditation (TM) offers an alternative that helps bring life into balance without giving anything up. TM is known as the simplest, most natural and effortless technique of meditation – so simple that it can be learned from the age of just ten.

That is not to say it isn’t advanced. TM is based on a profound understanding of the mind and the body, and how the two interact during deep meditation. Unlike other types of meditation, TM is not about concentration or vis-

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ualisation, nor does it teach control or even mindfulness.

Instead, with TM individuals repeat a mantra (or sound) upon which they gently rest their attention, allowing the mind to follow its natural tendency and settle into stillness more profound even than the ‘present moment’.

This unique approach to meditation comes from the ancient Indian Vedic tradition and cannot be learnt from reading a book or downloading an App. It is passed on during personal instruction, one-to-one, by a teacher trained as directed by the practice’s founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. From that point you are encouraged to practise TM first thing in the morning and again in the evening, for 20 minutes each time.

TM has had a renaissance in recent years, and it is far from being the preserve of the alternative ‘hippy’ set. Everyone from businessmen to celebrities (including Hugh Jackman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah Winfrey and Paul McCartney) sing its praises. Commonly, someone discovers TM when going through a big life change, but increasingly people are making room in their lives to learn and practice it for the wealth of benefits it offers.

As well as gaining a stillness of mind, doing TM regularly can make you feel more connected to yourself and to the world, deeply enhancing personal relationships. By giving your mind the space to process and organise itself it can also give you the tools to cope better with challenging situations. Following continued practice, individuals can even reach a state of transcendent bliss.

I’ve never downloaded the popular meditation App Headspace, and I am suspicious of anything to do with mantras.

In my opinion the best way to enhance a relationship is better communication. But, I knew there must be a way for me to feel more in touch with myself, and with my partner Alex, and who wouldn’t want to experience bliss? So, Alex and I signed up for a four-day TM course with The Meditation Trust (a registered UK charity) five months ago.

The course began with a one-to-one session with teacher Dr. Gemma Beckley, during which I was given my mantra which I must never repeat to anyone (which I obviously almost immediately forgot). I was taught how to practise TM, which requires nothing except oneself and a chair.

Initially, I remember thinking “there must be more to it than this?” I thought that I must have missed something crucial in the lesson. But, the following three training sessions explained that away. The magic and simplicity of TM is that it can be done anywhere, by anyone. It needs nothing apart from your willingness to sit comfortably, easily coming back to your mantra in your head, for 20 minutes.

The full benefits of TM don't necessarily make themselves obvious until you have been practising regularly for weeks or months – it may even take a year. However, almost immediately, after practising TM twice daily at home with Alex, we both felt a positive difference in our lives.

It is profoundly relaxing and gives me a chance to order my thoughts, from the banal parts of life such as things I have forgotten, to bigger plans and ruminations. Both Alex and I have discovered that we can concentrate more throughout the day, and we wake up more easily each morning feeling ready to start the day. We are not as tired, and our sleep is deep and unbroken. One of the biggest changes is that situations that might have previously annoyed us - missing a bus by a second, the office printer playing up again - just don’t.

Furthermore, whether it is through the shared experience of practising TM together or some other unknown effect, Alex and I feel closer to one another. Increasingly, couples are turning to the practice to learn and develop this skill as a unit.

When Dr. Deepak Chopra learned TM in 1980 he called it “real” meditation because, he said, it represented a major breakthrough in the interpretation of this very ancient knowledge. I am far from alone in my positive experience.

More often than not, people who practice the technique report feeling calmer and more peaceful, better able to communicate and think clearly, and yes, happier. Practising TM improves their relationships, ability to work, create and inspire.

The boom in popularity of Mindfulness has opened the doors for people keen on exploring a stronger connection with themselves, their relationships and the world, and TM is about deepening that experience.

TM is not the preserve of the fortunate who can afford to take the time to learn it. Our TM teacher Dr. Beckley, formerly an NHS Clinical Psychologist, now leads the Trauma Recovery Programme for the Meditation Trust. This was established to help not only returning soldiers dealing with depression and post-traumatic stress, but also the millions in civilian life coping with similar symptoms, such as children in the care system and victims of domestic violence.

Five months on, Alex and I still practise daily, relishing the quiet, effortless, undistracted space this carves out for each of us. Some people marvel at our ability to find 40 minutes each day to do something so ‘indulgent’, but this is one habit I will make every effort to make time for.

While neither have of us has yet experienced the all-encompassing bliss that some TM practitioners speak about, the benefits have been huge - and it hasn’t turned us into hippies. Now we’ll just have to see if transcendence ever comes….

For more information visit www.meditationtrust.com

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SIMPLE PRACTICES FOR MORE CALM Ashley Davis Bush offers exercises to help find inner peace each day

If you are going through turmoil, feeling stressed or overwhelmed, there is no quick fix to getting back on your feet. Or is there? Although life hacks and inner peace may seem like polar opposites, there are simple tools you can use to feel calmer and happier.

In The Little Book of Inner Peace: Simple practices for less angst, more calm, author Ashley Davis Bush offers tips to help hold onto that sense of contentment and serenity that comes over you when experiencing a gorgeous sunset, walking in the woods or enjoying a restful soak in a bath.

Ashley is a psychotherapist who understands that moments of peace tend to quickly evaporate, while anxiety, ever present in the background, often finds a way to creep back to the surface.

The good news is that becoming calmer does not necessarily mean hours of meditation or changing your lifestyle completely.

It can be as simple as practising some easy calming techniques that you can call upon in stressful circumstances or when you are just feeling a bit ruffled:

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FEED YOUR GOOD WOLF You may have heard the old Native American parable about the two wolves who fight within each of us all. One is the wolf of fear and hate and the other is the wolf of love and compassion. Whichever wolf we feed wins the fight. People can be incredibly hard on themselves through both thought (self-criticism) and behaviour (destructive and self-sabotaging). Yet, if we are kind and compassionate to ourselves and feed our good wolf, we also develop compassion for others.

TRY THE 4-7-8 BREATH This ancient breathing technique helps recalibrate the central nervous system. The combination of a short inhale followed by a twice-as-long exhale has an immediate effect on the parasympathetic nervous system, putting the brakes on your stress response.

1. Inhale to the count of 4.

2. Hold the breath to the count of 7.

3. Exhale through your mouth, as if blowing through __a _straw, to the count of 8.

4. Repeat this cycle twice more.

5. Do three cycles in the morning and in the evening for a calmer, less reactive disposition.

CONSULT YOUR INNER ‘WISE WOMAN’ Imagine if you could consult your future self for advice or counsel? Perhaps your 98-year-old self, has some wisdom to impart: 1. Close your eyes and imagine yourself at the age of 98.

2. Formulate a question or a concern that you would like to ask your inner ‘wise woman’.

3. Imagine that your older, wiser self is conversing with your current self.

You can even have her write you a letter if that makes it easier.

4. See if this wider perspective shifts your current perception of what is going on today.

The Little Book of Inner Peace: Simple practices for less angst, more calm by Ashley Davis Bush is out now

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ENJOY

LIFE

LEARNING TO BE YOUR VERY BEST SELF

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Fed up with bad news and fake news? If so, check out some of the good news we have gathered from around the world.

The Best You explores how Queen BeyoncĂŠ has made it to the very top of her industry, despite times of darkness and depression

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The inspirational story of how Joe Wicks became internationally famous as The Body Coach Social media means we live in an age of endless comparison which can be damaging.

Follow Christine Fieldhouse’s tips to survive and thrive

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Step away from the takeaway! Mental health activist Rachel Kelly shares the power of good mood food

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LET’S GET OUR HEADS TOGETHER TO CHANGE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH IN THE UK How the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry are spearheading a campaign to end the stigma around mental illness Mental health has never been higher on the news agenda, and that is partly thanks to the work of our future King, Prince William, his wife the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. They believe that mental health issues are at the heart of some of our greatest social challenges.

