18dfvdv

NOV 2017 NOV 17 £3.99

EAT WELL AND FEEL

better!

Game-changing foods for a longer life

TOP COLUMNISTS

JENNI FALCONER LISA SNOWDON AMANDA BYRAM

Jamie Oliver’s slimline puds 200-cal shortbread

YF Cover Nov17.indd 1

Tasty choc mousse

HOW TO ACCEPT STRESS & find calm instantly

40

BEST H & FITNEEALTH BUYS SS Trie d & teste for you! d

BAD BACK?

Tension-busting yoga to try today

+ YOUR EASIEST EVER 10-MINUTE HOME WORKOUT 26/09/2017 16:30

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from the EDITOR

THIS ISSUE WE LOVED

DEPUTY EDITOR, Jessica

“I can’t wait to get stuck into Jamie Oliver’s new recipes on page 79 for some healthy winter comfort food.”

Welcome...to our November issue Looking after your body and mind doesn’t have to be time-consuming or difficult – there are plenty of small lifestyle tweaks that can have a big impact on your wellbeing, and this issue we’re celebrating these easy-to-make changes. Worried about the health of your heart? Turn to page 12 for some simple ways to boost your ticker. Looking for an easy 10-minute workout to squeeze into your day? We’ve got you covered on page 36.

We’ve also got wellness tips from the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz and Arianna Huffington over on page 103, mindful tricks to stop food cravings on page 96 and nutritional advice on page 89.

Happy reading!

p79

CONTENT WRITER, Vicky

“Over the past few months we’ve tried and tested a wide range of health and fitness products with the help of our expert judges – turn to page 57 to see the results!”

p57

Claire Claire Munnings Editor

YOUR FITNESS WHEREVER, WHENEVER @yourfitnessmag /yourfitnessmag

Join us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest fitness news, advice and finds

Get us on your phone! Our digital editions are only £2.99 on Apple Newsstand

Receive the latest issue before it hits the shelves! See page 32 for our subscription offer

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CONTENTS November 2017

89

10 The stress factor: Is your bad day dipping

into dangerous territory?

12 Future-proof your heart: Alice Whitehead

uncovers the best foods and moves for a stronger heart

17 The healthy hotlist: A bitesize look at what’s trending in the world of wellness

18 7 Ways to debloat quickly: Our experts share

their top figure-fixers

MOVE MORE

22 Fit news: A round-up of the latest fitness stories 24 Fire up your fat burners: Ramp up your metabolism and burn more calories with our top tips

27 5 moves: Personal trainer Kristoph Thompson reveals

how to get a flat tum in five easy moves

28 Blitz 300 calories in 30 minutes:

You’ll love this half hour total body workout

35 Jenni Falconer: Our columnist gives her verdict

on resistance band workouts

YOUR STYLE

44 Jump start: Update your wardrobe with

Asics’ latest collection

51 Lisa Snowdon: Our beauty columnist shares

her thoughts on LED therapy

52 Beauty blitz: Your autumn must-haves 54 Clear the air: We look into the benefits

of oxygen facials

ON THE COVER 89 Your midlife eating rules:

Give your body what it really needs

79 Something sweet: Indulge your sweet

tooth with these treats courtesy of Jamie Oliver

36 Working out at home: With the nights

drawing in, we show you why it could be time to reap the benefits of an indoor workout

99 Camilla Dallerup: Our favourite

motivation guru shares her mindful tips

57 Your Fitness Awards 2017:

The results are in!

72 Back pain: Everything you need to know

about back pain and how to deal with it

COVER PHOTO: Jump Foto, Kristiane Vey NEXT ISSUE ON SALE: 2nd November 2017 04 YourFitness

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this MONTH

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAGAZINE! Become a subscriber this month and get a Physique 57 gift set.

For details, turn to page 32.

72

79

HEALTH CLINIC

64 Health essentials: News and expert advice 67 Amanda Byram: Our healthy living guru brings us her bite-sized tips 71 Ask the experts: Your questions answered 74 Never say nether: We uncover the truth behind some of our most embarrassing sexual health problems

EAT WELL

83 How to supercharge your

superfoods: Nutritionist Rick Hay tells us

how to combine superfoods in different ways

85 Meal makeover: Enjoy your favourite

comfort food of mac and cheese – without the usual calories

86 Cream of the crop: Our expert guide

to the best milk alternatives on the market

HEAD SPACE

94 Wellbeing: The best and latest ways

42

64

96 Easy mindful hacks: Curb your

cravings and forgo temptations with a little determination and these expert hacks

TRY IT

103 Healthy heroes: If you’re struggling

103

to a healthy, happy mind

to fit wellness into your week, get some inspiration from these wellness warriors

107 Helen works it out: Columnist Helen Skelton

tries street Zumba

IN EVERY ISSUE

9 Mailbox: Have your say 38 Prize draw: Win an overnight spa break

with Dentyl Active at Macdonald Hotel

109 This month we’ve been: Our top

96

rated picks of all that’s new

114 Final say: Ashleigh Lawrence chats to Your Fitness

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starting BLOCK

Meet the

EXPERTS Introducing Your Fitness’ fantastic panel of experts whose knowledge and advice helped us create this issue

AMANDA BYRAM

CAMILLA DALLERUP

KRISTOPH THOMPSON

HELEN SKELTON

JENNI FALCONER

LISA SNOWDON

JAMIE OLIVER

ASHLEIGH LAWRENCE

Amanda Byram is a TV presenter, and Your Fitness columnist. She shares her bite-sized health tips on page 67.

TV presenter Helen Skelton tries her hand at street Zumba in her column this month on page 107.

Chef Jamie Oliver (jamieoliver.com) shares three delicious desserts that are all under 400 calories on page 79.

Professional PT Kristoph Thompson reveals his top five easy moves to get the flat tum you’ve always wanted on page 27.

Camilla Dallerup is our celebrity NLP coach. She guides us back to the straight and narrow on page 99.

Jenni Falconer is a TV presenter and radio host. Read her review of resistance band workouts on page 35.

Radio and TV presenter Lisa Snowdon is our beauty columnist. She tries LED light treatment on page 51.

RICK HAY

Nutritionist Rick Hay tells us how to combine superfoods in different ways to get the maximum benefits from them on page 83.

Fitness influencer Ashleigh Lawrence shares her healthy eating and workout routine with us on page 114.

www.yourfitnesstoday.co.uk EDITORIAL Editor: Claire Munnings claire.munnings@aceville.co.uk Deputy editor: Jessica Harris jessica.harris@aceville.co.uk Content writer: Vicky Warrell vicky.warrell@aceville.co.uk

Aceville Publications, 21-23 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8JY Tel: 01206 505900

ADVERTISING Group advertising manager: Belinda Buckle belinda.buckle@mspublications.co.uk 01206 506237 Senior account manager Hannah Clarke hannah.clarke@aceville.co.uk 01206 506232 Business development executive: Emma Steele emma.steele@aceville.co.uk 01206 505428

The views expressed in this magazine are not those of the publisher.

If in doubt, always consult a GP or fitness professional before beginning a new exercise regime or trying any of the products or advice mentioned in Your Fitness, particularly if you have a medical condition for which it may not be advisable.

DESIGN Art editor: Richard Allen

ACEVILLE PUBLICATIONS LTD Publishing director: Helen Tudor

Designers: Hannah Kemp, Cat Morton David Haddington and Louise Warner

Group editor: Naomi Abeykoon

Advertisement production: Angela Scrivener SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BACK ISSUES 0330 333 0041 IN-HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY CliQQ Photography cliqq.co.uk

Marketing manager: Andrea Turner andrea.turner@aceville.co.uk Marketing executive: Callum Burgess callum.burgess@aceville.co.uk Accounts: Debbie Starrs, 01206 505995 NEWSTRADE SALES Marketforce 0203 148 3300

We hope you enjoyed Your Fitness. We know lots of readers will want to hang onto this magazine for future reference, but if not, why not give it to a friend, or donate it to your local doctors’ surgery? Or, remember that magazines can be put out with your weekly recycling for collection!

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your LETTERS

MAILBOX

Tell us your thoughts at facebook.com/yourfitnessmag, by tweeting us @yourfitnessmag, or by writing to Your Fitness, 21-23 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8JY

Star letter…

Gut feeling

Getting fit for life

Thank you for the interesting article about digestive systems ‘Go With Your Gut’ (October 17). I learned that the gut is called the body’s ‘second brain’ for a very good reason – the two being hard-wired together by the vagus nerve and it’s in the gut that we manufacture the majority of our serotonin, which contributes to feelings of happiness. This being said, I now realise how important it is to love my gut and look after it properly. So I’m taking on board all of your expert advice and hope in the future to experience fewer cravings, lose some excess weight, reduce bloating and experience no wind or gut pain. Eating gut-friendly goods is actually a lot simpler than I thought. Thank you!

Vanessa Smith, Wales

I was persuaded to buy a copy of your magazine when I saw the words ‘Davina’s no gym workout, perfect for busy mums’ (September 17) on the front cover – thinking, busy mum, that’s me! It was the moves to improve posture (since having two children mine has really gone to pot) which I found most useful. I have set myself the challenge of giving the 30-minute workout a go before the end of the month and to help with motivation, I have stuck Davina’s wise words: ‘Don’t get a summer body, get a body for life’ to my fridge door. With autumn upon us, I think my chances of getting a summer body are zilch. However, I reckon if I keep buying your magazine, I may just be able to get the best thing of all, a fit and healthy body for life - now there’s not much better than that, is there?

Jennie Gardner

Write in and win!

Get in touch with us at Your Fitness and you could win some great goodies.

The writer of the star letter in next month’s mag will win a wellbeing bundle from Feather and Down, worth £55. Featuring a pillow spray, candle, sleep butter and eye mask, this prize will help you relax and enjoy a restful night’s slumber. Head to featheranddownsleep.com for more information.

See ya, stress

I just felt that I needed to write and say thank you for the de-stressing article in your September issue. I work in social services and on the day I picked your magazine up, I’d had a particularly bad day. It wasn’t until I read it that I realised I reach for the chocolate when times get tough.

After reading the article, I made some changes that I could manage at work during the times of the day that become testing. I can honestly say that the techniques were successful and even some of the team have also taken them on board. We are now supporting each other with stress management and protecting weight loss at the same time. Thank you so much.

Sharon Wilson, Bristol

How to contact us Your Fitness, 21-23 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8JY

Question of the month...

We asked: How do you stay motivated for working out in the autumn?

I update my playlist to include more upbeat songs. If I have something new to listen to it spurs me on when working out.

Kim, via email

I like treat myself to new workout gear. Anything brightly coloured does the trick as it perks up a dull day.

Maisie, via Twitter I move my workouts indoors, that way I can’t blame the rain!

Rebecca via email

Have your say…

Next month’s question is: What is your favourite way to relax and why?

To take part in the Q&A, send your answers to Your Fitness, 21-23 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8JY, email us at letters@yourfitnesstoday.com or contact us via facebook.com/yourfitnessmag, or tweet @yourfitnessmag

letters@yourfitnesstoday.com

facebook.com/yourfitnessmag

@yourfitnessmag

@yourfitnessmag YourFitness 09

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T h e Stress

FACTOR

If running off a bad day is your therapy, read on

T

he washing machine’s stopped mid-cycle, the kids post-party sugar hit is kicking in and your in-laws are due within the hour.

Although your first thought might be to scream into the nearest pillow, lacing up and hitting the gym might be a more effective solution according to experts.

Raising your ever-increasing heart rate is be the last thing you’d imagine to be good for you, but it will trigger those feel-good chemicals according to personal trainer and nutritionist Tom Oliver. “Working out will naturally release endorphins making you feel relaxed and positive. It is important to always listen to your body and how you feel – when you’re feeling drained, a 10-minute walk can be just as successful as a 45-minute HITT workout. Getting your body moving will force

you to concentrate on something else which will distract you from what originally made you anxious,” he says. A little bit of stress may be easily managed with a few aggression-induced strides, but could it cross over into dangerous territory?

YF finds out…

THE END OF YOUR TETHER

Whether it spurs you on or has you crumbling at the first sign of it, stress can affect us all in different ways. But is there a right way? “Stress triggers a hormonal response in our body, increasing our levels of cortisol (the fight or flight hormone),” Chris Magee, head of yoga at Another Space (anotherspace.london) says. “From a yoga

perspective, I always relate it back to the mind-body connection. Stress in your mind can translate into negative muscular tension in your body, meaning that after the activity is over and the body wants to relax – it actually can’t. This is where movement can aid the process.” As stress hormones course through our veins it can lead to headaches, muscular pain and fatigue – hardly the ingredients for a personal best, right? “Feeling the pressure is a dangerous emotion, as it can affect us both physically and mentally,” Emma Frain, head of fitness at

“Stress in your mind can translate into negative muscular tension in your body, meaning that after the activity is over and the body wants to relax – it actually can’t”

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top STORY

Protein World (proteinworld.com) says. “For the physical side of things, it can bring on flulike symptoms. You might be feeling a bit run down physically, and when you’re drained it’s easier to accept that you’re not feeling well, rather than an alternative of just being overly stressed or tired. Can you guess what one of the first things you give up on is when you’re feeling demotivated? Exercise.”

YOU – 1, STRESS – 0 Giving it your all after a bad day may not seem detrimental to your health but Tom suggest choosing your method carefully.

“It depends and varies with every person. I would advise not to set new or personal goals after a stressful day. The most important thing is to work up a sweat, get your mind off everything and stretch your muscles. If you’re in a stressed state of mind to start with I’d recommend only doing the warm up and then judging whether or not you feel up for doing the whole workout,” he says. In layman terms, putting our body under physical stress as well as mental strain sounds like a recipe for disaster and while Emma concurs that we must judge it on how we feel, she thinks that sometimes it’s better to take it easy. “If we’re already stressed, and we’re forcing our bodies to do something that it doesn’t want to do, this can lead to further feelings of anxiety. For those who are feeling stressed, but still push themselves to power through, our distracted mindset can lead to poor performance and mood swings which can directly impact the intensity and durations of our workouts.

Sometimes it’s just better to listen to the body in the first place and, if it’s a major struggle to motivate yourself to go to the gym, take a rest day and enjoy it.”

“If we’re already stressed, and we’re forcing our bodies to do something that it doesn’t want to do, this can lead to further feelings of anxiety”

TAKE IT EASY

If escaping a stressful day is your MO, leave your fitness goals at the door and ease into a calmer you with conscious consideration.

“When you do high-intensity exercises, such as sprints or a combat class, your body needs to kick things up a notch and so activates the fight or flight system,” Marcus Herbert, health assessment business lead at Nuffield Health (nuffieldhealth.com) says. “While the endorphin release may make you feel better in the shortterm, it isn’t the stress-relieving activity that you might expect it to be. Taking a gentle walk or doing some yoga can be a much more effective method of stress relief. A 20 to 30 minute walk can release enough endorphins to help you feel relaxed and in control, without straying into that stress zone.”

Need to zone out? Turn to page 99 for Camilla’s top mindful tips.

5

of the best STRESSBUSTING workouts WALKING

Research has shown that going for a brisk walk puts our brain into a meditative state

YOGA

Controlled breathing and flowing movements will re-balance your mind and strengthen your limbs

DANCE

From weight loss, to increased flexibility, stronger bones and building muscle tone, dancing is a total body workout

SWIMMING

Getting in a few lengths turns spiralling angst into muscle relaxation by boosting our brain neurotransmitters

JOGGING

Research has found that the endorphins running and jogging release reduces anxiety and depression

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12 S T E P S T O

future-proof YOUR HEART Alice Whitehead uncovers the best foods and moves for a stronger heart…

1

2

Keep dancing We can’t all afford a gym membership, or have time for the treadmill – so do what you enjoy to get fit.

A regular whirl on the dance floor has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular problems, with the benefit slightly better than walking. “The emphasis should be on doing exercise which raises your pulse and doing a variety of activities will stop you from getting bored,” adds Philippa from the BHF.

Swap butter for oil

While too much fat is a recipe for heart disease, the type of fat you eat is crucial too. “Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in your blood, which can increase your risk of developing coronary heart disease, so, wherever possible, replace with small amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats,” says Philippa Hobson, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation (BHF). “These fats provide essential fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins so they’re an important part of your diet.”

HOW OFTEN? No more than 20 percent of your diet should be from fats, with the average woman consuming no more than 20g of saturated fat a day, and the average man no more than 30g a day.

HOW OFTEN?

“Try to incorporate at least 150 minutes of exercise every week. This can be broken down into 10 minute chunks or an hour at a time – whatever you can practically bring into your normal day,” says Philippa.

Add anthocyanin-rich foods to your diet

Foods with natural red, blue and purple pigments such as red grapes, red cabbage, blackcurrants and raspberries are rich in anthocyanins, a heart-healthy antioxidant that boosts the immune system and prevents cardiovascular disease. “The sweet-fleshed, violetpurple Okinawan sweet potato contains a watersoluble pigment that possess a high amount of anthocyanin,” recommends nutritionist Emma Scott (nutrilife.uk.com). “Sweet potatoes are also a good source of vitamin B6, which is brilliant at breaking down homocysteine, a substance that contributes to the hardening of blood vessels and arteries. Its potassium content further helps by lowering blood pressure through maintaining fluid balance and regulating the heartbeat.”

3

Eat garlic

Regular consumption of this pungent bulb has been shown to slash heart disease and stroke, reducing blood pressure and lowering cholesterol. “Garlic has preventative properties too, such as reducing plaque formation in the arteries,” says nutritional therapist Sara Kirkham (nutritionsolutions. org.uk), author of Cholesterol – The Essential Guide. “It also reduces LDL (i.e. ‘bad’ cholesterol) oxidation and ‘thins’ the blood through its anticoagulant effects.”

HOW OFTEN? “One study showed significant benefits if consumed at 0.2g, perkg, perday, so if you weigh 60kg you should consume around four cloves of garlic daily,” says Sara.

4

HOW OFTEN? Eat a rainbow of different fruits and vegetables every day.

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5

expert ADVICE

Get rowing

Exercises that work multiple muscles should definitely be part of your tickertraining plan. This is because the heart has to work harder to fuel all that muscle activity. “Rowing is particularly good for the heart because it really challenges your aerobic system,” says PT Laura Williams (laurawilliamsonline. co.uk). “And it’s a myth that it’s just an upper body exercise, with lower back, abs, hamstrings, glutes and quads all having to work overtime.

Technique is key: drive through the heels so you work the lower and upper body equally.”

HOW OFTEN?

“Rowing two or three times a week, and varying the duration and pace, will mean you see results quickly,” Laura advises.

Go nuts

Get walking

Walking is an often-overlooked alternative to the gym, with recent research suggesting walking speed can act as a predictor of heart disease risk.

The study, published in the European Heart Journal, found those who walked slowly showed a twofold increase in cardiovascular mortality compared with those who walked briskly. “Pace is key,” agrees PT Laura. “You need to ensure you’re getting out of breath and sweaty for it to really make a difference.”

HOW OFTEN? Try to incorporate 30-60 minutes of walking a day (or around 10,000 steps).

Walk at a speed of 5km per hour (or ensure your heart is at 110 to 120 beats per minute).

8

Up your intensity at the gym

“The cross trainer is a great way to include higher intensity training (HIIT) into your routine with tougher intervals that can elevate the heart rate,” says PT Laura. “Plus it doesn’t have the impact that comes with running or other sports.”

7 6

Stock up on juicy fruits

“Red fruits (as well as pistachios and peanut butter) produce ‘resveratrol’, which boasts both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The antioxidant helps combat toxins and protects the body against damage,” says nutritionist Emma. “Resveratrol also helps to reduce inflammation, lower LDL, and keeps platelets in the blood from sticking together, which can lead to a heart attack.”

6

“Nuts are a great source of magnesium, which helps to regulate the heart beat,” says Sara Kirkham. “The fats in nuts also contribute to healthy cholesterol levels.”

HOW OFTEN? “A third of a cup of almonds can provide approximately 129mg of magnesium, which gives around 40 percent of the daily RNI,” recommends Sara. “Although recent research has shown that we absorb less fat from nuts eaten in their natural state, they are still calorific, so top up with magnesium-rich beans, lentils or dark leafy green veg the rest of the time.”

9

HOW OFTEN?

Incorporate daily to boost your cardiac health.