Last year, the trio set up the Heads Together campaign as a response to the unresolved mental health problems they had witnessed through their work with young people, emergency services, homeless charities, and veterans.

“Too often, people feel afraid to admit that they are struggling with their mental health,” said Prince William. “This fear of prejudice stops people from getting help and can destroy families and end lives. Heads Together wants to help people feel much more comfortable with their everyday mental wellbeing and have the practical tools to support their friends and family.”

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The campaign aims to create millions of conversations in 2017 to change how we speak about mental health, and as a result end the stigma often associated with it.

There are numerous ways to get involved and show support for this initiative: you can share the campaign’s films and messages on social media and encourage your workplace, organisations and clubs to become supporters of Heads Together.

For more information and to get involved visit

www.headstogether.org.uk

Follow Heads Together on Facebook: @HeadsTogetherCampaign And Twitter: @heads_together

GOOD NEWS Bringing you positive stories from all around the globe

PHARMACY PRESCRIBES VR PAIN RELIEF A Swedish pharmacy chain has created the first virtual reality app that can help patients with pain relief. Happy Place, created by agency Wenderfalck as a joint venture between Sweden's largest private pharmacy, Apotek Hjärtat and VR therapy startup Mimerse, aims to distract patients from their pain with a peaceful, interactive environment. The VR’s scene is a serene lakeside campground, and guided relaxation and soothing music is optional, and it’s currently being tested by the public, for example when getting vaccinations, in order to be potentially rolled out further.

Who said playing video games is bad for you?

THE VIDEO DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW

WORKPLACES COMPETE TO GET FIT

Very often the most practical problem for a doctor and patient is one of location: can patients get to their doctors, or vice versa? And when they do, how much is the cost of that effort? Germany’s health economy will take a major step towards solving this problem with ‘Videosprechstunden’ (video consultations). As a part of the new e-health law which came into effect in January this year, the video consultation innovation is just one of many measures set to help more people get the help they need when they need it. in the law, which will apply feed the new innovations into the system incrementally over the next three years. In Germany alone, the e-health market is expected to generate sales of €400m this year alone.

Count.It is a workplace wellness challenge that links any fitness wearable or app, allowing teams in different offices to count all activity towards their monthly tally. This way of ‘gamifying’ exercise among colleagues by adding the competitive edge creates a new kind of virtual wellness league. Count.It is reinventing workplace wellness, simply and easily encouraging people to join a colleague for a run at lunch break - or to simply take the stairs instead for eh lift. www.countit.com

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BEYONCÉ “WE HAVE TO TAKE THE TIME TO FOCUS ON OUR MENTAL HEALTH” A combination of spirituality and family support has seen superstar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter through her darkest days

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W ith a back catalogue of chart-topping hits, 22 Grammy Awards (and counting), hugely successful acting roles, fashion lines, sponsorship deals, philanthropic interests and a brand worth hundreds of millions of pounds, the force of nature that is the one and only Beyoncé Knowles-Carter appears to live a most charmed life.

later life she admitted to feeling anxious about her appearance, and said she was even became afraid to put her hand up in class. Beyoncé remembers how a boy in her class bullied her: “He used to call me dumb, and stupid, and ugly. I was already shy, and so I just believed it. I wore boy clothes all the time because I was chunky."

Today, Beyoncé is the very definition of a superstar, in addition to being an advocate for women's rights, a role model for female empowerment and a fashion icon. However, like so many people, Beyoncé has experienced difficult times, struggling with darkness and depression. Early fame, vilification and extraordinary work pressures have at times dragged her down, nevertheless, she always bounces back. Despite appearing so unbreakably strong, the singer is deeply sensitive and knows what it means to overcome.

The first inklings that music was her calling came when she attended a pop concert at the age of five to see the legendary Michael Jackson.

But there is another side to Beyoncé, a personal understanding of what it means like to feel weak and sidelined, due to her being bullied at school.

Born in 1981 and raised in Houston, Texas by very Christian parents, Beyoncé got her name from her mother's maiden name - Tina Ann Beyincé - in an effort to keep the name alive after she had married.

Tina and Beyoncé’s father, Mathew, have a powerful work ethic. Mathew worked as a Xerox salesman and earned a good income, while Tina ran a successful hairdressing salon, which later became a venue for the young Beyoncé's early forays into performance.

Tina and Mathew ensured that the young Beyoncé first attended St. John's United Methodist Church, which became their regular place of worship. Here, she was exposed to Gospel music, which she later said is "able to touch you and touch powerful emotions that words can't touch. It's the most beautiful music there is.”

Beyoncé was a shy and deeply sensitive girl who became increasingly quiet and withdrawn at school. In

"That night I decided exactly my purpose. He's the reason I do what I do," Beyoncé says.

When she was seven, her private tutor engaged to help her overcome her poor school record, encouraged her to sing John Lennon's Imagine in a school show. It was a transforming moment.

"I remember walking out and I was scared, but when the music started, I don't know what happened... I just changed!” Beyoncé says.

Music became Beyoncé’s passion and she threw herself into her singing, putting on performances at home with her younger sister Solange, and singing to clients at her mother's hairdressing salon. She entered talent competitions and amassed trophies and prizes, before winning a national talent show.

Her father saw that she could be a star and arranged singing lessons for his nine-year-old daughter. He oversaw Beyoncé’s dance training and entered her into additional talent competitions. Even at this young age, the pressure told: she felt sick before performing. Nearly overcome with nerves, she went on to invent an alter ego called Sasha Fierce to help her cope.

"Sasha is so confident and is fearless and can do a lot of things I can't do," Beyoncé once said. "She protects me. In my mind I'm saying, Okay, take over, take

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over, take over. I'm Sasha, I'm Sasha. I have to psych myself out when I'm terrified.”

Beyoncé's resilience was tested by her first big setback when she was 12. Her seven-girl band Girls Tyme appeared on the proto-X-Factor style show Star Search, but lost to rivals Skeleton Crew. The girls wept backstage, but Beyoncé later reflected that "it was really the defining moment in my life as a child... There's no way in the world I would have imagined losing. You don't realise that you could actually work super-hard and give everything you have and lose. It was the best message for me.”

Soon after, Beyoncé's dad Mathew reshaped the band and reduced it to a four-piece, replaced two of the singers and put the new group through a gruelling regime of dancing, singing and fitness. After a knock-back from Elektra records, he finally got the formula right, and Destiny's Child was born.

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Even as a child Beyoncé had extraordinary self possession. From the age of nine she wrote and performed her own material. As success grew, it would have been easy to grow drunk on fame, but a famous incident known as The Slap sums up her mum's attitude towards her 17year old daughter's growing reputation.

While in a record store, Tina asked Beyoncé a question just as a Destiny's Child track came on. Beyoncé ignored her mother and sang along. Tina rounded on her angrily, and said "I don't care what song you have on the radio. You are my child and you will not disrespect me."

"She smacked the cr*p out of me and sent me to the car," Beyoncé recalls, and says it was "the best thing she could have ever done to me because for the first time I realised I was losing sight of what was important.”

Another stabilising influence for Beyoncé, in addition to her family, is her faith, which she says helped her when

critics turned on her after two of Destiny's Child's four members were sacked in their early days, and another band member was injured at a gig. At thise times there were claims that Beyoncé received special treatment because her father was the band's manager.

"I had hate websites, and a lot of pressure, and people blaming everything on me. I was seventeen, eighteen years old, just an innocent person, a kid. That was a hard time for me. My father is my manager and my mother is the stylist, so I felt it was my whole life, and people were saying all these horrible things. I felt that my life was being crushed" Beyoncé says.

Her religion kept her going. Touring the U.S., the girls would often return to their church on Sundays to take part in services and ground themselves in their community. Beyoncé often mentions praying before performances and that her belief in God has helped her through difficulties.

"One day in church I was crying, and all of a sudden I

just let go of everything. It was as though God was saying, 'give it to me.' All the stress just lifted off me... Afterward I was so at peace for twenty minutes. I felt like I was floating” Beyoncé says.

This combination of family and faith have helped this talented and sensitive woman navigate the stresses of life. The fictional character of Sasha Fierce became less necessary as Beyoncé matured, and eventually she decided to "kill her off" because she no longer needed her.

Beyoncé admits she has become less obsessed with achieving perfection in the way she used to when younger.

"It's not about perfection," she says. "It's about purpose... We have to care about our bodies and what we put in them. Women have to take the time to focus on our mental health – take time for self, for the spiritual, without feeling guilty or selfish.” mix.”

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© THESUN

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JOE WICKS’ RECIPE FOR WELLBEING The Body Coach is on a mission to rescue people from the“awful” dieting industry

In just three short years Joe Wicks, a.k.a. The Body Coach, has gone from being a little known online nutrition coach to the author of a bestselling recipe book that has transformed the lives of over 100,000 people. He has more than a million social media followers, including stars and elite sportspeople, and has left many wondering just what is the secret behind Joe Wicks' success.

The simple answer is that Joe understands how to engage a modern audience, and is not afraid to put in the work. After setting upon the idea of The Body Coach, Joe quickly learnt about harnessing the power of Instagram and Youtube, sharing healthy tips and tricks, as videos or photos (including the odd topless selfie) to win a huge following.

Today, Joe turns over an estimated £1million every month from people wowed by his high-energy persona and no-nonsense, addictive approach to fitness. He combines quirkiness with sound nutritional knowledge, great recipes and accompanying fitness guides, ranging from beginner to intense.

Only 30 years old, Joe is a shining example of how success follows someone with a clear goal and message. His mission is to rescue people from the “awful” dieting industry, and he aims to

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help people get healthy via his simple –mantra, "eat more and work out less”. It may sound too good to be true, but Joe’s thousands of clients, who have had their physiques transformed, are living proof that it works.

more food and train with more intensity,” struck a chord with busy people worldwide. So, he developed 15-minute food recipes and 20-minute high intensity interval training workouts to meet the need.

Joe's journey to becoming an international fitness guru began when with a Sports Science degree from Twickenham's St. Mary's University. After that, Joe got a personal training qualification, and at the age of just 23 set up his own bootcamp business in Richmond and Surbiton, near where he grew up.

In the next two years, Joe’s business grew from being a small one-man band where he emailed everyone himself, to the manager of a 50 person staff in a Richmond office.

Though Joe says he never set out to get rich, as he was more into "having fun and doing my thing," the popularity of the bootcamp and the many happy customers proved he had the potential to expand.

In 2014, Joe opened his Instagram account to advertise his bootcamp. He uploaded photos of recipes and answered people's fitness questions. Joe’s online following grew, though modestly, as it did following his next idea, launching his 90-day Shift, Shape, Sustain plan, a personalised three-month nutrition and exercise regime.

Joe’s next move was the game changer. When Instagram introduced videos, his 15-second recipes and funny, unselfconscious and straightforward advice became a massive hit – especially after he mixed in his quirky take on the world.

“I started throwing in catchphrases such as ‘midget trees’, and singing silly things like ‘sexual lean-ing’" he says.

His fun attitude to fitness really hit the mark, and word spread about Shift, Shape, Sustain. The next twelve months saw Joe’s career skyrocket, as he become a health and fitness superstar with international followers as far away as Qatar and Australia.

Joe did everything right to create a strong, popular brand with longevity. The name The Body Coach has made him internationally identifiable, while his philosophy of “eat

One thing Joe is very clear about is his stance on diets. According to Joe, food containing the word ‘diet’ belongs in the bin. Joe teaches clients that they need to fuel their bodies properly in order to burn fat. Most people starve their bodies when trying to lose weight, but by eating low-calorie food they simply will not see results in the gym. The body thinks it is being starved and will try to keep hold of whatever it can – making it resistant to losing weight.

Instead, Joe promotes food that is well-balanced and gets the body primed for exercise – food stacked with protein, fresh vegetables and taste. His recipe book, Lean in 15, received the most Amazon pre-orders in the month of its release, and is now an all-time, top 20 bestseller.

"My approach to nutrition and fitness is so effective because it’s enjoyable, sustainable and doesn’t feel like a diet because the food is so yummy and you get to eat so much” says Joe. Joe offers people who care about fitness something they have been crying out for. Rather than strict dietary regimes and detoxes, his approach is to offer good, varied wholesome food – enough to boost the metabolism and feed the body when it exercises. At the same time, the physical training is sharp, intense and effective.

And despite his international fame, Joe remains modest.

“I don’t feel like a celebrity,” he says. “I’m just me spreading my message, trying to get people happy and healthy and have fun along the way.”

For more information visit www.thebodycoach.com

JOE’S FIVE TIPS TO A BETTER YOU The fitness guru shares his do's and don'ts for shaping your body 1. Don't be afraid of fats. Eat fat in moderation to get the calories you need and ensure you exercise effectively.

2. Don't starve yourself when you're not exercising. Give your body what it needs, but avoid overdoing the carbohydrates and sugars.

3. Do feed yourself what you need if you've been working out. You will not get fat if you have been exercising and you eat carbs late at night. Your body still needs to replenish!

4. Don’t crash diet - ever! If you cut back drastically on food, your body will try to build up fat reserves in case of lean times in the future.

5. Do throw diets in the bin. Restrictive food regimes are dull, repetitive and faddy. If you are not willing to stick to a regime for life, or even two years, then at some point in the future you will be looking for the next diet. Eat sustainable, healthy food and exercise.

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DON’T COMPARE AND DESPAIR Endlessly looking at how your life measures up to others?

Christine Fieldhouse tells you how to stop

We've all been there; feeling quite happy with our lot until we check Facebook and see a friend has landed our dream job, while another is on holiday in the Maldives, and someone else is smugly loved-up with her new man.

Then, when we look again at our own lives, we feel despondent. We have fallen victim to the ‘Compare and Despair’ syndrome. Having access to everyone’s social media highlights means we cannot help seeing success all around us, and sometimes it feels as if the rest of the world is doing so much better than we are.

Louise Presley-Turner, one of the UK’s top life coaches, explains why ‘Compare and Despair ‘syndrome is increasingly common.

“We see an edited highlight reel,” says Louise. “We see their children only when they’re clean, happy and well-behaved, and their partners when they’re being romantic.

We then compare everything about our own lives with the very best of other people’s lives. The truth is they also have rows with their partner, job rejections, and unruly children, but they don’t tell us about that.

While it’s natural to compare and then despair, it isn’t particularly healthy and can ruin our entire day.”

So how can we observe what goes on in the lives of others without letting it negatively affect us?

“Give yourself a reality check,” advises Louise. “For a second you may think someone else’s life is perfect - that they have more money, more time and better qualifications, but deep down you know there is more than meets the eye.

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Although material things give us a boost of feelgood endorphins, they’re short-lived. True contentment is what we should be focusing on and that’s at a much deeper level.”

Louise recommends that each time we suffer from ‘Compare and Despair ‘syndrome, we catch our negative thoughts and stop them in their tracks.

“We all have two inner voices, which are opposites.

One criticises us, tells us we’re hopeless, we’re too fat or poor or lazy and we’re not clever enough, while the other encourages us and praises us.

Unfortunately the negative voice is usually stronger”says Louise.