HOW OFTEN?

Try to incorporate HIIT exercises such as the cross trainer into your fitness regime two or three times a week.

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10

Roll out the yoga mat

It’s easy to think heartboosting fitness has to be all about sweaty workouts, but studies have shown stretching and toning can improve cardiac function too.

In fact, research published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology showed yoga is as good as cycling or a brisk walk for lowering blood pressure and LDL cholesterol.

HOW OFTEN?

Studies suggest short bursts of yoga every day will benefit body and mind better than an hour-long session once a week.

Buy yourself a new swimsuit

“Performing breaststroke and front crawl in the swimming pool will really get your heart pumping,” says Laura. “This is because you’re using your arms and your legs to propel you forward through the water.”

HOW OFTEN? “Include at least one swim a week and ensure you vary your stroke for best results,” suggests Laura. “Proper technique will help you remain as efficient as possible in the water, so a lesson or two can work wonders.”

12

11

THE HEARTHEALTHY HIIT In this mini workout celebrity trainer Scott Laidler (scottlaidler.com) shows you how, by putting your heart under short intense stress with the help of higher intensity training, there’s less overall stress on your system and the more resilient you will become. HIIT allows you to take your heart through high beats per minute, let your heart rate come down and then take it back up again.

Perform this circuit three times, three times a week and you could see a difference to your heart health in just four weeks!

• Jumping jacks: 30 seconds

• Plank with toe taps: 30 seconds

6 Go fishing

Eat more fish, particularly oily fish such as fresh tuna, mackerel or tinned fish such as sardines, and you’ll get more essential long chain fatty acids.

“Regular fish consumption also raises the levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol which gives us a healthier cholesterol ratio (total cholesterol divided by HDL), a figure that is more important than total cholesterol alone,” says Sara.

HOW OFTEN? At least twice weekly.

• Kettlebell swing: 12 reps (if you don’t access to a kettlebell, use dumbbells or replace this with 12 forward lunges on each leg)

• Press ups: 6 reps

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The Healthy

FACE MAPPING See where your health is at when you look in the mirror with the help of the ancient healing practice of ayurveda

HOTLIST

A bitesize look at what’s trending in the world of wellness

1 2

HEALTH BOOSTING FLOWERS

3

2

4

Tis the season to up your defences and where better place to start than the garden? As we start to think about stocking our cupboards with the latest medicinal musts, these three blooms have it all.

1

tension in the whole body earning its reputation of being as efficient as ibuprofen.

ROSE

CHAMOMILE It may be known to calm our nerves but chamomile also possesses antiinflammatory properties that have been proven effective in both digestive and skin-based ailments.

Used for its nervine effect, it can relax the nervous system and relieve

Not only are roses a pretty picture, they have a host of benefits that can clear excess heat and congestion in the bloodstream and target blood-based disorders such as PMS. The anti-inflammatory nature of rose also means that it can rid the body of toxins and help speed up the metabolism.

LAVENDER If you’ve ever snuggled up to a lavenderinfused pillow you’ll know that the purple flower is a dab hand at getting us off to sleep. But the classic herb is also useful for easing emotional pain and promoting relaxation within the nervous system, digestion and mind. Thanks to its high levels of naturally occurring essential oils it has a profound effect in helping with anxiety, depression and insomnia.

CAFFEINE SKINCARE SWAP YOUR MORNING CUP IN THE KITCHEN FOR THE BATHROOM WITH THESE COFFEE-BASED BEAUTIES

GROUNDED COFFEE SCRUB, £15 LOOKFANTASTIC.COM

VICHY SLOW ÂGE EYES, £25 FEELUNIQUE.COM

Packed with robusta coffee, brown sugar and Himalayan rock salt, this face and body scrub will make your skin touchably soft.

Formulated with naturally inspired active ingredients, the combination of ginkgo biloba leaf extract and caffeine slows down the ageing process on our face.

GINZING ENERGY GEL MOISTURISER, £29 ORIGINS.CO.UK Create skin with a vibrant glow thanks to this fortified blend of skin-boosters such as panax ginseng and coffee beans.

FOREHEAD

Gallbladder and liver issues Ruled by the vata dosha this area relates to the nervous and digestive system, meaning stress and internal stagnation are probably causing breakouts.

2 CHEEKS Slow metabolism, low absorption of nutrients, lung issues Patchiness on the cheeks can indicate poor metabolism and low absorption of vitamins and minerals. They’re also a good indication of poor lung health if they’re often red.

3 NOSE Blood and heart issues Ruled by the pitta dosha, the nose is closely related to your circulatory system.

A breakout out there might indicate a blood pressure issue.

4 CHIN Hormones and stress This is where hormonal imbalances and stress will make themselves known.

You’re most likely to get blemishes here when you’re menstruating.

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7DEBLOAT ways to

quickly

1

Hapifork, £60, amazon.co.uk

EAT SLOWER

“Help prevent bloating before your food even reaches your stomach by simply chewing your mouthful thoroughly,” advises Kim. This helps reduce the chances of bloating as you’re less likely to swallow excess air. As well as this, chewing properly gives the enzymes in your saliva a chance to start breaking down your food which is an essential first stage of digestion.

We’ve all had those days where it feels like our stomach has blown up like a balloon and that dreaded sluggish feeling rears it’s head again.

Nutritionist Kim Pearson and personal trainer Dan Wheeler reveal how to burst the bloat in no time thanks to these quick-fix flatter tummy tricks.

2

WRITE IT OUT

“A simple way to determine if a specific food is triggering your bloating is to keep a food diary,” says Kim. “Note down what you ate and the time, as well as when you felt bloated – this will help you to identify if there is a particular food triggering your symptoms. Once these foods have been identified you can work on eliminating them from your diet to see if your bloating improves. Common foods that can trigger bloating include wheat, dairy, carbonated drinks and artificial sweeteners.”

Why not try a food diary app such as Nutracheck (nutracheck.co.uk)?

kikki. K A5 Life Journal, £16, johnlewis.com

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3

T

expert TIPS

GET EXERCISING

Kim encourages a regular exercise routine to reduce bloating as studies show that moderate exercise improves intestinal gas clearance and reduces the symptoms of the problem. The great news is that working out can prevent bloating as well as reducing it once it’s occurred so try a post-dinner walk to help you feel less uncomfortable.

Adidas CrazyTrain Cloud Foam Trainers, £54.95, johnlewis.com

WATCH YOUR HYDRATION LEVELS

4

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE

Kim advises experimenting with turmeric. “It’s a bright orange spice with countless health benefits but is best known for its anti-inflammatory properties and helping to support a healthy digestive function,” she says.

Curcumin, the potent substance within the root helps stimulate the gallbladder to produce bile which is essential for digestion. Research found that turmeric aids symptoms of bloating, gas and even IBS. For an easy way to get some of this spice into your diet, try BetterYou’s Turmeric Oral Spray (RRP £17.95) which has been specifically developed to guarantee optimal absorption and deliver maximum benefits faster than tablets and capsules.

6

“Water retention is another common cause for feeling bloated and uncomfortable.

Symptoms occur due to a variety of reasons including high-stress levels, hormonal fluctuations associated with your menstrual cycle, the body’s reaction to hot weather, getting a bad night’s sleep and certain medications,” says Dan. Although it may seem like contradictory advice to drink more water, when you're not taking on enough fluids the body will retain onto them to prevent dehydration so the best solution is to aim to have two to three litres per day. Also try sprinkling a pinch of pink Himalayan salt on your meals which helps detoxify the body.

5

REGULARITY IS KEY

7

Whilst it can be an uncomfortable topic to discuss, when we fail to go to the toilet regularly it can lead to the build-up of waste and trapped gas in the bowel and in turn, this can promote bloating. “Fibre is essential for healthy digestive transit – we should be aiming for around 30g per day but many of us do not achieve that. Up your intake by including fibre rich vegetables in each of your meals such as, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, avocados and kale,” says Kim. Again, turmeric may also come in handy for helping to keep you regular.

TRY A LOW FODMAP DIET

“If you find that you are consistently experiencing bloating and discomfort it is worth experimenting with a low FODMAP diet,” Dan recommends.

FODMAPs are found in the foods we eat and refer to the abbreviation of Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. These are complex names for a collection of molecules that some people can find difficult to absorb and digest, leading to bloating.

Foods that are low in FODMAPs and would be ideal to eat to remedy bloating include meats, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds.

BKR Pineapple Water Bottle, £28, selfridges.com

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YOUR FITNESS NOV 2017 ad master_ROP 22/09/2017 10:08 Page 20

your fitness REPORT

MOVE more

22 | FIT NEWS 24 | RAMP UP YOUR METABOLISM 27 | 5 MOVES FOR A FLAT TUM 28 | YOUR 30-MINUTE WORKOUT 35 | JENNI FALCONER 36 | WORKING OUT AT HOME

The midnight run

Fleeing the scene when the clock strikes 12 may be a familiar image from our favourite Disney fairy-tale Cinderella, but it seems that more Brits are now lacing up after dark. New research from PureGym has shown a dramatic rise in the number of people going to the gym between the hours of midnight and three in the morning, with attendance having grown by a total of 39 percent since 2015. The data even predicts that almost half a million gym-goers will be working up a sweat at midnight over the course of 2017. Coffee anyone?

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Fit

GET ACTIVE | GET HEALTHY | GET FIT

FitNEWS

NEWS

GAME, SET, MATCH

It may not be tennis season anymore but don’t let that stop you from going inside and having a game with this new app. Hailed as the Tinder for tennis, the UK’s first ever online club easyTennis has just launched. It’s designed to make the sport more sociable enabling players to find each other by accessing nearby public courts and matching them based on skill level, location and availability. The brand is the brainchild of entrepreneur Ganesh Rao, who won a £10,000 prize from easyJet founder Sir Stelios HajiIoannou in a competition to find new brands. Having just launched in London, the app plans to go nationwide by the end of the year and will eventually offer coaching, tournaments, equipment and tennis holidays. Prices start at just £2.99 per match-up or £4.99 for an unlimited monthly membership. easytennis.co.uk

Listening to music 77%

A supportive gym buddy 15% Achieving your goals 8%

#FITSPIRATION

Youtuber and influencer Carly Rowena (@carlyrowena) might be a PT but she also gives us serious workout buddy goals. Expect to see workouts with her french bull dog Steven, quick fitness routine videos and huge doses of positivity.

WE ASKED YOU: What keeps you motivated during a workout?

Listening to music is a great way to keep you going especially if your energy levels are peaking. But why not try listening to a fitness podcast to give you plenty of ideas for future workouts?

22 YourFitness

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QA &

EILISH MCGOLGAN We spoke to team GB’s middle distance runner Eilish McColgan about how she stays motivated

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE WAY TO WORK OUT? I love track sessions. Running fast and feeling my body move through the air quickly is the closest I’ll get to flying!

HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED WHEN TRAINING?

Running is always something I’ve loved so it’s never been difficult to stay motivated.

Sometimes when it gets tough, I have a bracelet on my wrist as a reminder to work hard. It was made by a local Kenyan athlete with tiny little beads and has both the Scottish and Kenyan flags intertwined. It’s an added reminder that if I’m not working hard there will be a hundred other athletes working even harder.

WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND RUNNING TO A NEWBIE?

It’s a brilliant way to keep fit and healthy. It can be really motivating to see improvements every time you run. At the beginning, you might only be able to run for two minutes without getting out of breath, but you’ll be amazed at how quickly those two minutes become easier and how quickly your fitness progresses.

There’s no need for expensive gym memberships or equipment all you need is yourself and the great outdoors!

ONE PIECE WONDER You don’t need bags of equipment to work out at home - you can do plenty with just a Swiss ball. Emma Frain, head of fitness at Protein World (proteinworld.com), reveals her top moves...

Perform each exercise four times with a 30 to 60 second rest between sets.

1

OVERHEAD SQUAT WITH BALL Stand with your feet hip width apart, holding the exercise ball in your hands with straight arms above your head. Squat down keeping your core tight and your weight in your heels with your arms above your head (try to keep your back straight and do not lean forward). Return to the start and repeat.

LYING BALL CRUNCH Lie on your back with your knees raised at a 90 degree angle, with the ball under your calves but tucked up to your bum.

Place your fingertips at your ears and curl the top half of your body up so your head, neck and shoulder blades lift off the floor.

Return to the start and repeat 12 times.

BALL WIPERS Lie on your back with your arms straight out to the side, in line with your shoulders and lift your legs straight up in the air. Place the ball between your feet and squeeze them inwards so that you have a firm grip on the ball. Slowly lower your legs to one side then return to the starting position. Repeat five times per side.

2

3

35%

of UK office workers fail to get the NHS recommended exercise quota of 150 minutes per week.

Pure Gym

FAMILY AFFAIR Exercise and keeping fit is important for the whole family but would you ever hit up cardio with the kids or spin with your sibling? A survey of 1,135 UK adults found more than two thirds would not workout with a family member. In fact, many of the respondents identified exercise as “me” time with 64 percent saying they enjoy the time spent by themselves. “Working out as a family is a great way to enjoy some quality time together while benefiting everyone’s health, and you are more likely to stick to it if you do it together.

It doesn’t need to be in a gym environment, simply going for a hike, or playing a game of rounders in the park can be equally as good for you and is bound to be fun, as well as providing valuable bonding time” said Simon Bubb from beabetteryou.com who carried out the survey.

So why not keep exercise running in the family?

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Move

MORE

Fire up your

fat burners Want to burn extra calories while you snooze?

Read on to rev up your metabolism and kill kilojoules…

WORDS: Sarah Ivory

S

kimping on sleep. Skipping breakfast. Slow genes. These things can dial down your metabolism and – gulp – cause you to gain weight. But you don’t need to accept a sluggish system. Metabolic reactions are constantly taking place in your body. All of these reactions require energy (bye-bye calories) and that’s why you have a basal metabolic rate – it reveals the rate at which your body burns calories simply to support its basic functions, such as staying warm and alert. The higher your basal metabolic rate (BMR), the more calories you’ll burn doing nada. The slower your BMR, the fewer calories you’ll burn at rest.

While some things can slow your BMR down – not exercising, forgetting

to have lunch – there are things you can do to speed it up, too. And getting a sweat on is a fantastic metabolism booster.

“Increasing your level of physical activity is one of the best ways to boost your metabolic rate,” says Dr Sarah Brewer, GP and Healthspan medical director. “A good workout will mean you burn more glucose and fat to produce energy for around 15 hours afterwards.

What’s more, regular exercise stimulates the production of new mitochondria within muscle cells, and causes them to grow larger, so your muscles burn more fuel to produce energy, even at rest.” We tapped the experts for sneaky metabolism boosters that could help you to lose weight fast.

You can thank us later.

THE SPICE IS RIGHT If you can handle the heat, stack up your spice rack. Hot foods like jalapeno peppers and chillies contain a chemical compound called capsaicin that can boost your resting metabolic rate. “When you eat a hot curry and start to sweat, it’s partly because substances present in the chillies increase thermogenesis (heat generation in the body) through the effect it has on metabolic rate,” explains Dr Brewer.

Turmeric extracts, which contain curcumin, have also been shown to increase metabolism enough to boost weight loss and reduce body fat measurements, such as waist circumference.

“Curcumin isn’t naturally water-soluble, so the body struggles to absorb it,” adds Rob Hobson, head of nutrition at Healthspan. “To truly gain the benefits of curcumin you will need to take a supplement, such as Healthspan Opti-Turmeric (£16.95; healthspan.co.uk).”

WORK THE WEIGHTS

Love strength training? Good news – resistance exercise accelerates metabolic rate. Muscle requires more energy than fat, which will help your body to burn calories even after you’ve finished exercising. Data shows that 30-40 minutes of strength training twice weekly for a month can increase resting metabolism enough to burn an extra 100 calories per day. Hooray! It’s especially important to consider weight training as you age: “Metabolic rate decreases with age, largely because we experience a decreased muscle mass,” explains Tilly Spurr, nutritionist at Future Fit Training (futurefit.co.uk). “Exercise is one of the best ways to increase metabolism.”

Time to pick up that dumbbell!

EAT LITTLE AND OFTEN

Here’s a nice surprise – eating can increase your metabolism. “If you diet, your body will think there’s a famine and raise your stress levels (to deal with it), which contributes to fat storage,” reveals Dr Marilyn Glenville. “Try to keep your blood sugar levels stable by eating regularly. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. Don’t leave longer than three hours between meals, and try not to eat carbohydrates after 6pm – this will stop sugar highs and cravings.’ Oh, and did we mentioned that you shouldn’t skip breakfast? Eating earlier in the day has been shown to boost metabolism for longer than eating the same meal later.

BLITZ

200 CALORIES NOW!

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Meet BodyBoss. The BodyBoss Ultimate Body Fitness Guide (bodyboss.com) uses high intensity workouts to help exercisers garner weight loss results in less than two weeks, with many customers dropping one or two dress sizes in this time. Amazed?

Try this HIIT-style workout to burn an impressive 200 calories today.

fo

lu

HOW TO DO IT: Do 24 reps of the following six exercises without taking a single rest. Time how long it takes to complete this challenge and try to beat it next time.

24 YourFitness

Metabolism Feature.indd 2

fo

22/09/2017 14:19

weight-loss TIPS

HAVE A CAFFEINE FIX

Love a morning cuppa? So does your waistline!

“One study found that a single dose of 100mg caffeine increased the resting metabolic rate by three to four percent, over two and a half hours,” explains Dr Brewer. “It also increased the amount of energy they wasted as heat, and consuming repeated caffeine doses every two hours for 12 hours increased their energy expenditure by between eight to 11 percent.

As a result, the lean individuals burned an additional 150 calories.” If coffee makes you gag, green tea has enough caffeine to produce a similar effect, with data revealing that it can increase fat oxidation by as much as 15 percent. Drink up!

SPRINT TO IT

Don’t ride your bike like a pedalo – crank up the speed a notch! Interval-style workouts increase your body’s consumption of oxygen and make mitochondria work doubly hard to burn energy. Increasing the intensity will also make you sweat and the additional body heat could burn calories! “Boosting your circulation will generate heat within the body, which, in turn, supercharges your metabolism,” adds Tal Singh, nutrition and wellness coach at Sculptmode. “This can be achieved by doing 10 press ups per hour or riding a bike as fast as you can for 30 seconds, resting for 30 seconds, and then repeating this pattern eight times.” It’s a sure-fire way to get results.

JUMP LUNGES Stand with your feet together and lunge forward with your right foot. Jump up into the air. Switch your legs mid-air (left leg forward; right leg back) and land back in the lunge position. Repeat.

HALF BURPEES From standing, crouch down to place hands on the ground either side of your toes.

Jump your feet back into a high plank.

Jump feet back to a crouched position.

Stand and repeat.

BENCH HOPS Place your hands on a bench with feet to one side. Push off the ground with both legs to jump over the bench to the other side. Land on soft knees and repeat back in the opposite direction.

BUTTERFLY KICKS Lie on your back with your legs raised off the ground. Lift your left leg slightly higher.

Lower your left leg and repeat with the move with your right leg.

Continue alternating.

V SIT UPS Lie face-up with head, upper back and feet off the ground.

Engage your core and crunch upwards while reaching your hands over your legs. Lower and repeat.

PUSH UP Start in a high plank position. Engage your core and lower your chest towards the floor. Pause when your chest nearly touches the floor. Push back to plank and repeat.

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YOUR FITNESS NOV 2017 ad master_ROP 22/09/2017 10:08 Page 26

toning TIPS

5

3/ PIKE

l Begin in the top of a push-up position with your shoulders over hands and body in a straight line from head to toe l Lift your hips to come into a pike position then bring your left hand to touch your left knee. Try to keep your weight centred as best you can, avoiding shifting over to your right l Place your left hand back on the floor then lower your hips to return to the start. Repeat, this time lifting the right hand

MOVES TO

TRIM YOUR

WAIST Get a flat tum fast with these five easy moves from personal trainer Kristoph Thompson

T

4/ V-UPS

hese exercises work the outermost muscles of the stomach, as well as the deeper stabiliser muscles and the lower back.

Working these in combination not only gives you a more toned tum, but also helps you maintain a proper posture which gives you a leaner appearance. Perform each of the moves one after the other, in a circuit format.