“The trick is to turn down the volume of the negative inner voice, and turn up the volume on our positive one. If a colleague gets a promotion that you wanted, it’s natural to experience a pang of envy, but acknowledge the good you have in your life, wish your colleague well and focus on what you can do to get promotion for yourself. That way, you’ll feel in control.”

One of Louise’s most powerful tips is to describe the emotion you are feeling at any given time – it could be frustration, envy, or self-pity.

“I ask people where they feel the emotion – some people feel things in their stomachs or chest, while others may experience it in their hands or head,” she says. “Then picture the emotion as a clear shape and take it out of your body, hold it in your hand and get rid of it.

A favourite way is to put it in a balloon. Imagine what colour the balloon is and feel the buoyancy of it, and then let it go, along with your emotion inside. See it floating off, getting smaller and smaller until it’s out of sight.”

Finally, Louise recommends that we use our natural gifts and talents as much as possible, because when we are living in alignment with our passions, we can be so wrapped up in our own goals and dreams that we don’t obsess about other people’s lives.

Louise says that “if your own life is as fulfilling and exciting as possible, you may compare, but you won’t despair.”

“Comparison is the thief of joy,” - Theodore Roosevelt

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GOOD MOOD FOOD Author and mental health activist Rachel Kelly explores how what we eat impacts our mental health A recent Office for National Statistics report found that a quarter of young women in the UK have suffered from anxiety and depression, and suicide is still the biggest killer of men under the age of 45. In this era of comparison and endless striving, looking after our mental health has never been more important.

Author and mental health activist Rachel Kelly and nutritionist Alice MackIntosh explore the power of good food in book The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food. It explains how the food we eat affects our mental wellbeing and includes easy-to-follow recipes that can help positively impact mental health.

Rachel was first struck by the medicinal power of food a decade ago when she took her then 10-year-old son George to see a nutritionist about his persistent eczema.

“It was remarkable to see how his sore and scaly red skin healed within a few weeks of changing his diet” Rachel says. “Despite this encounter, it wasn’t until years later at a routine check-up to see how I was dealing with my anxiety that I returned to the topic of nutrition. My GP told to me that there was compelling evidence about the links between mood and food.”

Rachel proceeded to write down a list of ‘happy foods’ that might keep her calm, which included green leafy vegetables, dark chocolate and oily fish, all of which are now staples in her personal diet and throughout her recipes.

A former journalist at The Times, Rachel’s interest in health as a form of ‘self-help’ continued to develop.

When she later found herself in a deep depression, she explored nutrition as part of a holistic approach to looking after her mental health.

“I began to experiment with foods and was delighted to notice the difference adopting a healthier diet was making to my mood” says Rachel. “To fuel my growing

24 THE BEST YOU MAGAZINE

curiosity I started speaking to doctors, therapists, cooks, psychologists, academics, dieticians and people I have worked with when doing talks for charities.

To clarify my thoughts, I sought out nutritional therapist Alice Mackintosh who worked for a reputable clinic on London’s Harley Street. A friend had recommended her as someone interested in the relationship between mood and food, and who had helped many people with anxiety. With Alice’s knowledge and practical advice, together we began to develop recipes for my symptoms. Our conversations and experiments led to creating The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food in which I share all I have learnt about eating for happiness.

But it’s not just about particular foods. The act of cooking and being mindful also make me feel more cheery. The recipes put the theory and more than 150 nutritional studies into practice. They’ve helped me to become more energised, less anxious, clearer thinking, more balanced and a better sleeper.”

Rachel is careful to say that it is not just food that has helped her manage her mental health, and that she has also benefitted from exercising more, using mindful breathing techniques, and the healing power of poetry. For others, medication may play a key role.

As an ambassador of the mental health charity Rethink Mental Illness, Rachel is all too aware that there is no ‘one size fits all’ treatment for mental health issues.

“For me, food is a key part of the toolkit I rely on to ensure I stay calm and well” says Rachel. “Who wouldn’t try and rely on themselves if at all possible – though I’m the first to recognise for those experiencing severe mental illness this isn’t an option.

“But after years in which doctors looked to medication as the sole answer to mental illness, now there is a growing sense that drugs are one part of the solution. Lifestyle interventions are now seen as crucial to managing chronic illnesses such as diabetes and some heart conditions. A similar approach is beginning to be applied to depression and anxiety.For me, a happy kitchen is a place to practise self-care that has changed my mood in the most positive way.”

The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food is out now For information or help about mental health from Rethink Mental Illness visit www.rethink.org

COMING SOON LAUNCHING IN 2017!

FOR MORE INFOPLEASE VISIT WWW.THEBESTYOU.CO

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IRON-RICH STEAK SALAD From The Happy Kitchen by Rachel Kelly and Alice Mackintosh Short Books £14.99 paperback Alice used to find it quite hard to cook steak, but this method (inspired by Nigella Lawson) keeps it deliciously tender. The marriage between the iron-rich steaks, the colourful salad, the zingy horseradish, and the creamy feta cheese are perfect. I use artichokes and sundried tomatoes from my local supermarket’s deli counter, which saves a lot of time. Be sure not to buy artichokes soaked in vinegar, though, as the flavour will overpower the salad. If possible, use grass-fed steak, which contains more nutrients than intensively farmed beef.

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Serves 2 For the dressing: 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon crème fraîche 1 teaspoon horseradish sauce 1 teaspoon cider vinegar 1 teaspoon honey 1 teaspoon olive oil 2 x 250g rump steaks – ideally around 3cm thick.

For the marinade: Handful parsley, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 6 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil Juice and zest of ½ lemon 4 drops Tabasco sauce (optional) For the salad: -

80g flat-leaf parsley, chopped 6 sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped 4 artichoke hearts, quartered 100g rocket, washed and drained 8 red radishes, thinly sliced 70g feta cheese, crumbled 4 tablespoons pomegranate seeds (optional) 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional)

1. First make the dressing by combining all the ingredients and shaking them together in a jar.

2. Trim the harder fat off the steaks, brush with oil and season both sides with salt.

3. Heat a griddle or heavy-based pan, and add the meat once hot.

Cook for 4 minutes on each side. If you prefer your steak well done, then leave for another 1−2 minutes on each side.

4. Meanwhile, make the marinade. Whisk together all the ingredients in a dish big enough to accommodate the cooked steaks.

5. Place the steaks in the marinade for 8 minutes, turning them halfway through. Then remove them to a board and slice them thinly on the diagonal.

6. While the meat rests, combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Pour over three-quarters of the dressing and toss everything together.

7. To serve, place the sliced steak on a bed of the salad and pour over the rest of the dressing. Scatter with toasted pine nuts, if so desired.

Copyright Rachel Kelly 2016

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BOOK

CLUB

The Best You’s guide to the new reads you need in your life The Best You’s top reads

WIN

WIN

Feeling in need of some inspiration, exploration and pure relaxation?

The Best You Book Club has something for every mood, and we are giving one lucky reader the chance to win a copy of every book featured in The Best You Book Club. For a chance to win, simply send us an email with your name and address to EDITORIAL@THEBESTYOU.CO before 31 June 2017. Good luck!

28 THE BEST YOU MAGAZINE

THE MIND WORKOUT

By Mark Freeman

This is the debut book from Mark, a ‘mental fitness trainer’ based in Toronto. Mark made his name as a motivational public speaker, specialising in facilitating successful strategy workshops for leading company executives. However after recovering from mental illness difficulties, Mark decided to focus on leveraging technology to help others improve and maintain good mental health. The result is The Mind Workout, which combines learnings from mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), in order to help strengthen emotional wellbeing. Mark’s theory is you can’t be mentally fit without putting the work in, just as you can’t be physically fit without doing exercise. Few of us take the time to develop our mental fitness so doing the brain exercises can seem odd at first, but with Mark’s help you can learnt to make healthy changes while navigating the complexities of everyday life.