Complete four rounds of the circuit in total, performing as many reps as you can of each exercise with good form.

l Begin lying on your back with your arms extended behind you l Lift your upper and lower body off the floor to form a V-shape l Lower to the floor and repeat, without allowing your back to arch. If you feel any pressure in your lower back you can perform just the upper body or lower body movements

PLANK 1/ SIDE AND TWIST

l From a plank position, with your body in a straight line from head to toe, lift your right hand and take it to your left shoulder – this is your starting position l Rotate your body to the right, stacking your hips and feet on top of one another and reaching up with your right arm. Hold this position for a count of two l Reverse the movement to return to the start. Place your right hand down then take your left hand to right shoulder Repeat the movement, alternating sides with each rep

5/ PLANK WALK OUT

l Begin in a plank position with your shoulders directly over your hands and your body in a straight line from head to toe l Walk your hands forward as far as you feel comfortable, without allowing your back to arch l Walk your hands back to the start and repeat

2/ ALTERNATING SUPERMAN

l Begin lying on your front with your arms extended straight out in front of you l Slowly raise one arm and the opposite leg, as well as your head and chest two inches off the floor. Try to maintain a constant distance between your chin and chest to keep your head in a neutral position l Lower to the floor and then repeat with the other arm and leg

YourFitness 27

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20/09/2017 16:37

Move Top form MORE

Blitz 300 calories IN 30 MINUTES Get your heart rate up and create lean limbs with this half hour total body workout

When the nights are dark and cold, an hour-plus exercise session is enough to send us running for the sofa for a night of reality TV. But you can now get sky high energy levels and a body to boot with our top-to-toe workout in just 30 minutes. “Circuit training is a great way of combining different principles of fitness with different areas of the body and can often be completed in a short space of time,” personal trainer Chris Grimwood tells us.

“This workout covers all areas of the body with a focus on hitting the high reps that are key to sculpt those all important areas.” Let's go!

GUIDELINES

l Aim to complete each rep of every exercise and repeat this circuit three times for the ultimate 30-minute body burn l Try to complete each exercise without a rest – this will keep your heart rate up and

your calories burning at a rapid pace l You will need a barbell, kettlebell or two dumbbells, a bench and a Swiss ball. Make sure you choose a weight that is comfortable for you

THE WARM UP

1

STAR JUMPS 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off for 3 sets

1 2 3

Start with your feet together and your arms by your sides In one fluid movement jump your feet apart and clap your hands above your head Return to the start position and repeat

28 YourFitness

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quick WORKOUT WHY NOT...

Swap your dumbbells for bottles of water for an at-home workout?

THE WORKOUT

2

KETTLEBELL SWING 3 20 reps for 3 sets

1

Start with your feet in a wide stance and hold the kettlebell by the handle, keeping your back straight Bend your knees, pushing your bum back and swing

2

3 1

BARBELL ROWS 20 reps for 3 sets

Start by standing upright with your feet shoulder width apart and with an overhand grip on the barbell (or two dumbbells) just slightly wider than your thighs

the kettlebell backwards between your legs Engage your core and bring the weight back through your legs and up to shoulder height. Repeat PT TIP Kettlebell swings focus on the posterior chain of muscles that are vital for us to improve our overall strength.

Make sure your abs stay tight to support your lower back

2

Tip forward from your hips by bending slightly through your knees. Keep your chest up and your back straight as you pull the barbell into your navel and release to your knees. Repeat for the set PT TIP Make sure you keep your core engaged and your shoulder blades squeezed together at the top of every rep

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Move Top form MORE

4

SWISS BALL CHEST PRESS 20 reps for 3 sets

1 2

Begin by sitting upright on a Swiss ball with a dumbbell in each hand Slowly walk your feet forward so you are lying back on the ball as it rolls under your

6

shoulders, making sure it is supporting your neck and head Bend your elbows to 90 degrees and bring the dumbbells down so that they are in line with your shoulders Push the dumbbells straight up and meet them together at the top of each rep. Repeat for the set

3

4

DUMBBELL 2 HAMMER CURLS 20 reps for 3 sets

1

Start in a standing position with a dumbbell in each hand on either side of your hips with the palms of your hands

facing into your body Slowly raise the dumbbells up towards your shoulders, twisting your hands up, keeping the palms facing in and your elbows back directly under your shoulders. Try to squeeze your bicep muscles at the top.

Slowly lower to a straight arm and repeat for the set

3

5

TRICEP 2 EXTENSION 20 reps for 3 sets

1

Lying on your back on a bench, bring a light barbell (or two dumbbells) directly above your shoulders with your arms straight and your hands in a narrow, overhand grip

7 1

RUSSIAN TWISTS 20 reps for 3 sets

In a seated position with your feet and knees together, take the kettlebell by the handle and lean back slightly to engage your abdominals

Slowly curl the barbell back towards your forehead keeping your elbows tucked in above your shoulders Push the barbell back up to finish the rep above your shoulders. Repeat for the set PT TIP Try to achieve a 90 degree angle with your elbows at the bottom of each rep.

3

2

Slowly twist through your abs, lower the bell to the side of your body but keep it off the floor Twist back through to the other side and repeat for the set PT TIP To make this exercise more difficult, raise and keep your feet off the floor, but be sure to keep your abs braced to support your lower back

3

30 YourFitness

Workout.indd 3

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quick WORKOUT

8

LEG EXTENSION TO CRUNCH

20 reps for 3 sets

1

Lying on your back on a bench or the floor, bend your knees and bring them over your hips in a 90 degree angle Hold a plate or dumbbell with straight arms directly above your shoulders. Extend one leg

2

and at the same time extend the weight behind your head Bring the weight and the extended leg simultaneously together into a crunch. Repeat alternating between both legs on each rep for the set

3

SHOP THE LOOK

UPDATE YOUR WORKOUT WARDROBE AND SHAPE UP IN STYLE WITH THIS MONTH'S TOP PICKS

1

3 2

HeatGear Armour Racer Tank, £20 underarmour.co.uk

Varley Biona Tight, £70 activeinstyle.com

Mx.1 Trainer, £70 aldoshoes.com

Personal trainer: Chris Grimwood (stokebynayland.com), Photography: Cliqq (cliqq.co.uk), Hair and make-up: Jo Adams (hairandmakeupatelier.com), Model: Kim Hartwell, W Model Management, Clothing: Top: Acai Activewear (acaiactivewear.com), Leggings: Salt (thesportsedit.com), Trainers: Stella McCartney for Adidas (adidas.co.uk), with thanks to Stoke By Nayland Golf and Spa (stokebynayland.com)

YourFitness 31

Workout.indd 4

21/09/2017 16:54

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25/09/2017 11:01

YOUR FITNESS NOV 2017 ad master_ROP 22/09/2017 10:08 Page 34

celeb COLUMNIST

RUNNING like a girl Each month the TV presenter, radio host and our woman pounding the pavements fills us in on her fitness diary

I

n my quest to find new and novel ways to get fit, tone up and stay in some kind of respectable shape ahead of the upcoming party dress season, I have turned to a form of exercise which can be done anywhere, anytime and any place. It’s not costly and targets every body part. I’m talking resistance band workouts.

You’ll have definitely seen resistance bands before, even if you don’t know their name – they’re the giant stretchy bands which come in varying degrees of elasticity.

They are adaptable for all levels, whether you are a beginner or a superfit pro, and essentially, the stretchier the band, the easier it is to use. The brilliant thing about them is that they build muscle endurance, are great for conditioning and stretching, and perfect for full body workouts. Plus you can pop them in your bag to use when you're away from home – even when you're on your holibobs!

I recently invested in a ‘MAX’ set of powerbands from Let’s Bands. Coming in at just under £40, they’re not a bad price and the pack contains four different options covering three different strength levels.

The packaging says it's a ‘gym in a box’ and claims it’s the ‘smallest gym in the world’ and I have to agree that that’s a fair description.

I’ve been trying them out for a few weeks and love the fact that if I can’t get to the gym, these really can replace my free weights sessions. They also complement my running and allow me to be more focused on certain body parts.

Ok, I know what you’re wondering – what exactly can you do with them? And do you feel like you’ve had a workout? I’ll answer the latter question first, yes – you do feel like you’ve worked out and you can truly get a sweat on – you just have to use them in the right way. By doing several sets and reducing your recovery time on the cardio, you’ll find the intensity of your exercise steps up a gear too.

“By doing several sets and reducing your recovery time on the cardio, you’ll find the intensity of your exercise steps up a gear too” Your resistance workout So, now for how you use them. Let’s start at the top and work down.

To work your shoulders, wrap the bands round your hands, assume the plank position and then walk your hands out to each side widening the plank.

Throw in a press-up between sets and your shoulders and core will really feel it!

You can focus on your arms in so many ways. Loop the band around a fixed pole or tree and then when in a side plank (facing the tree), pull the band towards you and back again. Alternatively, stand with the band under your feet, hold the ends in your hands, and do bicep curls. To work the triceps, stretch the band a bit further up above your head and then, keeping your elbows drawn tightly in, curl your arms back towards your neck.

You can also be seated with your legs out

TWEET JENNI @jennifalconer Jenni Falconer.indd 1

in front of you with the band around your feet. Row the arms up towards your forehead working your arms, chest and shoulders – obviously the stronger the band, the tougher the exercise.Your bottom and thighs will get the best workout with these bands. Wear one around your thighs and then lift your leg out to the side, activating the glute each time. Try the same exercise but this time lifting the leg up and back too.

You can do squats with the band around your thighs too. Walking side to side in a low squat position is a killer, and if you have access to free weights, simple weighted squats with the band will be a double hit.

There are hundreds of different exercises you can do with these bands –take a look online for ideas, or check out Instagram.

Give them a go and let me know how you get on!

YourFitness 35

21/09/2017 09:34

Move

MORE

THERE’S NO

PLACE LIKE HOME With the nights drawing in and the weather getting colder, we show you why it could be time to reap the benefits of an indoor workout

A

s we get closer to winter, it becomes more and more tempting to skip the gym and snuggle up with a box set on the sofa instead – but you don’t have to give up on your workout just because it’s cold. Instead, make the most of your living room by transforming it into a training space – you don’t need any equipment and you can lose weight and tone up without stepping outside your front door. Sounds good to us!

36 YourFitness

home WORKOUTS

THE BENEFITS

No ‘gymtimidation’

According to a study by Sport England, 75 percent of women in the UK want to exercise more, but are afraid of being judged by others about their appearance and ability. Some mothers even say they’re concerned that people will think that they’re putting themselves first ahead of their kids. Working out at home will mean you don’t have to worry about strangers!

You don’t have to spend money

Let’s face it, money can be tight, so any way to save your wallet can only be a good thing.

Exercising at home means that you won’t have to pay a fee, you won’t have to save money for a locker and there’s no need to spend a penny getting there!

It’s more convenient

As you don’t have to travel to work out, you can do it whenever you want and fit it around your

schedule, rather than the gym’s. Got a spare 20 minutes in the morning? Do a quick routine or stretch session and that’s it!

You can wear whatever you want

Can’t be bothered to change out of your pyjamas? You don’t have to! One of the best things about working out at home is that no one can see you, so there’s no need to worry about applying make-up or making sure that your hair isn’t messy. Plus, you can stop wearing annoying headphones – choose your own playlist and blast it through your speakers.

THE EQUIPMENT While you can easily work out from the comfort of your own home without any equipment, there are certain pieces that have a variety of uses to help you get more out of your session – here’s a round-up of our favourites.

There’s no waiting for equipment A resistance band There’ll be no queues for the dumbbells as you’ll be the only one using them, and the only germs you’ll come across are your own (research by FitRated (fitrated.com) found that gym weights carry 362 times as many bacteria as a toilet seat). Also, there’ll be no line for the showers once you’re done – bliss!

THE WORKOUT

We asked PT Charlie Francis (charliefrancisfitness.com) for an easy, 10-minute, no-equipment workout that you can do at home. To do this, perform the warm up, and then complete three rounds of the below exercises, resting after each round.

WARM UP 10 SETS

Downward dog, lunge left, downward dog, lunge right – from the downward dog yoga pose, step forward with your left leg into a lunge and bring your body up, then go back to the pose and repeat on the other side FIVE SETS

Transition from upward-facing dog to downward dog – lie face down on the floor with your legs straight out behind you. Place your hands on the ground next to your chest and press down, straightening your arms and lifting your torso and legs. Keep your elbows in, raise your chest and hold for 30 seconds. Then, lift your hips and roll over your toes to bring yourself into the downward dog pose

SUPER SET 1 THREE ROUNDS

15 squats – make sure your toes are pointed forward and your abdominals are engaged 10 push ups – keep your glutes tight as you perform these to help stabilise your core and pelvis Hamstring stretch – bend your knee, lean forward and hold. Repeat on the other side

Why: This cost-effective piece of equipment can be used for strength training exercises, such as increasing the intensity of your push-ups, and they add variety to your routine. They’re also easy to store and are very effective at working your muscles.

We like: Dyna-Band, £10.50, dynaband.co.uk

A yoga mat

Why: You may think that your carpet or floor is a good enough surface for your workouts, but they actually won’t provide the support, cushioning and grip that a mat will when you’re performing ab workouts, warm up stretches, and more.

We like: Lolë Glow Reversible Yoga Mat, £26, johnlewis.com

A kettlebell

Why: A small weight can make a big difference to your workouts – add it to moves such as squats and deadlifts to improve both your cardio and muscle health, as well as tone up your muscles and lose weight.

We like: Reebok 2kg Kettlebell, £9.99, johnlewis.com

SUPER SET 2 THREE ROUNDS

20 reverse lunges (10 on each leg) – take a large step backwards and lower your hips so your front leg is parallel with the floor, and your other knee is be at a 90-degree angle. Return to standing and bring your back leg forward, then repeat on the other side.

10 leg raise, toe taps – to do this, lie flat on your back with your legs outstretched, then bring then up to a 90 degree angle. Repeat this again, then hold and bring your arms up to touch your toes

YourFitness 37

Competition

WIN

A WEEKEND SPA BREAK WITH DENTYL ACTIVE Rest, rejuvenate and relax at a Macdonald Hotel with an overnight stay for two people

W

ith winter now firmly on the way, ease yourself into the season with some much needed ‘me-time’ and check into a Macdonald Hotel. We’ve teamed up with the luxury stay provider and mouthwash brand Dentyl Active to offer an exclusive array of exciting prizes for our readers this issue. Two lucky winners will be treated to an overnight stay for two at a hotel of their choice with breakfast, dinner and a treatment each included with full use of the spa facilities. Five runners up will then each receive a Dentyl goodie bag containing a travel wash bag plus three month’s supply of the mouthwash.

With a variety of locations up and down the country to choose from, Macdonald Hotels are the perfect place for a luxury stay. Upon arrival, there are a variety of beauty treatments to choose from ensuring you will leave feeling refreshed and relaxed.

Featuring thermal suites with rock saunas, infra-red saunas, therapies such as a salt infusion and salt mist, cold rooms, aroma steam rooms and all manner of invigorating showers to indulge in, this a must for anyone seeking some R&R. Make sure you pack Dentyl Active mouthwash to keep your mouth feeling amazing too! Its powerful double action helps clean teeth and gums, removes bacteria and mouth debris and leaves your mouth feeling fresh for up to 12 hours. Simply shake to mix the antibacterial ingredients together, rinse and be amazed at what it’s removed. Plus, it’s alcohol-free, so it doesn’t sting or dry the mouth.

For more information visit dentylactive.com

T&Cs: This competition is open to all UK residents aged 18 or over, excluding employees or agents of the associated companies and their families. One entry per person (duplicates will be void). The prizes detailed in each competition cannot be exchanged for goods, or towards the purchase of goods at any retail outlet and are subject to availability. Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash, or replaced if lost or damaged. Automated entries are disqualified. Illegible entries and those that do not abide by these terms and conditions will be disqualified. The decision of the judge is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

No responsibility held for entries lost, delayed or damaged in the post, proof of posting is not proof of delivery. All entries become the property of Aceville Publications Ltd & sister companies. The decision of the judge is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Winners will be notified within approximately 90 days of the competition start date, a list of winners will be available in writing on request from Marketing Department, 21/23 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8JY. CLOSING DATE 16/11/17. Entrants should enter by completing the entry form on yourfitnesstoday.com. Entries received after the closing date of the promotion will not be considered.

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PRIZE

WORTH ÂŁ1,000!

HOW TO ENTER:

Log on to our website, yourfitnesstoday.com, and answer the question below correctly to be in with a chance of winning this amazing prize!

Q) How long does Dentyl Active keep your mouth feeling fresh?

A) Up to 8 hours

B) Up to 10 hours C) Up to 12 hours

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promotional FEATURE

Amp up your METABOLISM

A

We all need a helping hand when it comes to slimming down, and green coffee beans and raspberry ketones have a multitude of benefits

well balanced diet and regular exercise is key to helping you achieve the shape you want, but there are some handy helpers that can support you along your way.

Green coffee beans and raspberry ketones are two such examples, and these plant extracts are often combined in capsules (such as those offered by FYSIQAL Nutrition) to help aid weight loss in a responsible manner.

So, what are they?

First of all, let’s look at raspberry ketones.

Ketones are naturally occurring compounds that are believed to help aid the rate of metabolism in your body, burning stored fats for faster weight loss. Ketones work by increasing the activity of a hormone called adiponectin and the function of this hormone is to exclusively burn fat cells.

Green coffee beans, on the other hand, help with natural detoxification, and cleanse the liver to make it free from toxins, bad cholesterols and unnecessary fats. They are also a great source of polyphenols including chlorogenic acid (CGA),

which is believed to help support healthy blood pressure regulation and also reduce the effects of free radicals in the body.

Unroasted beans have other benefits too, and contain antioxidative agents including ferulic acid, which decelerates the ageing procedure giving youthful skin, and gammaaminobutyric Acid (GABA) and theophylline, which both maintain skin health and avert the appearance of wrinkles – great for those looking to rewind the clock!

On top of this, green coffee beans are rich in fatty acids and esters including arahidic acid, linoleic acid and oleic acid which nourishes and moisturises our skin to stop sagging and discolouration.

How can you boost your intake?

Look for supplements containing unroasted green coffee beans and raspberry ketone fruit extracts, and remember that these should be used as a supplement to a healthy diet and regular exercise and not as a replacement.

TRY SOME TODAY

FYSIQAL Nutrition’s Green Coffee & Raspberry Fruit capsules contains 1000mg of unroasted green coffee bean extract and 100mg of raspberry ketone fruit extract and is designed to work alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise to promote responsible weight loss.

60 capsules £12.99, fysiqalnutrition.com

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your fitness REPORT

YOUR style

44 | ROXY’S NEW RANGE 51 | LISA SNOWDON 52 | BEAUTY BLITZ 54 | TRY THE NEW OXYGEN BEAUTY TREND

Zip it up

With winter on the way, now is a great time to invest in a waterproof jacket that will see you through the temperamental weather Blighty is so notorious for. Adding to its capsule collection of performance wear, Boudavida has released a new range for the colder seasons filled with bold, functional and flattering designs. But if you snap up one thing, make it this Spark Jacket that will keep you dry and comfortable thanks to it’s waterresistant fabric. Remaining stylish yet practical with back vents to allow for breathability, it’s all you need for outdoor training. So, bad weather?