FREEDOM SEEKER: LIVE MORE. WORRY LESS. DO WHAT YOU LOVE

By Beth Kempton

What do you do when getting what you wanted doesn’t make you happy? Beth Kempton learned the hard way when she realised that the life she had built up for herself wasn’t what she wanted. As a high-spirited risk taker, wife and business owner, Beth saw that the stresses were making her feel hemmed in. She set out to find her personal freedom, and along the way discovered others doing the same. This book is a self-empowerment manifesto full of personal stories, inspiring nuggets of wisdom, as well as some transformational tools, including ‘the freedom keys’ (a collection of keys, which when activated, can unlock someone trapped in a metaphorical sense). Entrepreneur, mother and author, Beth’s inspirational journey proves that freedom is a choice.

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MINDFULNESS MOMENTS Anti-stress colouring and activities for busy people

by Emma Farrarons

This is the third book from French illustrator and graphic designer Emma Farrarons, who believes that working with your hands is one of the best ways to soothe anxiety and eliminate stress.

It’s a gorgeous, handbag-sized colouring and activity book which offers practical exercises in mindfulness. The have been lovingly formulated to draw on your creativity and hone your focus.

This is one book so stylish you’ll look forward to taking a few minutes out of your day, wherever you are, to colour your way to peace and calm.

CALM CURE: THE UNEXPECTED WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH, YOUR LIFE AND YOUR WORLD

By Sandy C. Newbigging

From the author of Mind Calm Meditations, Body Calm Mediations and The Mind Detox Method, comes Calm Cure: The Unexpected Way to Improve Your Health, Your Life and Your World. This new book showcases Sandy C. Newbigging’s latest technique for overcoming life's difficulties. He argues that most of us are so preoccupied with trying to deal with the symptoms of our problems that we never resolve the underlying causes. With any issue there are always three parts at play; however, we are taught to only focus on these first two (symptoms and causes).

In Calm Cure, Sandy reveals the third aspect of ‘unconscious conflict’, and encourages readers to adopt his ‘peace with life’ approach. Sandy also shares his powerful 3-Step Calm Cure technique for healing all manner of problems.

FUTURE BRAIN

The 12 Keys to Create Your HighPerformance Brain

by Dr Jenny Brockis Medical practitioner Dr Jenny Brockis describes herself as a ‘future mind planner’, and after reading this inspiring book you will want to be one too. Brockis wants to spread the message that the brain is the busy professional’s secret weapon for boosting mastery, efficiency, and productivity to gain that coveted competitive edge – whether that be in business or in your personal life. Future Brain is written as a 12-step book, with actionable principles for a daily routine, making it ideal for dipping into. Even if you know very little about your grey matter, Brockis will help you understand in a non-complicated way how the brain can be fine-tuned to lead you towards reduced stress, increased performance with sharper, more innovative all areasBush of your life. We guarantee By outcomes, AshleyinDavis you’ll become a committed healthy brain advocate and will want to buygorgeous, this for friends.

This colour-illustrated guide includes a wide

THE LITTLE BOOK OF INNER PEACE: SIMPLE PRACTICES FOR LESS ANGST, MORE CALM

array of practices and exercises to help you unwind and let go of everyday stresses. While the idea of a ‘quick fix’ to find inner peace may seem unlikely, author Ashley Davis Bush introduces simple tools that will assist you in harnessing the benefits of mindfulness, meditation, gratitude, creativity, relaxation and compassion. The Little Book of Inner Peace is a great introduction to ideas like the ‘4-7-8 breath’ and ‘consulting your inner wise woman,’ giving you a springboard to further exploration. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of achieving calm, including acceptance and gratitude, and the ethos behind the book is to spread the message on by sharing your new skills with family, friends, and your community.

BOOK CLUB 30 THE BEST YOU MAGAZINE

THE HAPPY KITCHEN: GOOD MOOD FOOD

By Rachel Kelly and Alice MackIntosh

Rachel is the author of Black Rainbow: How Words Healed Me – My Journey Through Depression and Walking on Sunshine: 52 Small Steps to Happiness, which both tackle depression. This latest book acts as a practical guide to the power of positive eating for those experiencing a hard time. We all know the saying ‘you are what you eat,’ but when we feel at our worst, few of us make the effort to ensure we nourish our bodies and minds. Instead, we reach for the biscuit tin or ready meal. Former journalist Rachel has lived with depression for many years, and in this exploration - a collaboration with nutritionist Alice MackIntosh - she shows how lifestyle interventions, such as diet change, are now seen as crucial to helping people manage depression and anxiety. The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food shows how easy it is to follow a ‘happy diet’ and sets out the simple changes needed to take a holistic approach to mental health.

*One entry per household. Entry implies acceptance of rules and

conditions. No purchase necessary. Open to all UK residents aged 18 years or over, other than employees of The Best You and companies associated with it. Draw will be conducted by The Best You Corporation.

Prize is as stated and will be awarded to the entry drawn at random on the draw date. No cash alternative is available. No correspondence will be entered into. Delayed entries will be deemed invalid. Winners’ names may be published and the winners may be required to participate in publicity. Promoter: The Best You Corporation.

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THE BEST YOU EXPO SPEAKER OF THE YEAR FOR 2016

THE BEST YOU GURU OF THE YEAR

THE BEST UP-AND-COMING INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER

THE BEST PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHOR

THE BEST LIFESTYLE ENHANCEMENT VLOGGER

THE BEST LIFETIME ACHIEVMENT

THE BEST PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT BLOGGER

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ANNUAL GALA & AWARDS DINNER

2018

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To enjoy additional digital content, interactive features, video and digital galleries, please download The Best You App.

LIFE LOVE LEGACY

SEEKING MEANING AND FINDING PURPOSE

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The inspirational story of Johann Ilgenfritz who beat cancer and now works tirelessly to help others maintain good health Do you feel anxieties are holding you back?

Courage Queen Rachael Alexander explains how to overcome the barriers to fulfilling your true potential

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Summer travel: Choose a weekend of slow exploration where you savour every moment

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CHANGING TO STAY ALIVE Johann Ilgenfritz reveals how he beat cancer by overhauling his life

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I’d been working as a fashion photographer for 20 years when, at the age of 46, I had a heart attack on the tennis court. Then a few months later, in June 2011, I was diagnosed with cancer.

This was just two and a half years after my youngest son was born, and I was in total disbelief. I had white skin cancer, which grows under the skin and is one of the most aggressive types of can-cer there is. When it finally sunk in what followed was shock, sadness, anger, and thousands of other emotions that I had never experienced before. Turmoil or perhaps chaos is the best way to describe it.

My wife Raphaela's first reaction was to say "as usual you always have to overdo everything,” but of course, she promised to be there to help however she could, and she did.

I started radiotherapy and found it odd that my only duty was to be there for treatment. There was nothing else I was advised to do; I was not part of the process at all. In October of the same year, I was given the all-clear and even though I still had this funny feeling of “there should be something I should be doing,” life went on as always.

In February 2012, during my first tri-monthly check up, I was told the cancer had returned with a vengeance and had spread to one eye and my organs. I was given just 12 months to live.

That is when my journey actually started. Up to then I was just a passenger, but given that progno-sis I decided to fight my cancer, and everyone else's cancer as well. For the first time in my life, I made the conscious decision not to die.

The internet is the place everyone tells you to avoid at such times, but I had no other option and began researching the illness extensively.

One morning at 2am I read something that would change the course of my life. I read an article about a German biochemist called Dr. Otto Warburg and his groundbreaking discoveries about the mechanisms of cancer. Amongst his findings was that cancer cannot survive in an oxygenated alkaline cellular environment.

Apparently, this was nothing new, he had won the Nobel Prize in medicine for his work in 1931. I woke my wife and told her I'd finally found my lifeline.