Bring it on! boudavida.com

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Your

STYLE

TOP OF

THE CLASS Escape the cold and warm up with a new workout and a knockout kit to match

BEST FOR DANCE Breathe Barre Wrap Crop Top, £39.95 gap.co.uk Chaines Dance Leg Warmers, £9 sweatybetty.com

WEAR WITH

Free People

Contour Luxe 78 Workout Leggings, £70, sweatybetty.com Gaiam Beginner’s Barre Kit, £10.83 amazon.co.uk Sports Bra Low support 17.99 hm.com

42 YourFitness

kit PICKS

BEST FOR PILATES

BEST FOR RUN CLUB

Aeroknit Tank, £28 adidas.co.uk Hero 2.0 Sports Bra, £34.99 newbalance.co.uk Calvin Klein Retro Leggings, £18 asos.com

Sports Tights, £19.99 hm.com

Training Women’s Forever Graphic Bra, £22 puma.com Supersoft Printed Dipped Hem Hooded Top, £35 marksandspencer.com

WEAR WITH WEAR WITH Lace-up Active Trainers, £29.50 marksandspencer.com Stance Uncommon Super Invisible Socks, £8 activeinstyle.com Training Essentials Backpack, £28 asics.com

Eco Yoga Mat, £40 sweatybetty.com Yoga Mad Deluxe Yoga Prop Bag, asquithlondon.com Gaiam Restore Hot & Cold Therapy Kit, £17.49 johnlewis.com

BEST FOR SPINNING 1P Blocked Tights Courtney Black Beauty, £50 bjornborg.com Eclipse Printed Sports Bra, £35 underarmour.co.uk Contrast Materials Sneakers, £39.99 mango.co.uk

TEAM WITH The Towel, £38 lululemon.co.uk S’well Blanc Crocodile Small Water Bottle, £25 amara.com Ankle Weights, £16 moveyourframe.com

YourFitness 43

Your

STYLE

Crew Neck Pullover £60 FuzeX Tight £50 Gel Kenun Trainers £130

44 YourFitness

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style SESSIONS

Jump

START Brighten up your autumn days with colour blocking and abstract prints in Asics' latest collection

YourFitness 45 55

fashion Nov2.indd 3

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Your

STYLE

FuzeX Bra £30 HighWaist Tights £60 Gel Kenun Trainers £130

46 YourFitness

fashion Nov2.indd 4

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style SESSIONS

SS Tee £25 Colour Block Tight £45 Gel Kenun Trainers £130

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Your

STYLE

Colour Block Bra £30 Colour Block Tight £45 Gel Kenun Trainers £130 All available at asics.com

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YOUR FITNESS NOV 2017 ad master_ROP 22/09/2017 10:08 Page 49

promotional FEATURE

HARNESS THE POWER OF

COPPER Thought copper was just one of the elements on the periodic table? Think again!

W

hile we all know about the importance of minerals such as iron and vitamin C, many of us are less aware of the significance of copper. And, while for most the word will bring up visions of pipes or even pennies, this naturally occurring element actually has a key role to play in the health of our bodies. As well as working with iron to support the formation of red blood cells, it also relieves sore muscles and joints to help you recover from the excesses of exercise and everyday life.

Our bodies can’t synthesise copper, so we need to eat foods rich in the mineral such as lentils, almonds, dark chocolate and asparagus, but there are other ways you can reap the benefits too. Copper compression fitness wear, such as that produced by Copper88, has become more and more popular in recent years and many are enjoying the advantages it provides. Copper88’s compression clothing is made with a unique fabric with embedded copper fibres to help your body to top up its essential copper reserves and keep you active every time you wear it.

So how does it work? Compression concentrates the blood flow into the areas of the body that need recovery after exercise or simply a long day on the go, while copper helps the flow of oxygen through the blood stream to help speed up that recovery process.

Worn by professional athletes, Copper88

fabric is lightweight but robust and extremely comfortable to wear. It doesn’t ride or wrinkle and keeps you feeling dry and fresh all day long. Copper even kills the bacteria that is attracted to sweat causing body odour, so wearing Copper88 adds all day confidence to your daily routine.

With shirts and shorts, joint sleeves for elbows wrists, knees and ankles, socks and gloves, there is Copper88 clothing to meet your every need, helping you to feel fit and healthy whatever your lifestyle.

Find our more at copper88.co.uk. Prices start from £13.99 and Your Fitness readers can use the code YOURFIT17 to get a 15 percent discount at checkout.

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celeb COLUMNIST

Lisa Snowdon Let there be

LIGHT

Our beauty columnist tries a skinbrightening and mood-boosting treatment ideal for winter

A

s the dark mornings and colder nights creep in, I know I'm not the only one who starts lacking in energy and enthusiasm for life. It's cold outside, the heating is on, you feel less inspired to work out and you have to drag yourself to the gym. On top of this, your willpower slips away and you find yourself caving into all your naughty cravings. The result? A feeling of total bleurgh. Now, there are of course many positives that come with the changing season – cosy nights in, warming knits and lots of layers, The X Factor and Strictly, and of course the C word. But before all that excitement starts, I need to give my depleted energy levels and low mood a major boost.

And so, it's time to turn to my new favourite buddy – LED light treatment.

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode, and this is my new perk-me-and-my-skin-up autumn/winter beauty boost.

I know I'm always banging on about how light exposure is bad for your skin and causes ageing and pigmentation (and it does), but there are also lots of positives. LED light therapy involves controlled amounts of low level beneficial light, in the form of red, blue and near infrared, which are all proven to stimulate skin. They help our cells to function better and lead to a more radiant, luminous, younger, healthier looking complexion.

This genius of a treatment is not only super fast (a short 20 minutes), but it’s also warming and extremely relaxing – once you get used to the brightness of it, that is! Whatever your skin type or specific complaint there are so many other benefits. Firstly, it's extremely rejuvenating and packs a good anti ageing punch. It also boosts levels of the happy hormone serotonin and increases vitamin D production too. This latter point is a total must-have for all of

us, especially in the winter months when there is hardly any sun to be seen.

The therapy helps most skin conditions, calming the redness associated with rosacea, treating psoriasis, reducing the appearance of pigmentation, banishing bacteria build up which controls blemishes and breakouts, accelerating healing and revitalising your visage. In short there is nothing it doesn’t do!

Your face is first cleansed, then you pop on a pair of goggles, sit back and switch off. I almost always nearly fall asleep, it's that relaxing! After it's finished, serums and an SPF are applied, and then off you go about your day, looking more youthful with a dewy, glowing complexion. A course of eight to 10 is recommended for the best results but you really do notice a difference after one treatment - my skin certainly had a more luminous, plumped quality.

Banish the blues Catch some zzzs Try to sleep in a well-ventilated room, even in the winter – having a window open at night is the best thing you can do for the health of your skin. Plus, you will also sleep so much better!

Put on a pair of PJs, snuggle under the covers and drift off into the land of nod.

Light up I love candles and Neom has a range called Happy that I'm a big fan of. Combining gorgeous, white neroli, mimosa and lemon, they really do improve my mood!

I light the candles throughout the day and the aroma lifts my spirits. Buy your own at neomorganics.com.

Brighten your skin I love Sunday Riley’s Good Genes Treatment.

Enhanced with liquorice to even out skin tone, it also features lemongrass which brightens and restores damaged skin and boosts blood flow. Use as a mask at night or daily under your make up. Available online at SpaceNK.

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Your

STYLE TWINKLE TWINKLE Nail Polishes in Star Dust and GoldLeaf, £17 each nailberry.co.uk There’s nothing like a hint of gold and silver to get you in the festive mood (too soon?). Nailberry’s new Gilt Trip collection is inspired by the “twinkling of winter stars” according to the breathable nail polish brand. Either layer them together for a double dose of sparkle or separately to brighten up your outfit in time for the big ‘C’ word!

FALLING FOR YOU Give your beauty kit an update for the new season with these must-buys

Formulated with carrot, honey, tofu and white jelly mushroom, keep dry skin, oiliness and visible pores at bay with Shiseido’s new WASO range. Inspired by Washoku, a traditional Japanese cuisine, WASO incorporates exclusive technologies obtained through the latest Shiseido research to plump, soften and nourish your skin throughout the entire day.

Buy the collection at feelunique.com

Dolce & Gabbana

FEELING JAPANESE

It’s a tale of two halves for autumn as the new trends either capture the essence of natural beauty or embrace a hint of the fall colour palette we know and love. Think crimson, gothic lips teamed with pared-back eyes and matte skin as seen at Dolce & Gabbana to get you in the festive spirit. But if au natural is more your style, make like the models at Proenza Schouler who sashayed down the catwalk with barely-there eyes and glowing, lightly flushed skin. Get the look at home with a dab of concealer and a brisk walk in the winter sun.

Proenza Schouler

Free People

IN THE EXTREME

MORNING MAKE-OVER SOAK IT UP

KMS Moist Repair Revival Creme, £17.50 lookfantastic.com Fortified with a host of beneficial ingredients, including lactic acid, 18-MEA and an innovative AHA structure complex, you can now get salon results in your own bathroom. Not only does it combat frizz and flyaways, Moist Repair also gives your tresses the bounce it needs to give you the ultimate good hair day.

Starskin 7-Second Morning Mask Pads, £22.95 lookfantastic.com Let’s face it, no one has time for a seven-step beauty regime in the morning but now you can with just one product. These super-charged pads act as an exfoliator, toner, serum, primer, moisturiser and mask thanks to its serum infused ingredients.

It includes some of nature’s most potent skin-brightening actives, fermented ingredients and probiotics to refresh, brighten and rejuvenate your skin in just seconds.

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Free People

beauty UPDATE HONEY TRAP

Warming Honey Cleanser, £34 isclinical.co.uk Formulated with professional strength natural botanicals, this luxurious cleanser warms the skin upon application to open pores, gently exfoliate and thoroughly cleanse. With honey as the main ingredient, it controls acne breakouts and reduces redness and inflammation while also protecting the skin’s natural ceramide barrier.

Three of the best...

NEW FOUNDATIONS

1 BARE PRO PERFORMANCE WEAR LIQUID FOUNDATION, £29 BARE MINERALS.CO.UK

Creamy, lightweight with full coverage?

Our autumn make-up just got a whole lot more exciting.

2 3 EVEN BETTER GLOW MAKEUP FOUNDATION, £27 CLINIQUE.CO.UK With light-reflecting particles and vitamin C aplenty, winter skin needn’t be dull with this dewy finish.

LAURA MERCIER FLAWLESS FUSION FOUNDATION, £35 JOHNLEWIS.COM Blur your pores and imperfections with Laura Mercier’s sweat, humidity, water and transfer resistant formula.

We love!

ILLUMINATORS Spend

It’s the most hotly-anticipated beauty collaboration of 2017 and after two years in the making Fenty Beauty is finally here.

Created by pop sensation Rhianna, the collection’s minimal packaging and sleek design is surprisingly muted if the singer’s personal style is anything to go by. But with 40 foundation shades and whispers of a bespoke colouring service on the horizon, you can finally find your perfect pairing. Other highlights include pigmented lip glosses, eye and face shimmer sticks and a refillable blotting paper palette.

Form an orderly queue ladies!

Available at harveynichols.com

Invisimatte Blotting Paper, £13 Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer, £16 Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, £26 Match Stix Matte Skinstick, £21

SPEND VS SAVE

STAR QUALITY

Cellularose Brightening CC Serum in Sunny Flash, £61 byterry.com Forgo fake tan and embrace your natural skintone with a slick of this warming serum to lift the complexion.

Save

Nyx Professional Makeup Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator, £8 cultbeauty.co.uk Apply under your foundation or to highlight your cheekbones and cupids bow for a glossy finish.

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Your

STYLE

Clear

THE AIR Breathe new life into your skin with oxygen facials – the latest beauty trend you can try at home

L

ike so many other things, it all started with Madonna. In an interview last year, the queen of pop finally spilled her secret to her ageless complexion – oxygen facials. And as we all know – where Madge leads, others will follow and it wasn’t long before Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Middleton and our former cover star Jennifer Lopez were booking in for the hottest beauty treatment of the year. Promising to increase circulation and encourage blood flow while plumping out any fine lines or wrinkles, the treatment infuses pure oxygen into the skin through an air brush before applying specialist serums. The result? A beautiful, glowing complexion that defies time. Intrigued? Us too, which is why we asked the experts in the know about why we should all be getting a little more fresh air.

1

IT’S ANTIAGEING

Probably the most obvious one thanks to Madonna’s omission, oxygen skincare can credit its success to its ability to turn back the clock. “Oxygen has proven benefits for the skin, literally breathing new life, vitality and energy to every living cell in the body and is essential to healthy skin function,” Sharon Hilditch founder of Crystal Clear Skincare (crystalclear.co.uk), says. “It assists in increasing the blood supply, thus providing the nutrients necessary for the stimulation of collagen production. It is also anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. Oxygen levels in the skin decrease as we get older (even by the age of 25, the skin’s oxygen is substantially lower than that of a healthy teenager) resulting in dull, tired looking skin, the loss of elasticity and the formation of lines and wrinkles. When skin is properly oxygenated it becomes more hydrated, firmer, smoother and plumper with healthy, radiant glow.”

2

IT CAN SEND SPOTS PACKING

Speaking of teenage skin, as new reports show that adult acne is on the rise (by 200 percent no less), oxygen skincare can help disperse those pesky whiteheads according to Martyna Blank, skin therapist at Riverbanks wellness and anti-ageing clinic (riverbanksclinic. co.uk.). “The oxygen treatment helps to flush out harmful bacteria that lives within the pores especially in acne prone skin,” she says.

“Oxygen can help to restructure your skin, visibly plumping out fine lines and wrinkles and stimulating cell regeneration for a more youthful, healthier appearance.”

3

IT CAN HELP BATTLE POLLUTION

Whether you’re in the throes of city life or are enjoying the pull of the countryside, pollution doesn’t have to be on your doorstep to wreak havoc on your complexion.“Studies have shown environmental factors cause over 80 percent of premature skin ageing,” Sharon tells us.“The pollution particles are miniscule and therefore able to penetrate the skin’s epidermis (lower layer), causing oxidative stress on the skin, interfering with its natural structure and function, speeding up the skin’s ageing process. Collagen loss, pigmentation, dryness, dullness, clogged pores and inflammation

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beauty FIXES

4

WE CAN DO IT OURSELVES

Although treating yourself to an oxygen facial will be the most effective step to overhauling your skin, there are a few things we can do to help it on its way. “There are numerous topical products and professional treatments that can help with oxygenation of the skin. Oxygen facials help increase circulation and bring blood flow as well as aiding the delivery of oxygen-rich, age defying ingredients to the skin while products can help by boosting the skin’s natural moisture barrier. Making lifestyle changes can be beneficial too, including getting more exercise, having a healthy eating regime, getting a good night’s sleep, and reducing stress. Smoking, alcohol and pollution can all cause oxygen deficiency,” Sharon says.

FACE TIME

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Can’t make it to the spa?

Stock your cupboards with these skin-loving products

CRYSTAL CLEAR OXYGEN FACE POLISH, £33.99 CRYSTALCLEAR.CO.UK Containing a new biotechnologically-derived agent called oxylastil, this will stimulate cell turnover and repair the skin.

Leave your skin in the hands of the professionals with these top oxygen facials

BLISS TRIPLE OXYGEN CLEANSING FOAM, £24 MARKSANDSPENCER.COM Infused with vitamin C and cruciferous extract this rich day cream will protect your skin against aggressors and leave it brighter instantly.

as well as increased sensitivity are all signs of the impact these environmental aggressors can have on our skin.” So far, not so good. As lifestyle aggressors continue to rob our skin of oxygen, a targeted facial can help reverse the effects of environmental pollutants. “The skin is a live organ and as with any live organ, it needs a good blood supply to keep it healthy,” Esther Fieldgrass, founder and creative director of Medispa (efmedispa.com) explains. “Blood carries oxygen to the surface of the skin, so when we starve our skin of oxygen or expose it to lots of pollution, the skin can be dull, dehydrated and can show early signs of ageing. Oxygen treatments and products work to ‘energise’ and increase the red blood cells, which in turn, oxygenates the skin.”

LONDON Elizabeth Arden Oxygen Blast, £15 (15 minutes) debenhams.com

Get a fast fix at selected Debenhams stores with this glow-to-go treatment.

BIRMINGHAM Highfield Wellness & Beauty Oxygen Facial, £75 highfieldbeauty.com Make this your go-to if you’re exposed to pollution on a daily basis.

SCOTLAND Espa Oxygen Facial, £42 retreatscotland.com

This antioxidant therapy draws oxygen to the skin’s surface for a rosy flush and healthy radiance.

MANCHESTER Diane Nivern Oxygen Facial, from £85 dianenivern.com Designed for problem skin, this antibacterial treatment leaves acne-prone skin clean and clear.

NATURA BISSÉ OXYGEN FINISHING MASK, £35 FEELUNIQUE.COM Envelope your skin in stabilized hydrogen peroxide which transforms into pure oxygen and water upon penetrating your complexion to hydrate, brighten and purify.

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YOUR FITNESS NOV 2017 ad master_ROP 22/09/2017 10:08 Page 56

40 BEST

Awards 2017

HEALTH & FITNESS

buys

From sports apparel and protein powders to fitness trackers, energy boosters and everything in between, we’ve tried the very latest in fitness and health with the help of our expert judges – plus there are five categories voted for by you, our readers. Here are the results!

AS VOTED FOR BY YOU!

SPORTS APPAREL BRAND

WINNER

DIET FOOD BRAND

WINNER

FITNESS APP

FITNESS BLOGGER

FITNESS CELEBRITY

WINNER

WINNER

WINNER

NIKE

SLIMMING WORLD

FITBIT

JOE WICKS

LUCY MECKLENBURGH

RUNNERS UP

RUNNERS UP

RUNNERS UP

RUNNERS UP

RUNNERS UP

Adidas Sweaty Betty

Nakd MyProtein

My Fitness Pal Couch To 5k

Clean Eating Alice Kayla Itsines

Davina McCall Joe Wicks

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Your

STYLE

FASHION

TRAINERS

ALL-ROUND SPORTS BRA

WINNER

(JUDGED BY FAYA NILSSON)

JOINT WINNERS

M&S HIGH IMPACT PADDED LIGHT AS AIR SPACER SPORTS BRA £18, marksandspencer.com

“This bra is flattering, breathable and supportive during every type of workout. It’s also available in sizes A-G, which is great!”

ASICS FUZEX RUSH

ADIDAS ULTRA BOOST X

£95, asics.com

£139.95, adidas.co.uk

“These are my favourite in terms of functionality for a number of reasons – they’re supportive, breathable, water-resistant, durable and don’t cost the world!”

“I love the look of these, they’re the perfect crossover shoe! They’re also lightweight, flexible and will last for a long time, so they’re worth the price.”

RUNNER UP Puma Spe ed Ignite Netfit £120, puma.com

RUNNERS UP Shock Absorber Active Multi Sports Support

Anita Active Extreme Control Sports Bra

£37, boobydoo.co.uk

£49, figleaves.com

+

F OR P ERF EC T T RAININ G TRY. . .

New Balance Fresh Foam 1080v7 £115, newbalance.co.uk

THE JUDGES

FAYA NILSSON

+

F OR EXTRA SUPPORT T R Y . . .

Faya is a half-English, half-Swedish PT and blogger with a passion for health. Her blog, Fitness on Toast (fitnessontoast.com), was founded in 2013 as a platform for her workout ideas and nutritional tips.

Booband £20, thebooband.com

LISA SNOWDON

Lisa is Your Fitness magazine’s beauty columnist, providing monthly advice on a range of topics, from new spas to the best lipstick.

She is also a radio and TV presenter.

58 YourFitness

YF Awards 2017.indd 4

22/09/2017 14:20

Awards 2017 SPORTS LEGGINGS

SPORTS TOP

WINNER

WINNER

M&S SCULPT COLOUR BLOCK LEGGINGS

NEW BALANCE ANTICIPATE TOP

£35, marksandspencer.com

£30, newbalance.co.uk

“We loved how supportive the thicker fabric felt, it was super flattering yet kept us cool throughout a particularly sweaty HIIT class!”

“Made from super stretch material, these stylish leggings offer excellent support and really sculpt your shape. We love!”

RUNNERS UP

RUNNERS UP

USA Pro Seamless Tights Charcoal Marle

New Balance Windblocker Tight

ASICS Open Back Tank

£16, usapro.co.uk

£45, newbalance.co.uk

£28, asics.com

Live On The Edge Supacore Women’s Long Sleeve Compression Top Grey Marle £70, live-on-the-edge.com

+

+

FOR A SLIMMING LOOK T R Y. . .

F OR A WI N TER WORKO U T T R Y . . .

Magic Active Crop Pants

Bouda Vida Valiant Hoodie

£26.50, magicbodyfashion.com

£90, boudavida

KIMBERLY WYATT

Ex-Pussycat Doll and Masterchef winner Kimberly is a dance teacher and author.

She has also partnered with active wear brand Zakti to create a collection.

ZANNA VAN DIJK

Social media influencer Zanna is a personal trainer and blogs about everything from fitness to mindfulness at zannavandijk.co.uk. She is also the author of Strong and an Adidas ambassador.