This information took my breath away, as I knew I had finally found a way to be part of the process. I immediately started researching, and as I learnt we started to implement what I was learning. As a first step, I became a vegetarian, and then a vegan. My wife Raphaela and eldest son followed out of solidarity (they are both still vegan).

Just three weeks into the diet change I felt a difference; an incredible surge in energy that had been lacking for a long time. I then went further to become an alkaline vegan.

The cancer took two and a half years to beat. Now, I am 53 years old and can happily say that I have been cancer-free for almost three and a half years.

I believe that if you change your lifestyle you can achieve good health. It is not only true that you are what you eat - you are also what you think. I realised that cancer was not the cause of my illness; it was only a symptom of an already sick body. It was caused by my lifestyle and diet. I now know that only around 10% of all cancer related illnesses are genetically inherited, which leaves approximately 90% which can be contributed to lifestyle.

The top two causes are nutrition and toxicity overload, which includes stress that can turn your body acidic. You cannot eradicate stress, you can learn how to manage it.

I knew if I could change the cause I would be changing the effect. This experience was the birth of an idea, the birth of UK Health Radio. I wanted and still want, to make quality health information accessible to everyone in one place. UK Health Radio does not favour natural health or mainstream health, and instead features both side by side, with the intention not to provoke, but rather to inform.

I now have a huge work load. I start work at 4:00 am and work until 7:00 pm, six days a week. But, I don’t tire and I have loads of creative and physical energy.

UK Health Radio has a very clear purpose and this is to inform and encourage people to take responsibility for their own health. This does not mean taking your health into your own hands, but to be part of the process of attaining and keeping your health freedom.

Even today, I am still optimising my diet all the time, and I have truly never felt better. I really hope that I can help others on their journey to good health.

For more information visit www.ukhealthradio.com

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THE COURAGE CONUNDRUM Self-proclaimed “Courage Queen” Rachael Alexander explains how to overcome fear and seize life

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Jane walks into a networking event, her heart is beating fast and she wishes she was anywhere other than facing a room full of strangers. Mike has to have a difficult conversation with a defensive staff member who has been consistently underperforming. Sarah keeps catching the eye of a hunky fellow gym-goer, and as much as she wants him to come over, the thought of what she would say to him makes her feel sick.

What do all of these people have in common? They are all fearful and lacking in courage, which could sabotage their success.

Many of us are similar and have fears that we battle daily.

We may fear ridicule, rejection, criticism, disapproval or conflict, and the list goes on. The challenge is that these fears are inside of us, and like little children following us about everywhere we go.

At work, we may have to stand up to do a presentation where there is a risk of being criticised. Unhappy with issues at home but too scared to bring it up - we may have a fear of conflict.

These internal fears are like the school bully who seemed to be lurking around every corner, and just as we hid from the bully, we try to hide from our fears by staying in our safety zone.

Indeed, our safety zone is how many of us live our lives – in safety. We repeat the same routines and behave in the same way to avoid triggering the internal fears.

The trouble is the safety zone can get tiresome and boring, meaning we can lose our zest for living or worse, fail to achieve our highest potential.

There is only one way to conquer our fears, and that is by standing up to them. We must use courage to face the situations that may trigger the internal fear, and we have to move out of our safety zone.

‘My courage is helping me to appreciate that yes, I may not be able to do it the first time, and yes, I probably will get it wrong and this is ok. I am there to get fitter, not be the best. After a couple of weeks I will get the hang of it.’

‘My courage is accepting that I probably will go bright red and sweat a lot, yet I am taking responsibility to reduce my weight.

My courage reassures me that this is not failure; it is just a life experience.’

The best part of being scared and facing your fears is that once you have done it, you get the positive feeling of pride in what you have achieved. This encourages you to go do it all again, meaning you have moved out of your safety zone. Success!

Another great courage strategy is to imagine you have a best friend or partner who you love and want to succeed. What would you say to encourage them to go to an exercise class they dreaded?

You might mention how you know they are scared and have every right to be, but if they can be kind to themselves and give it their best shot, they might just be surprised by what they can do.

Remember, our fearful self will always try and keep us in our safety zone. When we start to build courage, we can break free from restrictive thinking.

Having true courage means identifying our fears and committing to eliminate them from sabotaging our success every day. I know it can be done, as I have done it myself, and have seen thousands of others do it. I left an abusive marriage and started my own business by using courage, so I know you can too. Eleanor Roosevelt said “we must do the thing we think we cannot do.” Now go and do the thing you think you cannot do, because your courage knows you can!

For more information visit www.couragequeen.com Rachel is also the author of I Can Handle Divorce, out now

The definition of courage is the ability to do something that frightens you. In over 13 years of researching fear and courage, I have found the fastest way to build selfconfidence is to do the thing that frightens us the most.

We have to put ourselves in situations where we are made to face our fears.

For example, if I’m scared to go to an exercise class for the first time, the only way I will get over this fear is to go to the exercise class. Before I go, I sit down and write down what I am fearful of experiencing or feeling. I may think ‘people will laugh at me’, or ‘I may not be able to do it’ or ‘I may want to leave.’

So, I need to ask myself, ‘how do I know this is going to happen?’ And, ‘if it does, how can I reframe it with courage?’

If I were being kind to myself I’d say: ‘My courage knows that if people laugh at me, this says more about their insecurity than mine. Kind people don’t laugh or maybe they are remembering how they looked in their first class and are laughing in sympathy. Maybe I am taking it too personally.’

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TAKING THE TIME TO SAVOUR The pace of any holiday often depends on its duration.

If it’s a weekend mini break, your packed itinerary might have you charging around a city. Whereas on a longer trip you can afford to slow down and explore slowly, punctuating the time with frequent stops to eat and drink.

Visiting a city like Bruges - even if for just 48 hours demands you adopt a leisurely pace. The ancient Belgian city offers a wealth of cultural and dining options, and is famous for beer, chocolates and dia-monds. But arguably it’s best take-home is the feeling it promotes: to take your time and enjoy life.

Whether it’s climbing the 366 steps to the top of the Belfry to savour the view from the top, ambling around the charming cobbled streets or sampling the nuances of different beers, here the emphasis is on the quality of the experience rather than the number of experiences you can amass.

Nowhere is this more evident than the food scene.

Tellingly, there’s no such thing as a ‘street food’ culture

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here. Why grab and rush a meal, when you could make it the culmination of a relaxing day well-spent?

In the small town of Zedelgem, just a few kilometres from Bruges, restaurant Hertog Jan creates the kind of plates that remain lodged in the memory for years to come.

Flavour combinations, such as cream of potato and coffee with vanilla and Mimolette cheese from Lille, are as unique as they are delicious.

The duo behind Hertog Jan, Chef Patron Gert De Mangeleer and Restaurant Manager and Head Sommelier Joachim Boudens, began their partnership in 2005.

They relocated the restaurant to its current site in 2014, moving into a converted 180-year old barn where the gloriously light dining room looks out over the extensive vegetable garden. They organi-cally produce many herbs, vegetables and flowers - including over 60 types of tomato - providing over 95% of the fresh produce used in the kitchen.

This fact is underlined by a memorable signature dish

A weekend of slow exploration in Bruges means you return home feeling relaxed, healthy and revitalised

called ‘a walk through the garden’, which is one of a handful usually kept on the ever-changing menu.

A beautifully colourful plate, it features vegetables and herbs, including turnip, radish, courgette flower, yellow beet, cress, beetroot, garlic flowers, cauliflower, marigold flowers and cucumber, all grown on site. It’s simplicity celebrates the quality of the ingredients and encourages the guest to enjoy it slowly and with appreciation.

Other stand-out dishes include foie gras and liquorice meringues, langoustine ravioli with pumpkin and passion fruit, and wagyu steak with red cabbage and fermented garlic. The final main course - hay roasted duck - is sublime.