YF EDIT TEAM

Over the past few months we’ve really enjoyed testing a huge variety of great, high-quality products, from sports bras and legging to nutritional snacks and refreshing drinks. We hope you enjoy the results!

YourFitness 59

YF Awards 2017.indd 5

22/09/2017 16:26

Your

STYLE

FUEL

HEALTH DRINK

WINNER

ON-THE-GO NUTRITION

TEAPIGS PREMIUM ORGANIC MATCHA

WINNER TAKING THE PEA WACKY WASABI

£20, teapigs.co.uk

“This super-concentrated powder is full of nutrients. We love how versatile it is – you can even add it to smoothies!”

£18, takingthepea.com

RUNNERS UP

“These peas are packed with flavour, fibre and protein. They’re also convenient, so they’re great when you’re out and about. ”

James White Drinks Golden Turmeric Zinger

RUNNERS UP Take A Bite Bar Peanut and Banana

£1.59, nairnsoatcakes.com

£1.99, available at Selfridges

FIT TECH

Nairn’s Oatcakes On The Go Fruit and Seed

Rejuvenation Water Apple and Mint £1.99, vitaminbay.com

£1.69, hollandandbarrett.com

+

FOR A WARMING CUP TRY...

Qi Organic Fairtrade Green Tea £1.69, qi-teas.com

FITNESS TRACKER (JUDGED BY LISA SNOWDON)

WINNER

F ITBI T BLAZ E £159.99, fitbit.com

“Lightweight and comfortable, this has a good battery life, phone alerts, a heart rate monitor and an easy app. I like the relax breathing session setting as well.”

HEADPHONES (JUDGED BY KIMBERLY WYATT)

WINNER

JA B R A ELI TE SPORT £229.99, jabra.co.uk

“These wireless headphones are the best of the best. I love the fit, feel and most importantly sound, and I can’t wait to use them again!”

FITNESS GADGET (JUDGED BY ZANNA VAN DIJK)

WINNER

SPIRE MINDFULNESS AND ACTIVITY TRACKER £129.95, apple.com

“This was a welcome change from traditional activity trackers! As well as tracking steps, it checks your stress levels and offers guided meditation and breathing exercises.”

60 YourFitness

YF Awards 2017.indd 6

22/09/2017 14:22

Awards 2017 PROTEIN POWDER

ENERGY BOOSTER

WINNER

WINNER INDIGO HERBS SUPERGREENS POWDER

NEAT NUTRITION CHOCOLATE LEAN PROTEIN

£6.99, indigo-herbs.co.uk

“A mix of organic wheatgrass, barley grass, moringa, spirulina and chlorella, this makes a great, nutritional base for a smoothie.”

£34, neat-nutrition.com

“Creamy and chocolately, this mixes well to make a tasty shake.

It contains no nasties – and we like the packaging, too.”

RUNNERS UP Innermost The Fit One £30, liveinner most.com

+

RUNNERS UP Natural Nutrients Madagascan Vanilla Whey Protein Powder £30.99, naturalnutrients.co.uk

FOR A VERSATILE OPTION TRY...

Whey Hey Coconut Protein Powder £49.99, bio-synergy.co.uk

Revive Active Super Supplement £49.95, reviveactive.com

£1.99, hollandandbarrett. com

+

FOR EXTRA NUTRITION TRY...

FitBit Charge 2 £139.99, fitbit.com

RUNNERS UP

James White Drinks Beet It Organic Shot

Vitamin B12 Skin Patches £49.99, vitamininjections.co.uk

TomTom Spark 3 £119.99, tomtom.com

Miiego AL3+ Freedom Wireless Headphones

Happy Plugs Sport Headphones

£79.99, miiego.com

£39.99, happyplugs.com

Joseph Joseph Water Bottle

£10, josephjoseph.com

Beeline Smart Compass £99, beeline.co

YourFitness 61

YF Awards 2017.indd 7

22/09/2017 14:22

promotional FEATURE

A NEW WAY TO BEAT

psoriasis Challenge this skin condition with Philips’ innovative blue light therapy

I

t is estimated that around three percent of the UK population is living with red, raised, flaky scales on their skin. Yet while psoriasis is common, with plaque being the most well-known form, the treatment options are limited. Instead, the itchy and often painful plaques can crack and bleed, leaving sufferers battling a range of emotions, from helplessness to frustration, which can have lasting effects on overall wellbeing.

Left in the dark

Some have to live with the auto-immune disease from around 10 years of age, while others develop it in later life through hormone changes or stress. Either way, the trigger is likely to be unknown and psoriasis can occur and return without warning. For decades, there has been different approaches to treating plaque psoriasis and it’s likely you’ll have found yourself in a treatment loop – forced to try oily cream after oily cream with just one guarantee; a bathroom cabinet home to dozens of half-used bottles and disappointment.

Taking back control

Living with the debilitating condition can create a social barrier. It can leave you feeling insecure

or even embarrassed; afraid to show your skin in public. Now, those with psoriasis don’t have to rely on greasy, time-consuming and prescription-only topical treatments. Philips BlueControl Advance is clinically-proven to relieve mild to moderate plaques with just 15 minutes’ treatment per day from home.

The innovative wearable and cordless device is a gentle, convenient and effective way of managing psoriasis around you and your lifestyle. From wearing it on either your arms or legs to travel, cook or out to meet friends – you’ll get back a sense of freedom.

Light therapy innovation

“The Light and Health team at Philips recognised the treatment loop psoriasis sufferers have been stuck in and have worked tirelessly to create an effective, first-of-its-kind treatment that can challenge the skin condition,” says Professor Dr Matthias Born, director of Clinical and Scientific Affairs and principal scientist at Philips. He added: “Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been used in households for decades. Now, Philips BlueControl Advance utilises specially developed LED technology set to activate

the natural healing processes of your skin.

It works by regulating the production of certain skin cells and by helping to control inflammation.

The therapy is gentle as it does not make use of any chemical substances.”

Change your perception of light and start challenging psoriasis today. Philips BlueControl Advance is available for £349 and comes with a 90-day money back guarantee. For more information, visit philips.co.uk/challenge-psoriasis

A daily treatment of 15 minutes per plaque is recommended.

Clinical studies have confirmed that the plaque symptoms improved significantly for patients over a 12 week treatment period. In some cases, a complete clearance of the plaque was even observed.

62 YourFitness

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your fitness REPORT

HEALTH clinic 64 | HEALTH ESSENTIALS 67 | AMANDA BYRAM 71 | ASK THE EXPERTS 72 | YOUR BACK CARE GUIDE 74 | WOMEN’S HEALTH

Flowers with fight

Roses are red, violets are blue, have you heard of the purple flower that’s amazing for you? Natural health remedies are booming in popularity and as we face the winter season many of us will want to give our immune systems a boost to prepare for the influx of colds that it so famously brings. Enter echinacea. While this plant boasts a whole variety of health benefits, it is best known for fighting bacteria, boosting the T-cells (which are responsible for fighting infections) and protecting the body from attack of viruses. In fact echinacea even cuts the risk of developing the common cold by up to 58 percent. To get your fix of this plant, why not try Echinaforce Echinacea Drops. Simply add a small amount to a glass of water and sip your way to better health. £9.75 avogel.co.uk

YourFitness 63

Health Clinic Intro.indd 1

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Health

GET THE INSIDE SCOOP TO STAY IN PEAK CONDITION

Health

ESSENTIALS

CLINIC

A PIECE OF CAKE

Forget feeling guilty about tucking into a slice of cake as baking is about to get a nutritious makeover. Superfood brand Naturya and national supermarket Sainsbury’s have joined forces to launch the UK’s first mainstream healthy baking aisle which goes perfectly alongside the latest series of the Great British Bake-Off. Up to 14 lines of Naturya ingredients will be available across 600 stores nationwide including chia seeds, cacao, goji berries, maca, spirulina and mulberries. As baking continues to rise in popularity with 34 percent of Brits getting out their mixing bowls now you can do so with healthier alternatives.

CHEESE PLEASE

Could cheese replace kale in becoming the latest superfood in town? Well, according to researchers in South Korea it just might. Scientists have discovered that Swiss cheese contains the probiotic of propionibacterium freudenreichii (expialidocious). Confusing names aside, this particular bacteria is believed to reduce inflammation which slows the signs of ageing and also boosts our immune system.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you, a one-ounce serving of Emmental cheese contains eight grams of protein, and is high in calcium which keep bones healthy. We’re sure this news will make you feel grate.

(Sorry!)

Almonds

Time to go nuts for almonds as eating them frequently could help boost levels of cholesterol while simultaneously improving the way it is removed from the body, according to researchers.

HEALTH BAROMETER Shopping in real life

Doing the food shop online could have a slimming effect on your waistline as it’s believed people skip the temptation of junk food isles. Recent research showed that those who are overweight have greater impulsiveness which can lead to random purchases aka those sugary treats.

64 YourFitness

Health Essentials NOV.indd 2

21/09/2017 11:49

QA

EASY RECIPE

&

HEALTHY EGG FRIED RICE

Transform the notoriously calorific Saturday night take-away treat into a nutritious alternative with this Chinese-inspired dish that comes in under 210 calories from Body Design.

Ingredients 1/4 cup long grain brown rice 1 courgette, chopped 1 orange pepper, chopped Handful of garden peas 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 heaped tbsp tamarind sauce 2 whole eggs 1 tsp coconut oil 1 red onion, diced

ASK THE EXPERT

“What are macros and do I need to count them to have a healthy diet?”

Flora Beverley health and fitness blogger (@foodfitnessflora) says: “As a female in the fitness world, I am constantly bombarded with messages from other experts on every platform, but one of the most polarising and confusing messages is whether or not to count macros.

Macros, short for macronutrients, cover proteins, carbohydrates and fats – the three main elements of your diet. The idea with counting them is that you can calculate the perfect levels of each macro for your optimum health. However, due to our inner complexities, this ignores the changes that occur in our bodies day to day, and can lead to us dismissing our natural bodily signals. It doesn’t stress the importance of getting enough micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) – and counting itself does not encourage eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods.

Counting may work for some people, but in reality there is no wrong way to be healthy. Following every diet trend that comes your way isn’t likely to lead to any meaningful health changes to your body, and certainly not to your mind.

Making small, consistent changes everyday is far more likely to make a lasting positive impact than extreme and complex measures such as counting macros.”

Body Design is a new range of weight-management products that offers an affordable, but delicious way for people to kick-start their personal weight-loss journey.

28% COSY NIGHTS IN With the cold, dark nights well and truly upon us, we don’t blame you for seeking refuge on the sofa with a good Netflix series and of course, a pile of snacks. But don’t let your TV treats de-rail your health, instead try these simple swaps for healthier snacking.

1. Cook the brown rice according to instructions on the packet.

2. Heat the coconut oil in a wok or large frying pan, add the onion and cook until softened.

3. Add in the crushed garlic and cook until fragrant, then saute the rest of the vegetables until softened.

4. Once the rice is cooked through, drain and rinse under cold water.

5. Add the rice into the frying pan with the veg and stir everything together. Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk together. Pour these into a section of the pan and allow to cook and scramble a little.

6. Once the egg is nearly cooked through, toss everything together and add in your tamarind sauce.

of Brits say they have cut back on meat consumption over the past six months with another 14 percent saying they are interested in reducing the amount of meat or poultry they eat.

Mintel

INSTEAD OF...

TRY THIS...

Crisps

Popcorn: There’s a lot more to this snack than just popping as they manage to pack in whole grains, fibre, protein and antioxidants.

Biscuits

Oatcakes: As oats are high in fibre they will fill you up a lot quicker in comparison to their sugary biscuit rivals. Top with peanut butter if you’re craving something sweet.

Fizzy drinks

Smoothies: Throw all your favourite fruits into a blender with a handful of ice and hey presto, you’ve made a sweet drink and gained at least one of your five-a-day.

YourFitness 65

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YOUR FITNESS NOV 2017 ad master_ROP 22/09/2017 10:08 Page 66

celeb COLUMNIST

BODY beautiful

Every month our healthy living guru brings us her bite-sized tips

L

et’s face it – age diminishes the appearance of our skin. Between fine lines and wrinkles, we spend our 30s onwards looking for ways to increase collagen production, reduce the appearance of crows feet and basically rewind the clock. I am not a believer in botox, so I am always on the lookout for great products and foods to help my complexion. So, here are my top recommendations...

A primer with benefits The sun is both your friend and your enemy when it comes to good health and skin. It’s true that we need a certain amount of vitamin D – which is produced by our body when exposed to sunshine – as this mineral helps boost our mood and supports strong bones. However, too much aids the ageing process. So how do we face the sun’s rays looking our best while also protecting our skin? OM skincare has developed a brilliant solution. Its SPF40 primer can be used under or as make-up, and it’s seriously lightweight so won’t clog up your pores. It also contains delicious ingredients for your complexion, such as red algae, moringa seed and chamomile. omskincare.co.uk

Superfood skincare New British brand Willowberry uses nutritionallyrich superfood ingredients to really pack a punch – from rosehip, grape seed, jojoba, beeswax and vitamin E, to chia seed, sweet almond and geranium oils. The brand’s 3-Step Collection is the perfect face saver, giving your complexion everything it needs for ultimate wellbeing – a cleansing balm, treatment oil and day cream. willowberry.co.uk

Probiotic-rich serum REN’s Perfect Canvas is a silicone-free serum that leaves your skin with a matte finish and is perfect for applying make-up over and using before a moisturiser. It is formulated with extracts of probiotics and contains hyluronans

which convert to hyaluronic acid and help increase skin hydration and elasticity and reduce wrinkle depth. It’s a win win for ageing skin! renskincare.com

No more lines It’s a tough dilemma many ladies face – how do you showcase an au-natural look while also looking flawless? Like it or loathe it, wearing foundation is often the answer. However when we age, this has a nasty habit of creeping into our pores and wrinkles. Bleugh. Luckily for us, No7 has created its Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum Foundation which combines the best of both worlds – not only does it provide the optimum level of coverage, but it also includes effective anti-ageing ingredients like hibiscus extract which helps support collagen and protects the skin from environmental damage. boots.com

GLOW GETTERS

Oatmeal: This is one of my go-to breakfast choices, and it does more than just taste good. Oats have a natural plant chemical that helps to prevent damage to skin cells and soothes irritation.

Avocado: This is another staple in my diet.

It’s full of monounsaturated fat, which helps your skin stay hydrated.

Grapes: The skins of grapes contain resveratrol – a special ingredient which helps to stop inflammation and is also thought to slow the ageing process and fight the effects of sun damage.

Oranges: These gorgeous fruits are loaded with water, which means they hydrate your complexion and your cells. They are also a fabulous source of vitamin C which promotes collagen production and keeps skin supple.

TWEET AMANDA @amandabyram and @bodybybyram or VISIT HER WEBSITE amandabyram.com YourFitness 67

amanda.indd 1

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First

DEFENCE It’s the season for sniffles and sneezes so give your immunity a fighting chance with these medicinal top-ups

1

5

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6

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3

7

10

Top up your diet with Allsports C Pure capsules which deliver 500mg of pure vitamin C with no artificial flavourings, colourings or sweeteners. No impurities, just pure vitamin C. From £2.97 allsports-nutrition.com

Diffuse six drops of Tisserand Aromatherapy Lemon Organic Pure Essential Oil into your vaporiser every day, to boost the body’s immune system and stimulate the production of white blood cells £5.99 Boots Comvita Olive Leaf Extract uses fresh-picked olive leaves to boost your immunity naturally, locking in 66mg of oleuropein combined with zinc and copper. £7.99 comvita.co.uk

4

With no added sugar or sweeteners Crafted drinks uses high quality fruits blended with a little water to provide one of your five a day. £1.80 crafteddrinks.co.uk

68 YourFitness

Possessing powerful antibacterial benefits, this liquid gold will be of great assistance this winter helping you fight sore throats and coughs, £12.99 gustarehoney.com

Pure Essentials Advanced Multivitamin & Minerals provides body-ready nutrients and its slow-release formula ensures all-day immune support. £11.99 for a month’s supply amazon.co.uk

Funky and delicious, these vitamins and minerals are designed to suit your busy lifestyle. VOÖST offers a simple way to support vitamin and mineral intake if you struggle to get your RDA. £1.49 each voostvitamins.co.uk

8

Immunace Extra Protection provides you with higher daily levels of vitamin D, zinc and selenium to contribute to the normal

function of the immune system. Ideal for the chilly months! £10.15 for 30 tablets immunace.com Boost your immune system naturally and prevent inflammation with high strength Paradox Omega 3 6 & 9 which features powerful polyphenols, antioxidants and vitamins D3 and E. £9.99 paradoxoil.com

Help fight colds and flu with Echinaforce – a traditional herbal remedy used for the symptomatic relief of influenza type infection and upper respiratory tract conditions. £9.75 from independent health food stores nationwide.

11

Multi award winning Bee Prepared immune formula is formulated by nutritionists combining bee propolis, elderberry, olive leaf and more. £11.99 in Holland & Barrett and via Naturisimo

promotional FEATURE 11

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YourFitness 69

promotional FEATURE Use code YFIT1017 for 7.5% off anything at fitness-superstore. co.uk

E

xercise bikes couldn’t be simpler – just get on and go! Although the notion of cycling is a no-brainer, it doesn’t mean that its effects can’t be game-changing.

We look at the benefits two wheels brings to your health.

1. IT'S EASY ON THE JOINTS

A big plus with indoor cycling is that it’s very low impact. If done correctly, it delivers minimal contact to your hips, knees and ankle joints. You might think that you only need to consider this sort of training if you’re recovering from an injury, but this isn’t the case. Even if you’re super fit, reducing impact on your joints is always an effective preventative measure, and can help you to achieve more than you would via other forms of cardio exercise.

2. CLIMB THOSE HILLS

If conditions outside are less than appealing (which is more than often the case in Britain), indoor bicycles work just as well, as you have the power to imitate flat ground cycling, or cycling up slight and steep inclines. At the touch of a button, you can intensify your workout to increase your heart rate and burn more calories. As so many exercise bikes make it easy to adjust the resistance, you can get your HIIT session by performing intervals. This is particularly great if you’re training for an outdoor cycling event as you can simulate the terrains you’re likely to encounter.

3. IT WILL GIVE YOU LEAN LIMBS

As cycling requires you to pedal against resistance for an extended period of time, it inevitably makes your calves, thighs, quads, hamstrings and glutes work harder. By increasing muscle tone, you will be able to sculpt your legs and bum without bulking up. Working these muscles also helps to strengthen surrounding bones, tendons, and ligaments, which improves your overall strength.

4. YOU CAN TAKE YOUR PICK

On your BIKE...

A staple across gyms for decades, there’s a reason why the humble exercise bike remains a firm favourite with fitness fans worldwide. If you’re looking for a cardio machine for home use, here's why an indoor cycle is definitely worth considering…

There are a variety of two-wheeled types to choose from such as the upright bike and the lumbarsupporting recumbent bike offering performance tracking and comfortable padded seats. Or perhaps a racer bike is for you, commonly used for spinning classes? These allow you to train in various positions which can mean increased fat burn. Contrary to traditional indoor bikes, they encourage standing, meaning you can engage your entire body in the action. This is great if you want added variety, and want to boost your interval and strength training.

NEED ADVICE?

Fitness Superstore has 11 stores located across the UK, where you can try before you buy and speak to friendly sales advisers, many of whom come from a sporting or personal training background.

Alternatively, shop online at fitness-superstore.co.uk where you will also find our store locator.

For more information visit fitness-superstore.co.uk

70 YourFitness

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20/09/2017 16:29

Ask the

Q EXPERTS We put your fitness, health and nutrition questions to our panel of experts...

A

insider TIPS How can I stay motivated to run outside during the winter season?

Personal trainer Enrico Argentin (rjprotrainer.co.uk) says: As the cold weather descends on us, the urge to stay in bed is inevitably much greater than the desire to drag yourself outside for a run in the dark, but there are ways you can stay on top of your fitness gains no matter how chilly it gets...

1. Join a run group or hire a run coach. Being accountable will make you motivated to keep up your outdoor running.

2. Arrange group runs with friends, this way you will be less likely to pull out last minute.

3. Write down five good things about your outdoor running and what you hope to achieve. This will help you stay on track and remember why you are running outdoors.

4. Sign up for a series of outdoor races. There are many free and cheap winter fun runs all over the UK. Get some friends involved, dress up in your best Santa outfits and be prepared for mince pieces and mulled wine at the finish line.

5. Sign up for a longer race in spring, for example a half marathon. This should provide you with motivation to keep up your outdoor running training throughout winter.

6. Make sure you warm up for five to 10 minutes before going outside – use a skipping rope to get your heart rate up and you won’t feel the cold as much.

7. Prepare for the cold with gloves, a beanie hat, and a training mask. Not only will it keep you warmer but new winter running gear may motivate you to get outside and show it off.

8. Planning is key. Plan a realistic running track and try not to stop in the middle of the course.

Q

A

What foods are good for lifting my mood and making me happy?

Naturopath Gemma Hurditch, lecturer at CNM College of Naturopathic Medicine (naturopathy-uk.com), says: Blood sugar dips are a sure-fire way to make us feel grumpy and miserable – avoid them by eating three balanced meals a day and aim for organic whole foods. Leafy greens, tomatoes and crudités are a great base for a meal; maximise satiety by including protein and fat with some eggs, fish, nuts or legumes. Favour brown wholegrain carbohydrates for a slower release of sugar and energy for a steadier mood.

Tryptophan-rich foods such as poultry may also lift your emotions or try a handful of walnuts as a good snack choice. Phytonutrients found in plant foods are linked to improved mood so eat plenty of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables. Probiotic foods can also help – try natural yoghurt, kombucha and sauerkraut. Resist the temptation to use sugar or alcohol as a quick fix if you’re hungry or irritable, it will end up making you feel worse.

Got a question you’d like to put to our experts? Drop us a line at letters@yourfitnesstoday.com YourFitness 71

Ask the Experts NOV.indd 3

20/09/2017 09:23

Health

CLINIC

Your healthy

BACK CARE GUIDE H

Everything you need to know about back pain and how to deal with it

ow’s your back today?

Back pain can be incredibly debilitating, and as it affects one in 10 of us globally, it’s an all too common problem. Shockingly, 2.5 million people in the UK suffer every single day of the year, and a recent study revealed that it’s the leading cause of disability worldwide. With this in mind, we called in the experts to give us their tips on beating this major health concern once and for all.

72 YourFitness

Top buys • FootActive Comfort Premium Insoles, £19.95, footactive.co.uk • Waist/Back Support, £27.99, neo-g.co.uk • Boots Hot/Cold Compress, £6.99, boots.com

THINGS THAT CAUSE BACK PAIN 5UNEXPECTED 1 YOUR HEIGHT – taller people tend to slouch more

2 YOUR GAIT – the way you walk could affect your back 3 YOUR BRA – ill-fitting underwear can put stress on your neck 4 YOUR PILLOW – if it’s too high or too low, it could be a problem 5 YOUR HANDBAG – a heavy shoulder bag pressures your spine

QA &

We asked Alex Clark, in-house physiotherapist at specialist support brand Neo-G (neo-g.co.uk) for his back care advice

Q

Why do some people get back pain more than others?

“Back pain is a particularly common musculoskeletal disorder that anyone can get during their lifetime, but there are certain factors that can increase your risk. These include age, as it’s more common the older you get, your physical fitness (less active individuals are more likely to suffer), whether you’re overweight (as the added stress on your back can cause pain), smoking, poor posture, and incorrect lifting techniques which can hurt your spine.”

Q

Why does it hurt? Is it referred pain from somewhere else?

Q

When should I seek expert help?

Q

Can I still exercise?

“Often, it isn’t possible to identify the cause of back pain (known as non-specific back pain) and therefore it’s unclear why it hurts. For medical conditions such as sciatica, the ache is a result of irritation to a specific nerve. Usually, back pain will not be referred from somewhere else, but discomfort can be referred to other areas of the body, such as your legs and feet in the case of sciatica.”

“Rest assured that back pain usually gets better on its own within a few weeks. However, you should seek help from a doctor or healthcare professional if it stops you doing day to day activities, if you’re worried about it, if it’s severe or getting worse, or if it doesn’t improve over time. There are also more serious symptoms that will mean you’ll need immediate medical advice, including symptoms of chest pain with back pain, and pain after an accident – check the NHS Choices website (nhs.uk) for information.”

“Continuing to stay as active as possible is key to your recovery, as resting for long periods is likely to make the pain worse. Try low impact exercises, such as walking and swimming, as well as yoga and Pilates. Be aware that if you’re suffering due to a specific medical condition or recent accident, you should seek advice from your doctor before working out.”

Q

What can I do to help the pain?

“For short term relief, you can use hot or cold compression products and, if suitable, a back support, which can also help with your posture. My top tips to reduce the ache are to keep exercising, take anti-inflammatory pain killers (always check whether the medicine is safe for you with a pharmacist or doctor), and to ensure that chairs and seats are adjusted correctly to support your body. You could also make lifestyle changes to try to stop it reoccurring in future, such as stopping smoking and being more active.”

back PAIN

TRY YOGA

When you’re in pain, exercising is possibly the last thing on your mind, but certain yoga poses could be incredibly beneficial. “This practice has long been acknowledged for alleviating back pain,” says Susie Howell, yoga teacher and director of Ibiza Retreats (ibizaretreats.com). “Depending on your diagnosis, there are different poses that can aid your recovery and help strengthen your back and core, ensuring that you’re less prone to injury going forward.” Here are her top moves to relieve back pain:

CAT AND COW (or marjariasana)

These two combined poses create space in the vertebrae while mobilising the spine and allowing the energy to flow into areas of tightness to release tension. Repeat the moves three times.

COW – start on your hands and knees with your hands spread wide directly under your shoulders. Inhale, then drop your belly towards the mat and lift your head and chest up towards the ceiling. Draw your shoulders away from your ears. Hold for five to 10 seconds, then come back to a neutral spine.

CAT – exhale as you push through your hands and knees, rounding your back towards the sky like a cat stretching, with the crown of your head towards the floor.

Draw your belly button towards your spine and hold for five to 10 seconds.

CHILD’S POSE (or utthita balasana) This is one of the most restorative poses you can do, particularly if you’re in acute pain or spasm. It’s also good for a stressed nervous system, which is encased by your spine, as it’s very calming. To perform it, begin on your hands and knees, pushing your fingertips and tailbone in opposite directions. Bring your bottom down over your heels with your arms outstretched in front of you. You can play with this pose, keeping knees together or shoulder width apart, allowing your abdomen to rest between your thighs.

DOWNWARD FACING DOG (or adho mukha svanasana) As the most recognised yoga pose, this offers the ultimate all-over rejuvenating stretch, enabling the spine to realign and release. Begin on your hands and knees, then exhale and gently lift your knees away from the floor, bringing your hips up towards the sky. Keep your knees bent as you push into your palms and heels and inhale as you draw your stomach towards your spine, lengthening and relaxing your neck.

Draw your shoulders away from your ears and bend your knees to the floor to come out of the pose.

YourFitness 73

Health

CLINIC

NEVER SAY

NETHER We uncover the truth behind some of our most embarrassing sexual health problems to help you achieve better health

PER F U M ED BAT H PRODUCTS A N D SOA PS C A N C AUS E T H RUS H TRUE We all want to smell nice down there but scrubbing away with perfumed shower or bath products can make matters worse. “Overly fragrant products do not cause thrush per se but can cause irritation and tiny micro abrasions to the delicate intimate tissue in those who are sensitive,” says gynaecologist Dr Alyssa Dweck, author of The Complete A to Z for your V. “This in turn can cause a pH imbalance in the vagina so the delicate balance of yeast and bacteria can be altered and infection can ensue.”

Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Vanessa Mackay, from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), recommends using plain, unperfumed soaps. “Wash the area around the vagina gently every day, but not inside it – and during your period, washing more than once a day may be helpful.”

CRANBERRY JUICE CAN CURE CYSTITIS FALSE For years women have been glugging cranberry juice to rid themselves of urinary tract infections, under the belief it neutralizes the acidity of the urine. But new research by the Yale School of Medicine found no evidence cranberry capsules could fight off infections in the bladder, including cystitis. In fact, the superfruit can worsen symptoms in bladder conditions such as interstitial cystitis. However, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, drinking plenty of water, and wearing breathable clothes and underwear can prevent it from getting worse or reoccurring.

L OW LEV ELS OF OESTROGEN C AUS E VA G I N A L DRY N ESS TRUE

Uncomfortable vaginal dryness or ‘atrophy’ is a common problem that can affect women of any age but is often seen after childbirth, during breastfeeding or in the menopause thanks to dropping oestrogen levels. “This leads to reduction in the amount of vaginal discharge produced and a thinning of the vagina walls,” says consultant gynaecologist Dr Nick Panay from the RCOG. “Before having sex, apply a lubricant to the vulva, vagina or your partner’s penis to keep the vagina moist.

Vaginal moisturisers applied inside the vagina can have a longerlasting effect, but remember oil or petroleum-based products can damage latex condoms and sometimes irritate.”

Dr Panay says women shouldn’t feel embarrassed about talking about the problem with their GP, particularly if self-help measures aren’t effective. “If a woman’s symptoms are particularly severe, or if she has other troublesome symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, she should see a GP. If vaginal dryness is caused by the menopause, you may be prescribed vaginal oestrogen.”

COFFEE AND SALT CAN MAKE PMT WORSE TRUE Up to 20 percent of women are reported to get mild to severe symptoms of premenstrual tension before their period, including moodiness and tiredness. When you’re feeling like this, it’s easy to reach for the frothy cappuccino or family sized bag of crisps but studies suggest these can often exacerbate the negative symptoms.

“Caffeine is helpful at first but the crash can cause rebound fatigue,” says Dr Dweck. “In addition, some women get anxious during premenstrual time and caffeine can exacerbate this feeling, since it makes you jittery – though there is some evidence it can help with premenstrual headaches. A heavy salt intake can cause water retention and bloating (already uncomfortable aspects of PMT) so these are best avoided too.”

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women’s HEALTH

PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES CAN HELP PREVENT URINARY INCONTINENCE TRUE “As women age, their pelvic floor muscles weaken and this can cause problems such as urinary and anal incontinence and reduced sensitivity during sex. Doing regular pelvic floor exercises can help improve muscle tone, bladder and bowel control,” says urogynaecology professor Linda Cardozo, from RCOG. “To help protect pelvic floor muscles, women should also avoid excessive weight gain or any activity that causes high impact on the muscles such as jumping on a trampoline or weight training.”

Pregnancy and postnatal fitness expert Joanna Helcké suggests the pelvic floor is the “unsung muscle-hero” of our bodies. “It is well hidden and barely gets a mention until something goes wrong with it, at which point it becomes obvious we should never have neglected it,” she says. “Judging by the supermarket aisles groaning with incontinence pads, one can be forgiven for thinking incontinence is an inevitability but this really is not the case. Working pelvic floor muscles correctly can make a huge difference.”

1

T RY JOA N NA’S 5-ST EP PELV IC FLOOR PL A N

Start with a one-off check to see if you can stop your urine in mid-flow with ease (only do this test once every six to eight weeks). Can’t stop immediately? This means you have work to do.

Now check your baseline strength as follows: draw inwards and upwards on the pelvic floor muscles (these are the ones you use to stop urine and passing wind) and see how many seconds you can hold the contraction, maintaining the same level throughout. Once the muscle wavers, stop. Note down the number of seconds.

If, for argument’s sake, you were able to hold for four seconds, now see how many four second repetitions you can perform with the last rep being as strong as the first one. Note down the number of reps.

2 SOM E TA M PONS A N D TOW ELS A R E BLE ACH ED W I T H TOX IC CH EM ICA LS TRUE According to the World Health Organisation, toxic dioxins, which can cause cancer, reproductive and developmental problems and damage the immune system, have been found in certain brands of sanitary products. While manufacturers suggest the levels used are minute, and therefore harmless, others suggest because women wear so many tampons or towels over their lifetime – and the vaginal membrane is very delicate – over time these chemicals could have a cumulative effect.

ALL VAGINAL DISCHARGE IS ABNORMAL FALSE “The vagina is designed to clean itself with natural secretions and it’s normal and healthy for a woman to produce a clear or white discharge,” says Dr Mackay. “This mucus is produced naturally from the neck of the womb, known as the cervix, and the amount varies throughout a women’s menstrual cycle.

Healthy discharge doesn’t have a strong smell or colour, but women may feel an uncomfortable wetness.

“Women should be aware of how their discharge naturally varies because any sudden change may indicate a vaginal infection. The warning signs include: a change in colour or consistency, a sudden bad smell, an unusually large amount, itching outside the vagina or pain in the pelvis or tummy, or unexpected bleeding from the vagina.”

3

4

Now have a go at doing short, strong pelvic floor contractions. Again, see how many of these you can do before the contractions weaken. Note down the number. This gives you the following starting point for working the pelvic floor: five pelvic floor pull-ups, each lasting four seconds, followed by 10 short, sharp pelvic floor contractions. Repeat three times, three times throughout the day.

Remember not to hold your breath and relax the rest of the body. Once you are comfortable, consider incorporating the exercises into different positions, such as standing, sitting and lying down. Re-check your baseline strength six to eight weeks later and adjust accordingly to keep building strength.

5

HANDY HELPERS

Look after your body from top to toe with these hero buys

Natracare Organic Cotton Tampons Regular100% £2.59, natracare.co.uk

Feminesse Menstrual Cup, £17.99 feminesse.co.uk

Pelvic toner £29.99, pelvictoner.co.uk

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your fitness REPORT

EAT well

79| TASTY LOW-CAL PUDS 83 | SUPERFOOD COMBOS 85 | MEAL MAKEOVER 86 | THE BEST DAIRY ALTERNATIVES 89 | MIDLIFE EATING

Would you like fries with that?

Out of sight, out of mind would usually be a good mantra to follow if you’re looking to avoid the temptation of junk food. So, we’d hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it seems geography is not on your side. New research from Indiana University suggests living near a fast food restaurant has little impact on an individual’s body mass index.

In other words, limiting your access to places that serve fast-food is unlikely to reduce obesity. This probably means that we now cannot cite the local kebab shop for why our waist-line isn’t as trim as we hoped. Ooops!

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promotional FEATURE

LOW-CAL chicken korma

FAT-FREE fish curry

Kormas are usually extremely calorific because they contain a lot of cream, but this recipe substitutes the dairy product for delicious and nutritious Ísey Skyr. To make this dish, blitz a paste using one onion, three garlic cloves and a thumb-piece size of ginger, before frying in a splash of oil in a pan for three minutes. Add five tablespoons of korma paste and cook for three more minutes. Stir in four boneless chicken thighs, 70g ground almonds, five tablespoons of sultanas and 450ml chicken stock, then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until cooked. Finally, stir through 200g natural Ísey Skyr before serving over a bed of basmati rice, scattered with coriander.

Say hello to your new, go-to week night curry! This dish is simple to whip up and definitely doesn’t fall short on tongue-tantalising flavour!

In a bowl, add three teaspoons of ground turmeric to 300g natural Ísey Skyr and three crushed garlic cloves, then season and mix well.

Next, add in 500g sustainable white fish, chopped, and leave to marinate for 20 minutes. While waiting, fry one large onion until soft, before adding two teaspoons of ground coriander and garam masala each for one minute. Now, add the fish and marinade and simmer for eight to 10 minutes until cooked, adding a splash of water if necessary. Serve over basmati rice, sprinkled with fresh, chopped coriander and a drizzle of natural Ísey Skyr.

3 healthy

curries to enjoy this week Put down the takeaway menu and try one of these tasty curries instead, courtesy of the team at Ísey Skyr!

The days are getting cooler and the nights are drawing in, meaning that autumn is officially here.

This is usually the time when temptation for comfort food is strongest, but it doesn’t have to be bad for you! Full of flavour and loaded with goodness, why not spice up your seasonal dinners by rustling up one of these curries? These dishes have a whole load of benefits, from promoting good heart health to aiding digestion and our immune systems.

Our mouths are watering already!

THAI tofu and yoghurt curry A Thai take on a curry, this flavoursome recipe uses baked tofu, making it perfect for vegetarians (or anyone who fancies something a little different!). Slice one pack of drained tofu, drizzle with dark soy sauce and bake for around 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 200˚C. Then, stir-fry 500g chopped veg (such as red pepper, kale or courgette) until they start to soften. In another pan, fry three tablespoons of green curry paste, stir in half a tin of light coconut milk, remove from the heat and add the remainder of the tin. Slowly add 350g natural Ísey Skyr until you have the desired consistency, before heating together with the veg and tofu and serving beside fluffy jasmine rice.

Ísey Skyr is sold in Waitrose stores across the UK. One kilogram tubs of Natural Ísey Sky are available in Costco. For more details, visit iseyskyr.co.uk

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delicious DESSERTS

Something

SWEET

Desserts don't have to spell disaster for your healthy eating goals. Indulge your sweet tooth with these treats courtesy of Jamie Oliver, that come in at 400 calories or less and are made with just five ingredients

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Eat WELL

e t a l o c o h C y Cherr mousse

2

Serves 6 Total time: 30 minutes • 200g dark chocolate (70%) • 1 x 400g tin of black pitted cherries in syrup • 200ml double cream • 4 large free-range eggs • 2 tbsp golden caster sugar

1

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then remove to cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, simmer the cherries and their syrup in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat until thick, then remove.

Whip the cream to very soft peaks. Separate the eggs, add the yolks to the cream with the sugar, and whisk to combine. Add a pinch of sea salt to the whites and, with a clean whisk, beat until super-stiff.

Fold the cooled chocolate into the cream, then very gently fold that through the egg whites with a spatula.

Divvy up the mousse between six glasses or bowls, interspersing the cherries and syrup throughout, and finishing with a few nice cherries on top.

3

Per serving 406 cals

25.4g fat

14.3g sat fat

7.6g protein

40g carbs

39.7g sugar

0.5g salt

0.5g fibre

Plum

tarte tatin

Serves 6 Total time: 24 minutes

• 600g ripe mixed-colour plums • 1 tsp ground cinnamon • 120ml maple syrup • 320g sheet of all-butter puff pastry (cold) • 6 large scoops of vanilla ice cream

1

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place a 26cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan on a medium heat.

Halve and destone the plums, add to the pan with 30ml of water, and cook for one minute. From a height, sprinkle over half

the cinnamon, then evenly pour over the maple syrup. Place the pastry over the plums, using a wooden spoon to push it into the edges of the pan, and trimming off any excess to patch up little gaps, if needed.

Bake at the bottom of the oven for 16 minutes, or until golden and puffed up. Making sure you use oven gloves to protect your hands, confidently and very carefully turn the tarte out on to a plate bigger than the pan. Dish up with nice round scoops of ice cream, sprinkle over the remaining cinnamon from a height and drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil before serving.

2

Per serving 392 cals

18.7g fat

11.8g sat fat

4.8g protein

52.3g carbs

32.8g sugar

0.3 salt

1.2g fibre

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delicious DESSERTS

Per serving 188 cals

Chocolate Orange

11.6 fat

7.3g sat fat

1.9g protein

20g carbs

7.3g sugar

0g salt

0.6g fibre

shortbread

Makes 12

Total time: 30 minutes • 150g unsalted butter (at room temperature) • 200g plain flour • 50g golden caster sugar, plus extra to sprinkle • 1 orange • 50g dark chocolate (70%)

1

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease a 20cm square

baking tin and line with greaseproof paper. In a bowl, mix together the butter, flour, sugar and the finely grated zest of half the orange by rubbing the mixture between your thumbs and fingertips.

Squash and pat into dough – don’t knead it – then push into the lined tin in a 1cm-thick layer. Prick all over with a fork, then bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove, sprinkle

over a little extra sugar while it’s still warm, then leave to cool.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then remove.

Cut the shortbread into 12 finger portions, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Drizzle with the chocolate and finely grate over the remaining orange zest.

Cut up the orange, and serve on the side!

2

5 Ingredients by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Random House Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited. Photographer: David Loftus

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How to supercharge your

SUPERFOODS Combining superfoods in different ways allows you to get the most from these nutritional powerhouses.

Nutritionist Rick Hay shows us how it’s done...

healthy EATING

For weight loss

Try chia seeds and spirulina Add a teaspoon of chia seeds and one of spirulina to a smoothie in the morning to help kick start your metabolism. They are high in omega 3 fatty acids so they will help with healthy hair, skin and nails and cognition. They also balance blood sugar which in turn supports optimum fat metabolism.