After the meal guests are encouraged to explore the gardens with a glass of homemade chai tea to ruminate on the experience.

Service is impeccable, and the pace of the meal is distinctly and proudly leisurely - taking around five hours to unfold if you have the full menu. Of course,

it’s not every day nor every month you will be able to. But every once in a while, there is no bigger treat than to eat an unforgettable meal in sumptuous surroundings and celebrate being alive.

After which all that remains is to stroll through Bruges looking back on a day well spent, before finally unwinding into sleep. The chic, comfortable and unpretentious hotel Monsieur Ernest sits on the bank of the canal in a quiet street in the historical centre.

It’s the perfect spot to reflect on the importance of taking time out in order to soak up new experiences.

We might not always be able to avoid the deadlines, diary-commitments and the dreaded alarm clock, but occasionally switching off means we are all the better when we switch back on.

For more information visit www.hertog-jan.com.

To book Monsier Ernest visit www.monsieurernest.com

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FEEL AND LOOK GOOD

STRENGTH FROM THE INSIDE OUT

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The best healthy on-the-go snacks, balanced meals and nutrition-packed treats: all you need to know about the latest healthy living food trends Hypnotherapist and NLP master Malminder Gill explains how the mind holds the power to unlock a better, more fulfilled future

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EAT, DRINK AND LIVE LONGER The latest diet trend isn’t about deprivation - it’s learning which foods help you to live better

We are surrounded by diet fads, from counting calories and eating nothing but cabbage soup to trying foods of just one colour and even living off baby purees.

Most are of these diets are short-term or unrealistic, but the new book The Telomere Effect offers simple suggestions for a sustainable diet, which will help keep you full of energy, beat cravings, and - here’s the best bit - turn back the clock.

The Telomere Effect advises a diet rich in foods that are high in omega-3s, such as oily fish and leafy vegetables, as well as fruit and vegetables that are high in flavonoids and antioxidants, such as blue and purple berries, tomatoes and kale.

By filling up on these foods you encourage your cell’s ‘telomeres’ to grow and flourish, which will protect you against all manners of diseases and the early onset of old age.

Starvation and strictness are off the menu, and still your tummy will certainly become trimmer.

Too much refined sugar is the enemy of The Telomere Effect diet, as it is not only packed with empty calories, but can wreak havoc on your body, ageing you inside and out. Red meat, very fatty foods and white bread are also not advised. The good news is you can still have a glass or two of wine.

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TELOMERE LENGTHENING FOODS One to eat more of include: Wholegrain produce, such as brown rice, brown pasta, brown bread All fruits and vegetables, but especially those containing high levels of antioxidants, flavonoids and/or carotenoids (such as red, purple and blue berries, red and purple grapes, apples, kale, broccoli, yellow onions, spring onions, tomatoes, plums, carrots, green leafy vegetables and, in smaller portions, potatoes without skins) Nuts and legumes, such as beans, peas and lentils Seaweed Foods with omega-3 oils, including salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, eggs, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower Low-fat, high-quality sources of protein, such as organic free-range chicken Seeds Green tea Coffee

The Telomere Effect is out now

TELOMERE SHORTENING FOODS Ones to avoiud include: Red meat Processed meat White bread Sweetened drinks Foods high in saturated fat Vegetable oils, such as grapeseed and sunflower Unhealthy snacks including most crisps and biscuits (look out for anything that is high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats) Alcohol (drink no more than four units per day)

THE BEST SNACKS Healthy on-the-go food doesn't start and end with carrot sticks. Try one of these nutrition-packed and balanced bars Bounce Energy Peanut Blast Pulsin Nakd Rude Health Clif Bar crunchy peanut butter

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THE JOURNEY TO BETTER HEALTH

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There’s no reason you can't be who you want says Hypnotherapist and NLP Master Coach Malminder Gill

When it comes to sticking to healthy habits, often our best laid plans go awry. From super-sized portions and increased snacking, to cutting back on keep-fit and total workout burnout, it is all too easy to slide back to old ways.

Malminder Gill, a Harley Street Clinical Hypnotherapist, Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) master coach and author, says that none of the things keeping you stuck are here to stay. There is no reason that you can't be who you want and have what you want. And, better still, there is no reason it can’t feel easy. There is, however, every reason to choose to have it now.

“If there’s one thing you need to know about me, it’s that I always focus on what’s proven,” says Malminder. “I base my work on facts, studies and real-life experience - never hearsay. Every tool I use is rooted in solid research, and I use those tools to suit an individual’s specific needs, until the problem is solved.”

In addition to helping clients incorporate healthy eating habits, Malminder also works to assist people in overcoming a wide range of challenges including low self-confidence, jealousy, anxiety, fear, performance anxiety, and addiction.

When it comes to diet and fitness, Malminder has devised a programme which focuses on estab-lishing good eating patterns and touches upon every important aspect that contributes to the way a person’s body looks and feels. Understanding that not everyone can travel to see her for weekly one-on-one sessions, Malminder’s six-week recorded hypnosis programme is designed for people to do at home, and incorporates NLP and coaching together with hypnotic interventions.

In addition to the recorded hypnosis sessions, clients have access to a weekly group call, where they can share struggles and victories with those on the same path, as well as membership in a private Facebook group to further builds a sense of community.

full attention is free to give to their desires. This helps people embrace exercise and leave cravings behind so they can feel how they want to feel.”

As the author of Unleash Your Inner Goddess and Stop Worrying, Malminder regularly features in international media to share her hypnotherapy expertise.

“In hypnotherapy, we focus on getting right down to the crux of the matter every time. It teaches us if we can identify these deeper causes we will be able to eradicate any and all forms of stress a person may be experiencing” says Malminder. “And it doesn’t stop there. With the right guidance, you can very easily manage and control stress all through the rest of your life.

Human behaviour is typically determined by a lifetime of pre-conditioned patterns, and this is no different with the issues of stress and anxiety. There will always be serious underlying causes which make one susceptible to unhealthy levels of stress.

Think of how some medications only seem to treat the symptoms of an illness while the deeper source of the problem goes unchecked. Hypnotherapy is exactly the opposite, it gets deep inside to the root causes of your stress and anxiety and wham - you are finally free, having pulled out the actual problem – directly from its source, root and all.”

For more information visit www.hypnosis-in-london. com/ultimate-weight-loss-hypnosis

TESTIMONIALS FOR MALMINDER’S WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMME: "Lost 5lb. since start of January… Listened to the first recording last night and feel really positive."

“We may need to approach it from a few angles but we always get there,” says Malminder. “I have carefully crafted the programme to make sure success is an inevitability.

"I have lost 7 pounds and notice that my thoughts about food aren't as challenging...or obsessed. My portion control is also improving and I am able to manage much better. And... minimal cravings for sweets!"

The programme enables people to live with their feelings, instead of silencing them with food, and clearing their mind of what doesn’t serve them, so their

"After listening to the exercise part only twice, I sensed the urge to exercise again. And I took long walks on Saturday and today."

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IT’S IT'S NOT YOUR BANK BALANCE BUT WHAT GIVING BACK WHICH YOU GIVE BACK THAT GIVES LIFE MEANING REALLY COUNTS How turned entrepreneur Jessica Alba How actress the actress turned entrepreneur Jessica built an honest, internationally Alba built a business empire outsuccessful of an honest businesstake your work next desire to help others liveto a the good lifelevel.

JESSICA ALBA THE HONEST WOMAN

She had the Hollywood career and the perfect family, but entrepreneur Jessica wanted to make a real difference to the world

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In five short, years actress Jessica Alba has grown her business Honest from a startup to a company worth over £1 billion thanks to a combination of smart product and an even smarter business strategy.