To turn back the clock Try açai, blueberry and raspberries

This health-boosting trio contains bioflavonoids, anthocyanidins and resveratrol – superbly powerful antioxidants that may help the body protect and repair itself. This, in turn, can have a positive effect on protecting the length of your ‘telomeres’ – little tips at the ends of your chromosomes that scientists have found shorten as the body ages.

Longer healthy telomeres mean a longer healthy life.

To help with digestion Try barley grass, aloe vera and turmeric To reduce bloating and digestive problems add a half a teaspoon of barley grass and half a teaspoon of turmeric powder to a smoothie or juice and drink once or twice a day.

You can also add 5mls of aloe vera juice (which is antiviral, antimicrobial and antibacterial) to soothe an upset tummy and to reduce flatulence. This combo has prebiotic qualities that will encourage the growth of gut-friendly probiotics. Turmeric contains a substance called curcumin which has been shown to work as a powerful anti-inflammatory.

Turmeric is certainly the superfood du jour and for good reason. As well as helping fight inflammation it also protects our body against free radicals – which are one the of the main causes of agerelated diseases.

Rick Hay is a nutritional therapist and the nutritional director at Healthista.com. This piece has been extracted from the second edition of The Anti Ageing Food and Fitness Plan, available on Amazon.

For more energy

Try spirulina, maca and wheat grass Chlorophyll-rich spirulina and wheatgrass contain high levels of magnesium which boost energy production at a cellular level. When combined with the amino acid-dense maca, these three make a great pre-exercise option – a nutrient dense natural energy drink that’s free from caffeine and sugar. This blend will also help promote lean muscle mass after exercise which assists in fat metabolism and toning.

For detoxing

Try chlorophyll, wheat grass, barley grass and spirulina Cleanse and alkalise the system with these four super greens. You only need to add a quarter of a teaspoon of each to water or fresh juice to create a nutritional cocktail that will help to alkalise your system. This is a good option if you are feeling really stressed or if you have been consuming too much coffee, alcohol, sugar, dairy or meat. The key to these superfoods is their deep green coloured pigments – these help to create an environment that is optimal for healthy digestion and elimination.

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seasonal FOOD

Vegetarian, Low in sugar & only 138 calories!

Serves 4 • 500g cooked short macaroni • 200g grated Grana Padano Italian cheese • 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg • 2 tsp Maldon sea salt • 1/2 a tsp coarse ground black pepper • 1 litre béchamel, available from the supermarket chilled or in the jar • 5 large kale leaves, washed and shredded • 8 medium sized broccoli florets, blanched in boiling water for two minutes, then chilled under running cold water

r e v o e k a m l a e M

MAC AND CHEESE

There is no duo quite as iconic as mac and cheese when it comes to comfort food but the combination of cheese and carbs can be notoriously calorific. Thanks to Farmer J, you can still enjoy this dish with some healthier tweaks.

1 2

Heat up the oven to 200°c/ gas mark 6.

Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl except for 50g of the Grana Padano, which will be used later for topping.

Gently mix until all the ingredients are distributed evenly

3

4 5

Use a spatula to empty the ingredients into a baking tray and level off.

Finish by coating with the remaining Grana Padano

6

Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and serve with seasonal greens.

Enjoy!

Recipe from Farmer J farmerj.com

Per serving 138 cals

5.5g fat

3.3g sat fat

7g protein

14.1g carbs

2.1g sugar

0.6 salt

1.8g fibre

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Eat WELL

CREAM CROP of the

Whether you have a dairy intolerance or you’re trying to reduce your intake, here’s our expert guide to the best milk alternatives on the market

R

esearch shows that more and more people are cutting down on the amount of dairy they consume and are looking for alternatives, whether it’s due to health concerns or simply for ethical reasons. While it’s not the villain, excess consumption of dairy can cause issues such as chronic inflammation, or an intolerance. It’s a word that’s thrown around a lot, but do you actually know what this latter phrase means? “An intolerance is a reaction to a specific food (or foods) that causes unpleasant symptoms,” explains nutritionist Cassandra Barns. “It’s less severe than a true allergy, which is a sudden and strong reaction, such as a rash or itching, difficulty breathing or anaphylactic shock.” There are various foods you can become intolerant to, such as gluten, corn, wheat, seafood and yeast, as well as dairy.

86 YourFitness

To find out if you do have a particular issue, start a food diary to keep an eye on what you’re eating, such as Nutracheck’s handy digital version (nutracheck.co.uk). If you do develop an intolerance, remove the food completely from your diet for a few months, as nutritionist Shona Wilkinson (superfooduk.com) advises. “It’s best to see a nutritionist for a one-to-one consultation – they can give you a healthy diet plan to follow with a full range of alternatives, together with a supplement programme.

These may be recommended to improve the bacterial imbalance in your gut, to help break down and digest foods and for healing and repair of your gut lining.” While this may sound scary, after a period of time it can be possible to re-introduce the food either fully or in small quantities minus the unpleasant symptoms.

DO YOU HAVE A DAIRY INTOLERANCE? Check off your symptoms – any of them could indicate an intolerance:

✓ Bloating  ✓ Abdominal cramping  ✓ Diarrhoea  ✓ Constipation  ✓ Headache  ✓ Fatigue  ✓ Joint pain  ✓ An ongoing skin  condition, such as eczema

dairy ALTERNATIVES

made from most other nuts and seeds,” says Shona. “Hemp seeds are also a great source of magnesium – a mineral that has many vital roles in our body, including making energy from our food and supporting our bones.”

These nuts are a good source of several minerals, as Shona explains. “These include copper, which helps to maintain our hair pigmentation and manganese, which has antioxidant activity. Cashew milk can be naturally creamier than other alternatives, which can make it a nicer replacement for dairy than other types. Aim to avoid the sweetened versions and remember that it only contains a small amount of protein and calcium compared to normal milk, so it can’t be counted as a good source of these nutrients.”

“I don’t generally recommend soya milk as a staple alternative to cow’s milk,” Shona tells us. “Soya can have some health benefits – it contains good levels of protein, fibre, lecithin (which helps us to digest fats), some B vitamins and vitamin E. However, high amounts of soya can disrupt hormone levels in some individuals due to its phytoestrogen content (plant compounds similar to oestrogen) – and it’s even been found to be detrimental to fertility in both men and women. It can also have a ‘goitrogenic’ effect in large quantities, which means that it can influence the activity of the thyroid gland which controls our metabolism.

While neither of these problems are likely to be an issue if you’re just having the odd bit in a cup of tea, it could be a worry if you’re getting through several cartons a week.”

ALMOND MILK

COCONUT MILK

CASHEW MILK

Similar in many ways to hemp and cashew milk, this is a great choice. “Almonds are a good source of minerals, including magnesium, and are also a better source of calcium than many other nuts and seeds,” Shona tells us.

“They’re also rich in biotin, a vitamin vital for healthy skin and hair. Unsweetened almond milk is low in calories (containing as little as 14 calories per 100ml, compared to around 48 cals in normal semi-skimmed milk) and very low in carbohydrates, so it can be a good choice if you’re looking to lose weight.”

RICE MILK

What now?

If you or a member of your family does have a dairy intolerance, never fear – there are now a whole variety of substitutes for all dairy products, including cheese, ice cream and yoghurt. Milk is particularly confusing though, due to all of the alternatives out there – with everything from oat to coconut, it can be hard to decide what’s best for you. We asked Shona for her expert opinion to the most popular choices so you can shop with confidence.

HEMP MILK

Don’t worry – while this is made from the seeds of the cannabis plant, it doesn’t contain the psychoactive component of marijuana. “One of the primary benefits of hemp milk is that it has a higher omega 3 content compared to milk

SOYA MILK

“I don’t often recommend rice milk,” states Shona. “Even the unsweetened versions are much higher in carbohydrates and sugars than most other milk alternatives, containing up to 11 grams of carbs per 100ml, versus less than two grams in unsweetened nut milks. This is fine if you’ve just worked out, but it’s not ideal for most people as a staple in their diet. Furthermore, as rice milks are often made with refined white rice, they can be a poorer source of vitamins and minerals than other milk alternatives.”

OAT MILK

Oat milk is another good alternative – although if you’re avoiding gluten, be sure to check the ingredients first for possible cross-contamination.

“As it’s made from one grain, it’s higher in carbohydrates than nut milks, but not as high as rice milk,” says Shona. “One of the specific benefits of oats is that they contain a type of fibre called beta glucan, which has been found to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. It has a natural creamy consistency and sweet taste without the need for added sugar or other additives, and, like almonds, oats are high in biotin and manganese.”

“Coconut is rich in medium-chain fatty acids, which are fats that are more easily converted into energy by our body compared to other fats, and also have natural anti-bacterial properties. The types of coconut milk found in cartons (which are generally diluted versions of ‘real’ coconut milk) are also fairly low in carbohydrates and calories, making them similar to nut milks. It usually has a mildly coconut flavour, too.”

THE SHOPPING LIST Try these plant-based drinks to feel their benefits for yourself Good Hemp Milk Unsweetened, £1.60, goodhempfood.com

Oatly Longlife Milk Alternative, £1.45, waitrose. com

Alpro Almond Roasted Unsweetened, £1.80, sainsburys.co.uk

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Your new

nutrition KNOW-HOW

MIDLIFE EATING RULES Give your body exactly what it needs with Mimi Spencer and Sam Rice’s simple guide

M

idlife is full of surprises, and not all of them are welcome. The upside, at least, is that we’re all going through it – or we will do, one of these days.

Perhaps your hair is greying, or you’ve noticed you don’t metabolise alcohol as you did in your twenties. It could be that you don’t sleep as well as you once did, or that your energy levels have dipped as your metabolism slows. Words like peri-menopause and HRT start to crop up in conversation. Hormonal shifts may have redistributed body fat to accumulate around the middle. Typically, you may put on a kilo or two for every four years in middle age (women gain an average of 4.5kg during menopause).

Small alarm bells ring and something tells you that it’s time to act, and it’s therefore worth

taking a moment to digest the fact that the foods you choose really do make a difference.

Public Health England recently stated that living healthily in midlife can double a person’s chances of staying fit and well aged 70 and older, which is something you shouldn’t ignore.

Fortunately, modern midlife isn’t the burden it once was. These days, it’s more a time of opportunity than loss. It’s critical that you appreciate and rejoice your body, not lament in the changes that you’re experiencing. This will enable you to have a firm grip on your physical and emotional happiness. The journey that you’re about to embark on should be seen as a time to overhaul and fine-tune your daily diet to access peak performance for the years ahead.

Many of us are already responding to key health messages that we know,

at heart, to be true, because following them makes us feel better. We’re naturally cutting our meat intake, lowering our consumption of processed food and white carbs, eating sustainably and consciously to protect our bodies and environment, and we’re ever more interested in new ingredients that bring something fresh and vital to our plates.

The trick is to incorporate the vital nutritional building blocks, such as lean protein and slow-burn carbohydrates in recipes that make you feel good about eating them. Of course, no foods are proven to be ‘antiageing’; there’s no elixir or magic wand. You can’t turn back the clock, but you can, with small changes and minimal effort, stay healthier for longer.

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Eat WELL

Your

MIDLIFE CHECKLIST IENTS E KEY INGRED GATHER THES H LT HEA FOR OPTIMAL

FRUIT

GRAINS, NUTS & SEEDS

For a tasty spin on some of your recipes, include a fruit here and there to bring colour to your plate. Apples provide a great source of health-boosting antioxidants and pectic – a water-soluble fibre that improves digestive health, lowers cholesterol and helps balance blood sugars. Blueberries and other dark berries contain anthocyanins that can help protect against cardiovascular disease, improve cognition and memory and support eye health. If you’re a fan of figs then they are full of calcium and fibre to benefit your bones to aid digestion. Dates, lemons and pomegranates are also packed with the good stuff and will go down a treat, too.

If your diet is lacking in grains, nuts and seeds, then you’re missing out on plenty of important vitamins and minerals. Have some oats for breakfast, as they are known as the ‘grain for the brain’. They are also heart-healthy, will boost your immunity and are an excellent low GI energy source. Include almonds, brazils, cashews or walnuts as they contribute to skin and cellular repair, enhancing mood and improving memory, and can help protect against heart-disease and age-related cognitive decline.

Chia seeds, flaxseeds and sesame seeds may be small, but they are a potent addition to your diet thanks to their fibre and omega 3 fatty acid content, which are great for overall health.

VEGETABLES

EGGS, FISH & DAIRY

Get creative by sneaking nutritious vegetables into the mix. Asparagus is a great source of vitamins C and K to keep your skin radiant.

Avocados are indispensable and contain hearthealthy fats, which enable nutrient absorption from other foods. They are also known to boost immunity and balance hormones. Include pumpkin and butternut squash in your meals as they both contain beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A – a bonus for your vision and skin. If you’d like more of a variety then adding beetroot, broccoli, carrots, chillies, kale, spinach or tomatoes will provide your body with all the nutrients you need.

Enjoy healthy eating by including eggs, oily fish and dairy for nutritional power. Eggs provide vitamins A,D and B, plus essential minerals such as choline and lecithin that are excellent for tissue repair, digestion and heart health. Oily fish like mackerel and sardines contain omega 3 fatty acids that make them especially good for heart health, reducing fat build-up in the arteries and lowering blood pressure, while dairy, such as natural unsweetened yoghurt may lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

LEGUMES

Using plenty of fresh herbs is a simple way to bring flavour to any dish, and their phytonutrient content and volatile oils mean they provide a fabulous health kick, too. Stock up on basil which contains vitamin K to support bone and heart health, or sage which is great for short-term memory, and protects the brain, benefits circulation and aids in digestion. Adding coriander, dill, mint, parsley or rosemary to the mix are also great options.

If you’re seeking more protein in your diet then legumes are a great source for this. Throw some beans into a stew as they are a prime plant protein food and an excellent source of sustained energy. Their B vitamins will help with mood and memory, too. Lentils will support your digestion, hormone system, brain and nervous function, while helping to regulate blood sugar.

You can also add chick peas and soya to your recipes, which can help to stabilise blood-sugar levels and support serotonin production to boost your mood and soothe anxiety, respectively.

AND THE REST...

Apple cider vinegar can help with blood-sugar management, while it also assists with calcium absorption and acts as a digestive tonic. For a sweet treat, have some dark chocolate as it is mineral-rich and high in antioxidants that are good for the brain, nervous system and heart. Sipping on green tea will also benefit you as it has been shown to lower breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women; it can also benefit the heart and support brain health by enhancing memory and reducing anxiety.

HERBS

SPICES One of the mainstays of midlife cooking, spices bring warmth, colour and flavour to as dish, and they have health-boosting potential, too. Cardamon helps aid digestion and boost immunity and mood and it’s also known to lower blood pressure and support bone and cellular health. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on apple slices for a delicious treat. Its benefits include helping to regulate blood-sugar levels, while supporting liver and gut function. Incorporating cumin, ginger, star anise and turmeric in your meals will also provide you with added benefits.

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nutrition KNOW-HOW

The

EATING RULES VARIETY IS VITAL The gut may lack glamour, but among countless duties, it governs the absorption of vital nutrients and regulates immune function. Keeping your ‘gut biome’ healthy requires a diverse array of foods. These include a moderate quantity of good slow-burn carbohydrates and plenty of gut friendly probiotics are essential. You can also benefit from eating foods high in phytoestrogens such as flaxseeds, green leafy veg and legumes.

CONSUME LESS SUGAR, BETTER FAT, GOOD CARBS

SUPPORT YOUR BONES In our middle years, due to inevitable hormonal changes, bone density can diminish, so it makes sense to include foods containing bone-supporting nutrients. Calcium from dairy, leafy greens, nuts such as almonds and fish is the building block for bone structure. Our joints can also start to cause problems as we move into midlife and keeping inflammation at bay is key. Seeds, broccoli, ginger and lean protein are all important for promoting healthy joints.

BALANCE YOUR HORMONES Our hormones have far-reaching effects on health. They keep our skin supple, our bones strong, and our minds alert. It is age-related hormone imbalance that can lead to common midlife health issues, whether it’s flagging energy, low libido, poor sleep or dry skin. You should incorporate plenty of hormone helpers such as phytoestrogens in foods like soya and flaxseeds, trytophan in oats and legumes and plenty of good fats in avocados and oily fish.

Good fats such as the unsaturated omega 3s, olive oil, coconut oil and some butter are very welcome at the midlife table. The only foodstuff you should limit is sugar. Curbing your refined sugar intake and sticking to slowburn wholegrain carbohydrates can help control blood sugars and improve insulin sensitivity, which lessens the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Hedgerow spiced porridge with

blackberries, plums, figs & hazelnuts

Mimi and Sam say: “The very point of porridge is that it’s a big hug in a bowl – warming, filling and comforting. As you might expect, given their depth of colour, blackberries and black plums have some of the highest antioxidant powers of any fruit.”

SERVES 2

• 50g jumbo oats • 250ml unsweetened almond milk • A pinch of sea salt flakes • ½ tsp vanilla extract • 2 tsp date syrup, plus extra to serve (optional) • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon • ¼ tsp ground ginger • A grating of nutmeg • 40g soft dried figs, chopped • 40g fresh or frozen blackberries, plus extra to serve

START BY MAKING SMALL CHANGES

To serve • 2 fresh figs, quartered • 2 black plums, halved, stoned and sliced • 20g hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Adding midlife goodies to familiar recipes one step at a time is key to staying on track. Once you start using these ingredients, these essentials will crop up in any number of dishes, and you’ll be getting a mega health boost with every bite.

1

KEEP YOUR MIND YOUNG

2

It’s essential to maintain cognitive function as you age, and there are plenty of foods thought to help with memory, mood, mental alertness and concentration. Incorporate ingredients such as oats, nuts, seeds, dark berries, leafy greens and oily fish into your diet.

READ MORE...

Extracted from The Midlife Kitchen

by Mimi Spencer & Sam Rice (published by Mitchell Beazley, £25, octopusbooks.co.uk). Image: Issy Crocke

Place all the porridge ingredients, except the dried figs and blackberries, in a saucepan and cook over a low heat for three minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to thicken.

Add the dried figs and blackberries and gently simmer for a further 2–3 minutes, breaking open the berries to release their juices, until thickened to your liking.

Serve with the fresh figs, black plums and hazelnuts, extra blackberries and a further drizzle of date syrup to taste.

3

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Weighing in at just 4lbs and made with a carrying strap, you can take BlissCloud’s yoga mats wherever you want to work out. Each mat has a luxurious feel and a non-slip surface as the base is made with 100 percent natural tree rubber, topped with an absorbent microfibre layer. These recyclable, eco-friendly and biodegradable mats use water-based inks for their beautiful designs, meaning they don’t hurt our planet. Suitable for yoga, hot yoga, Pilates and general workouts, you can also pop them in the washing machine to ensure they’re always ready for your next session. £69, blisscloud.org

Wrap yourself in a vibrant Chranket, otherwise known as a chakra blanket, to reach a complete state of relaxation and comfort. Inspired by the Indian philosophy, chakras have seven centres in which energy flows: the root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third-eye and crown.

The bright colours allow you to try colour therapy, which can help rebalance and stimulate your energy.

This cosy fleece blanket comes with a cushion cover and can fold out to the size of a double bed, allowing you to be completely engulfed by its soft and gentle feel. £25, reflotherapies.co.uk

92 YourFitness

Atrogel Arnica Gel is a traditional herbal medicinal product used for the symptomatic relief of muscular aches, pains and stiffness, sprains, bruises and swelling after contusions, exclusively based upon long-standing use as a traditional remedy.

This non-greasy gel is made from extracts of freshly harvested, organic arnica and is a great addition to your gym bag for those sporting aches and pains. Gently apply 2 – 10cm to the affected area and you will soon be back on the road to recovery! £6.75, Boots, and Holland & Barrett

Toe-tally GREAT

Calling all yoga, pilates and dance lovers – you can now enjoy the sensation of being barefoot whilst wearing socks, with ToeSox. The five individual toes support the natural movement of the foot and help to strengthen muscles, increasing balance, circulation and posture. Designed with a non-slip sole, you’ll be able to move around on any surface with ease and comfort. Plus, they are a hygienic way to keep your feet warm while performing typical barefoot activities. Available in beautiful new colours from the autumn/winter collection, your toes will look and feel fabulous. £13.99, toesox.biz

your fitness REPORT

HEAD space

94 | WELLBEING NEWS 96 | MINDFUL TRICKS TO STOP CRAVINGS 99 | CAMILLA DALLERUP 100 | FITNESS FREEBIES

Dream on...