Jessica made her name as a star in the early 90s with roles in TV series Dark Angel, box-office smash movie Sin City, and starring as superhero Sue Storm in Marvel's Fantastic Four film franchise.

Jessica's approach to life is to take it by the horns and go for success. Her early adventures in acting followed this ethos, and at the age of 11, when she auditioned for an open casting at the Beverley Hills Studio, she won a year's worth of acting training, crammed in to her summer vacation.

Brought up as a Born Again Christian, by the age of 17 Jessica had rejected the faith's boundaries and limitations when she realised her heart lay in the freedom and openness of acting. Jessica then set herself a one year deadline to make it as an actor, or go back to school. Sure enough, James Cameron cast her as lead in the series Dark Angel, and what followed is the stuff of la-la- land dreams.

That is not to say fortune fell into Jessica’s lap.

From day one, she says she approached her onscreen career "like my own Hollywood business.”

Business and hard work are in her blood. Her father, Mark Alba, left the US Air Force and moved the family to Southern California's Inland Empire for his work in real estate; her mother, Cathy, is smart, flexible and idolised by Jessica for her tireless devotion to raising the family.

A combination of raw talent, energy and great strategic thinking has been a consistent driver for Jessica. With admirable nous, she quickly targeted and landed big brand movie roles, while simultaneously making sure she was no lads' mag fantasy focus by insisting her publicist place her in women's magazines three times as often as in men's magazines. There was no way she was going to "be pegged as an action-comic-book fangirl,” said Jessica.

A string of high profile roles followed, meaning Jessica could have lived on her acting career alone. But in 2008, after a baby shower to celebrate the arrival of her first daughter, Honor, the baby had an allergic reaction to a detergent - despite it being recommended for use on children’s clothing.

Throughout her own early life, Jessica was afflicted by asthma and allergic illness, and she realised that Honor would suffer similarly unless she changed things. Jessica researched toxic chemicals in the home, and she was shocked to discover that while America had banned around a dozen household chemicals, the EU's banned list

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stretched to over 1,300.

Jessica set up a company, originally called Love & Honor (later renamed The Honest Company or simply just Honest), as a way to bring together as many toxin-free, baby-friendly products as she could - and if she couldn’t find them then she set about creating her own. Jessica’s husband, Cash Warren, introduced her to start-up expert Brian Lee, who initially passed up on the idea of getting involved. Nevertheless, Jessica persisted in refining her concept, and after Lee had his own child, his priorities changed and he recognised the gap in the market.

Of course, all parents want their children to be safe, and the US has lagged behind Europe in recognising the dangers some chemicals can present to children. Honest provides a safe alternative to those baby products made from harmful petrochemicals and synthetic fragrances.

With just 17 products, the company’s grossed £9 million the first year. This turnover was mainly generated from the sale of nappies and baby wipes. The growth in products and turnover was impressive. The company now generates over £125 million in sales of 135+ products, including toothpaste, make-up, vitamins and cleaning products, which are sold on their website and at retail outlets. nationally Jessica remains firmly at the helm of Honest, surrounded by an expert team of consultants and advisers including co-founders Brian Lee (former Honest CEO), Sean Kane (COO), and Christopher Gavigan (Chief Product Officer).

Today, Honest has over 400 employees, all well-cared for as you’d expect, with perks including a private room for new mothers to express milk - complete with scented candles.

All Honest products are created with Jessica's guiding belief, that "everything that touches you and your family - everything in your home - needs to be nontoxic, needs to be effective and beautiful to look at, and needs to be affordable”. Indeed, the company publishes a list of harmful chemicals used by many other manufacturers that Honest does not use in any of its products.

Jessica’s concern for family wellbeing has led her to be actively involved with charities such as Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, Habitat for Humanity, Clothes Off Our Back, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Recreational Activities for the Developmentally Disabled (RADD), SOS Children Villages, Soles4Souls, Step up and Project HOME. She has also lobbied Congress to support the Safe Chemicals Act. Honest is an extension of Jessica herself, founded on her feelings of responsibility to protect newborns, enhance life, and give back. Last year, Honest donated 4,658,048 nappies, £125,000 worth of community grants and 4,306 employee hours to volunteering. Now, as the company is set to expand further, Jessica's honest message is set to reach people around the world.

For more information visit www.honest.com

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TUNED IN AND SWITCHED ON

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Good Gadgets: tech toys and tools that help you out while getting the thumbs-up socially or environmentally The healthy living podcasts and Apps you need to help you get the most out of screen time

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GOOD GADGETS INNOVATIVE TECH TOYS AND TOOLS TO HELP MAKE LIFE THAT LITTLE BIT BETTER

TOMTOM TOUCH

BELLABEAT LEAF

TRACKR

Sat-nav supremos TOMTOM has released its first fitness tracker — the TOMTOM Touch can calculate the muscle mass and body fat percentage of the wearer, spurring you on to challenge yourself further. It also monitors heart rate and sleep so you can build up a robust understanding of how your body works.

Of course, wearable trackers no longer have to be worn on the wrist, and the stylish, discreet BellaBeat Leaf can be worn as a necklace or brooch, while tracking stress, steps, sleep and menstrual cycle.

Constantly losing your keys?

Then Trackr is your solution.

It is a slim Bluetooth tracking device for all your possessions. Simply attach it to any item, and you can trace it through your phone.

Just don’t lose your phone!

www.bellabeat.com

www.trackr.com

www.tomtom.com/

BRITA FILL&GO ACTIVE

PHILIPS HUE MOTION SENSOR

SONOS

Filtering tap water means a better tasting drink that is free of nasties. But, what about when you are on the go? The new BRITA fill&go Active squeezable sports bottle filters whilst you drink to ensure you stay healthy and hydrated, whether at a gym session or on your daily commute.

The right lighting is key to maintaining a good, even mood.

For the perfect glow in every room, Philips Hue Motion Sensor uses an app-controlled dimmer to provide ambient light throughout the day, from midnight toilet trips to morning yoga sessions. And it means teenagers can’t leave lights on.

www.brita.co.uk

www.philips.com

Listening to music leaves a lasting impression on the brain, and research shows it can even accelerate personal development.

Surveys show that 81% of people work fastest and concentrate best when listening to music. Sonos is the simple and stylish way to play music in every room or workspace. Not only will it help stimulate and develop your brain, but it will also help wind you down after a big day. www.sonos.com

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THE BEST HEALTHY LIVING PODCASTS These serve up support, inspiration and new ways of learning - and all you have to do is push ‘play’ THE NUTRITION DIVA’S QUICK AND DIRTY TIPS Listen If: Normal food-related news makes your eyes glaze over Drowning in a sea of confusing nutrition information? Let Monica Reinagel, a nutritionist and trained chef, sort fact from fiction to help clean up your eating habits. Want to know how to brew coffee that won’t upset your stomach? Can miso really benefit your health?

Is timing your meals important?

Reinagel has all these answers and more.

THE MINIMALISTS Listen If: You’ve finally committed to spring cleaning your cupboards Hosted by two men who walked away from six-figure corporate jobs to live more minimal lifestyles, this podcast discusses what living a meaningful life truly means. The podcast will make you want to tidy your desk immediately.

RADIO HEADSPACE Listen If: You want to take your stress levels down a notch If you’re thinking about dipping your toes into the meditation waters, but aren’t quite sure where to begin then listen to Radio Headspace. From the same folks who make the awesome guided meditation app is this podcast covering a variety of topics including change, fear, kindness and stress. Host Georgie Okell’s soft, accented voice alone will transport you to a calmer state of mind.

THE FAT-BURNING MAN SHOW Listen If: You are passionate about your diet Health crusader Abel James is out to teach us a thing or two about how to actually lose fat. He’s a big supporter of the Paleo lifestyle, and interviews nutrition experts about eating clean, dietary dogma and other foodrelated facts.

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