Hands up who’s had a strange dream and Googled it’s meaning? You’re not alone, and new research shows that our dreams apparently have the power to indicate our risk of developing dementia.

A study by a Swinburne researcher found that if you dream a lot, you may be less likely to get the mental disorder.

By measuring the fifth stage of sleep occurring just before our dream (our REM – rapid eye movement – sleep), the study was able to predict whether people would develop the condition. The study even found that for every one percent decrease in time a person spends in REM sleep, the risk of developing dementia is heightened by nine times. There’s plenty of ways you can boost your REM sleep cycle - limiting caffeine consumption for at least four to six hours before your bedtime, is one such trick, as the stimulant will keep you in lighter stages of sleep. Sweet dreams!

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Head

SPACE

THE BEST AND LATEST WAYS TO A HEALTHY, HAPPY MIND

Well BEING

LESSONS IN SLEEP

We’re a nation infamous for not getting enough sleep, but thanks to fitness technology giant Fitbit, we could soon be able to master the act of getting 40 winks with its new podcast series Nodcast.

Designed to remedy poor sleeping habits, Nodcast is made up of five episodes in which sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan talks through techniques to improve your kip including managing your heart rate through breathing and the power of napping. And it seems we are in need of a little guidance, as Fitbit found the average person in the UK gets just seven hours and 14 minutes sleep per night, a good 46 minutes shy of the recommended amount. “Seeing the cause-andeffect of your daily life choices on your sleep is the easiest way to adjust bad habits, build healthy routines and help you get better quality sleep. In creating this Nodcast series with Fitbit, we will share our knowledge and insights to easily guide people towards better sleep habits to improve their wellbeing overall,” said Dr Ramlakhan. The Fitbit Nodcast is now available to download free on iTunes for Apple and PodBean for Android.

3 BEST SELF-HELP BOOKS

1

The Anxiety Solution

by Chloe Brotheridge Having suffered severe anxiety and panic attacks as a teen, Chloe now shares the techniques she used to achieve a sense of control and inner peace. The book covers topics such as self care, mindfulness and positive thinking. £12.99, waterstones.com

2

Mind Body Cleanse

by Chris James This 12-day plan promises to heal the body and re-energise the mind. Discussing mindful eating and decluttering the mind, it will leave you feeling brand new. £14.99, waterstones.com

3

The Balance Plan by Angelique Panagos The Balance Plan explains how to tune into your hormones and make the changes necessary to bring them into balance.

With over 70 recipes with food diaries and meal plans, it’s easy to follow Angelique’s realistic and relatable approach to living well. £20, waterstones.com

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QA &

ASK THE EXPERT “I often put other people before myself, how can I practise more self-care?”

Julie Montagu, yoga and nutrition teacher (juliemontagu.com), says:

Self-care is a concept that many of us forget and therefore need reminding of.

With busy lives, hectic schedules and other people to take care of, self-care can often quickly topple down the list of priorities. Try this trio of tips to make it easier to fit into your hectic life.

KEEP A SELF-CARE JOURNAL RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR BED You don’t have to write in it every day, but having it there will encourage a habit.

This can take several forms, such as listing things that you are grateful for, positive things that happened during your day, or writing down your goals and dreams.

SCHEDULE ACTS OF SELF-CARE EVERY SUNDAY Want to go to a regular yoga class?

Don’t just think about it, schedule it in for the week. Need ingredients to make your juice every morning? Write down the ingredients you need and go get them.

Set your alarm 10 minutes earlier every morning, to either do some breathing exercises or give that meditation app you’ve been wanting to try a go. Give yourself the time you need to adequately care for yourself and be sure to stick to these appointments with yourself. I promise you, you won’t regret it.

GIVE TIME TO YOURSELF EACH EVENING This is when you can unwind and process all that’s happened during the day. My favourite way of doing this is to run a bath, light some candles, pour Espsom salts in and soak for 20 minutes just before bed.

Julie’s new book Recharge - A Year Of Self Care To Focus On You is out in January 2018

RUNNING IN THE FAMILY The work life balance is an equation that modern day life has left many of us struggling to crack. While we might like to think we are in control, a new study has suggested that we should look closer to home. Research from the Queen Mary University of London indicates that the way in which we prioritise work and family life may be learned from our parents, implying that the extent to which we handle the pressures of daily life is shaped by our childhood experiences. “We are not blank slates when we join the workforce – many of our attitudes are already deeply engrained from childhood,” said Dr Ioana Lupa, co-author of the study.

[MANTRA] “Either you run the day, or the day runs you” - Jim Rohn

MINDFUL DRINKING

Sipping a much needed glass of wine after a long day is a vice many of us can relate to. However new research shows that practising mindfulness could be the cure to breaking our bad boozing habits. Scientists have found that just 11 minutes of mindfulness training can cut people’s drinking by the equivalent of almost a bottle of wine a week. Researchers at University College London played a recording to frequent drinkers who had high cravings for alcohol which resulted in them citing these urges for a drink as ‘temporary events’ which they no longer felt compelled to act upon. It is believed to be because this style of thinking teaches us to pay attention to feelings and bodily sensations and to become more aware of the here and now, therefore helping us to fight the urge of giving in to a drink. Participants, who drank on average around two and a half bottles of wine a week decreased their weekly alcohol consumption by more than a third. Find out how you can use mindfulness to control your eating habits on page 89.

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Head

SPACE

EASY

mindful

HACKS

Has

DIET

you

THE

your got on

HOOK? WORDS: Mollie McGuigan

Curb your cravings and forgo temptations with a little determination and these expert tips

96 YourFitness

diet TEMPTATION

I

mpulses are the demon of diet plans – just try standing in front of a fridge after the online shop has arrived, or only having one glass of Prosecco when everyone else is on their third. How many times have you dedicated yourself to turning over a new healthy leaf only to find a packet of crisps and a glass of wine on the other side? Thought so.

If your vices are getting the better of you, the solution may lie in mindfulness. In a recent study

by University College London, psychologists took a group of 68 heavy drinkers (those who regularly drink more than 14 units a week) and played them 11 minute-long mindful audio recordings, three to four times a week. The results were significant – just one week after training finished, participants reported drinking 9.3 less units a week than before. “We encouraged our participants to become aware of their internal feelings such as the sensations in their body, and their thoughts about alcohol,” says Dr Shirley Serfaty, an author on the study. “We told participants they could just notice these experiences without needing to act on them – they didn’t need to change these feeling, but just carry on noticing them with openness and curiosity.”

It’s an approach Weight Watchers also adopted in its 2015 SmartPoints plan, one of the pillars of which is Smile, a set of mindfulness techniques to make customers conscious of their eating. According to Zoe Griffiths, head of programme and public health at Weight Watchers, participants have welcomed it and the statistics are positive too, as members following the SmartPoints plan have lost 15 percent more weight than those on the previous Weight Watchers programme. “Mindfulness gives you another tool, besides food, to help you manage and minimise the various negative emotions that can disrupt healthy eating and activity,” says Griffiths. “Our members feedback to us that they start to feel differently straight away and regular practising, three to four times a week, helps keep them in the right frame of mind.”

So how can you apply the tenets of mindfulness to your own vices? We asked a team of experts to help us navigate the situations where we’re most tempted to fall off the wagon…

AFTERNOON TEA

Arriving at your friend’s house, you find a table groaning with the kind of baked goods that will soften even the strongest will. “Seeing food often kicks off cravings so be prepared,” says Stephanie Chivers, a life coach and NLP practitioner at ichange 21 (ichange21. com). “Make sure you’ve eaten so you’re not

hungry, and come armed with healthy snacks so you don’t feel deprived. Be clear about your goal – what do you want to gain? Write it down somewhere you can see it, or video yourself talking about it, and revisit it everyday.

It should feel good when you read it or say it out loud. If you get into thinking about what you are depriving yourself of, that’s when it can go wrong, so focus on the longer term goal rather than the short term one. If you are tempted, ask yourself ‘how does this support my goal?’ and try ‘scaling’, a technique of rating how hungry you feel on a scale of one to 10. This will help to bring it into your awareness.”

SNACK TIME

It’s that 3pm lull where you could do with a little pick-me-up to get through the mountain of ironing waiting for you. The next time you spy half a bar of chocolate squirrelled away at the back of your fridge, take it as a cue to practise the ‘rollercoaster exercise’, says Dr Christine Fiddler at Click For Therapy (clickfortherapy. com) “Stop what you are doing and take three deep breaths,” she says. “Hold the last breath in for three seconds and breathe out. While doing this, notice how the air enters your mouth and moves down into your lungs. Imagine your overindulgence as a carriage on a rollercoaster – watch the carriage rise and fall. Imagine your urge is part of the carriage and as it climbs, the rollercoaster builds in intensity. As with a rollercoaster ride, it falls downwards quite rapidly as it hits the lower levels, slows and stops. Now picture yourself riding the roller coaster – not fighting it, but not giving into it – and know that the urge of over indulgence is like a carriage on a rollercoaster, which will rise and fall.”

FRIDAY-NIGHT DRINKS

You’re off out for drinks and are unequivocally only having one so you can make that morning spin class with a clear head. But your commitment is under fire when Debbie orders another and Caroline scolds you for being boring. Dr Fiddler suggests temporarily changing your environment. “Getting up and going to the toilet or walking to the other side of the room is enough to break the craving,” she says.

“Distraction is another technique – imagine you have a ruler on your shoulder. When the urge to have that ‘one drink too many’ becomes great, look over at this imaginary ruler and take a deep breath in, count for three seconds, then breathe out before breathing normally. Repeat this as many times as you feel necessary until

the craving passes.” She also recommends buddying up. “Have at least one friend, who is willing to say ‘no’ can make a big difference. This takes the power out of peer pressure and makes it much easier to resist.”

WEEKEND AWAY

Healthy eating regimes and training schedules don’t stop for holidays – or rather, they shouldn’t, but once you start imagining lying on the beach with a good book in one hand and a bowl of crisps in the other, you feel a bit giddy. The key is preparation, says mindfulness meditation teacher Maggie Richards. “Work out when and where you will exercise, and set yourself reminders in your phone so that your routine is already carved out visually and mentally. Practice an affirmation – for example ‘my heart and mind stay focused on my goals’ – and repeat it when faced with temptation. A quick and practical approach to temptation is to divert energy from it to something good that’s also in your present moment experience – for example the sun, the smiling faces around you – and keep your attention on the good thing until the pull of temptation has waned.”

QUICK-START MINDFULNESS Rosalie Dores, mindfulness teacher at Optimal Living (optimalliving.co.uk), talks us through three mindfulness exercises to practice right now

1 2 3

While washing up, pay attention to the physical sensations, such as your contact with the dishes, the smell, temperature, and the movement of the body.

The next time you have a cup of tea, try smelling, tasting and savouring that cup of tea. When you notice the mind moving away, bring it back to the cup of tea.

Make your walking mindful by paying attention to the contact of your feet with the ground and your body moving through space.

Look at the sights, listen to the sounds and be fully present in your body’s movement.

YourFitness 97

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celeb COLUMNIST

TWEET CAMILLA

@camilladallerup

stressed, low on energy, frustrated or sad, it’s easy to dwell on the fact you don’t want to feel that way, which actually enhances the emotion.

Instead simply accept how you are feeling by truly acknowledging what thoughts are present.

It took me some time to wrap my head around this, but now I do this all the time.

1

Sit down somewhere quiet and tune it to yourself and your thoughts. Acknowledge how you are feeling and address the negative emotions. You may find it useful to say something aloud, or even write it down.

Now try to accept this feeling or emotion, instead of pushing it away.

Take three deep breaths in and repeat in your mind: “I allow this emotion or feeling to pass when it’s ready to do so”.

Sometimes this exercise may bring up a few feelings you didn’t know you had and you may want to write down a few things, realising that this has been brought to your attention.

2 3 4

Camilla Dallerup

Ditch the guilt

E

Each month our favourite motivation guru guides us back to the straight and narrow

very day in my coaching business I listen to people beat themselves up about all the things they don’t do right and all the things they feel guilty about not having done. When it comes to keeping your exercise regime going and making healthy choices it’s so easy to focus on all the times we get it wrong, but I like to remind my clients to celebrate everything they are doing right in their lives.

To combat constant feelings of guilt, it’s important to make sure you set yourself realistic goals that work with your schedule.

For example, I live in LA and would love to hike to the top of the hills overlooking the city each day. However, I know that if I make that my goal I will be setting myself up for failure because there is just no way I could maintain that in my daily life. Instead I have decided to try and enjoy a weekly hike. This is much more achievable, and I allow myself to celebrate my victory each time I accomplish it. This, in turn, feels good and motivates me to do it more!

So my advice is to remember all that you are doing well – be proud of the times you do make it to the gym or go out running and ditch the guilt, because when you start celebrating your victories, however big or small, it will no doubt ignite your motivation and make you want to do more.

Try it: accept what is

Sometimes the only thing you need to do to start feeling better is to simply accept how you are feeling. For example if you are feeling

By simply accepting how we are feeling, it allows the undesired emotion to pass in its own time rather than trying to force it to disappear, which often results in it staying put instead. If I wake up tired and unmotivated in the morning, for example, I simply acknowledge it and accept that perhaps I may have to go about my plans feeling that way. It then clears much quicker than when I used to force it away.

Become your best version

Now is your chance: A 30-Day Guide to Living Your Happiest Life Using Positive Psychology by Niyc Pidegeon I have know Niyc personally for quite some time and followed her journey to becoming an author as we were writing our books around the same time. It’s clear that she is a driven woman, just like myself, who is on a mission to help and inspire other females around the world through her work. One of the first quotes she includes in the book is the following sentence from Carl Jung: “I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become”. This is a wonderful way to sum up the tone of this fabulous motivational book. Niyc is a positive psychologist who openly speaks about her struggles and experiences and explains how positive psychology has helped her. The book is laid out as a plan addressing the mind, body and spirit and is filled with practical exercises, making it an interesting and interactive read as you discover more about yourself. She reminds the reader how forgiveness and letting go of fear and limited beliefs can help you remove blockages standing in your way of change.

“Self mastery starts but never ends,” she says. The book is packed with helpful advice on how to nurture yourself both physically and mentally to become the best version of you – and I love it.

YourFitness 99

Camilla.indd 1

21/09/2017 09:15

HOW TO ENTER: Visit our website yourfitnesstoday.com/ giveaways for your chance to win* * Terms and conditions apply

This month’s

Win amazing goodies worth £820!

GIVEAWAYS

WIN A PAIR OF KEEN ELSA PREMIUM MID BOOTS

WIN A LET’S BANDS POWER SET

Keep your feet both stylish and warm this winter as we’ve teamed up with KEEN to give away two pairs of boots. Capturing the essence of comfort and functionality for the modern active woman, KEEN’s new Elsa Premium Mid boot (£130), is ideal for when the temperature drops.

Mixing high-quality leather, fleece, and suedes, this fun lace up is fully waterproof and features a contrasting cosy sherpa collar to keep you cosy no matter what the weather throws at you. Equipped with both KEEN Warm insulation to fend off the freeze and a thermal heat shield footbed will keep toes toasty. Curate your own style too as they come in a choice of hearty hues. For more information visit keenfootwear.com

WORTH

£260

IN TOTAL

WIN A FULL SET OF ALCHEMY ORGANIC SUPERBLENDS

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to get more nutrients into your diet, you’re in luck as Alchemy is giving away its entire range of superblends designed to remove the stress and time spent rifling through kitchen cupboards in a bid to find healthy meals, Alchemy allows you to benefit from up to 10 superfoods, all in one serving.

Packed full of vegan plant proteins and superfoods such as baobab, wheatgrass and spirulina, these are great additions to any meal. There are four types of blends which make up the range including Beauty Elixir, which works to nourish the skin, hair and nails, Morning Elixir, ideal for people on the go who tend to skip breakfast, Energy Elixir, a great hormone balancer which works to combat fatigue, and Sport Elixir, which is suitable for all active women to replenish and recover after working out. alchemysuperblends.com

WORTH

£165

IN TOTAL

Take your fitness routine to the next level with Let’s Bands, which is giving away five of its Power sets. The bands are an effective, versatile and travel-size training tool proven to increase strength and stability while burning fat and toning lean muscle. Dubbed the ‘smallest gym in the world’, they enable you to train anywhere due to their lightweight design and are tested by our very own columist Jenni Falconer on page 35. The adjustable tension of the bands minimises joint stress while increasing impact on the targeted muscle groups.

Powerbands can replace free weights, intensify bodyweight exercises and complement machine routines. Five readers will get their hands on the Power Set MAX which includes all three powerbands with a varying degree of dynamic tension, as well as the Powerbands MAX Black and access to the online training platform. letsbands.com

WORTH

£185

IN TOTAL

WIN TRAINING KIT FROM RUNDERWEAR Tick off those winter training miles in comfort as Runderwear is giving away a kit bundle worth £70 each to three lucky readers. You’ll win two pieces from its awardwinning collection – the Merino brief (£25) and the newest addition to the range, the high performance Baselayer (£45). Each item has been designed to work with your body to allow freer, faster movement.

The fabric combines ethically sourced high grade merino wool with thermocool technology, which responds to changes in body temperature and warms or cools it as needed. The long sleeved, black baselayer fuses technical moisturewicking fabric with high grade elastane to ensure maximum comfort, run after run. Check out the collection at runderwear.co.uk

WORTH

£210

IN TOTAL

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your fitness REPORT

TRY it

104| HEALTHY HEROES 107 | HELEN SKELTON 109 | THIS MONTH WE’VE BEEN

Crystal clear

You might associate crystals with fortune tellers from fairgrounds but with the likes of Adele and Miranda Kerr turning to them for their healing powers and relaxing benefits, perhaps it’s time to find out what all the fuss is about? The ancient stones are believed to channel energy from the earth and bring positive vibes to the body with many people meditating with them, holding them in their hands, placing them on their bodies and even putting them in drinking water. A far cry from their hippy connotations, crystals are now seen as a holistic and natural way to reconnect with nature and encourage good energy.

Although there is yet to be any scientific evidence to back their legitimacy, many claim it is all dependant on what you ask of the crystal and what you want it to do for you. And if nothing else, they are pretty to look at!

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2

Vaginal Dryness

promotional FEATURE

Soothe the uncomfortable symptoms of vaginal dryness with the Feminesse Moisturiser.

Just because life’s changing, it doesn’t mean you have to.

Lasting for up to three days at a time, you can carry on as usual. Plus it doesn’t contain parabens or fragrance and is hormone-free.

Lady parts, Minnie, vagina – whatever you call it, it’s not always easy to talk about your feminine health. It can be uncomfortable to discuss vaginas with many taboos surrounding them including discharge, smell and appearance.

It’s no surprise then that only 56 percent of women class themselves as knowledgeable about their intimate areas.

Feminesse aims to change this, claiming the more we discuss our worries, the more we’ll realise how normal those ‘embarrassing problems’ really are. Here, they bust the myths and reveal ways to keep your body healthy.

LOVE YOUR

Odour

1 BODY

All vaginas have their own scent and this is completely normal. However, if you have started to notice an unusual smell, Feminesse Gel can help. By restoring your natural pH levels, it eliminates abnormal vaginal odour and leaves you feeling fresh again. Remember, if you are worried about a change in odour, it is always best to visit your doctor.

Period

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Your monthly cycle doesn’t have to get in the way of your daily routine.

Discreet and travel friendly, just pop a Feminesse Menstrual Cup in your bag and use again and again.

As you only need one, you’ll never be caught out unexpectedly all the while knowing you’re doing your bit for the environment too! Available at Tesco.

Let’s talk about the v-word and how best to look after your feminine health

For more information visit feminesse.co.uk

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expert SECRETS

HEALTHY

HEROES

If you're struggling to fit some 'me' time into your week, get some inspiration from these wellness warriors

W

e’ve read the books and bought the journals but finding a 15-minute window is as likely as Daniel Craig knocking at our door. In the interest of finding balance in our busy lives we asked eight high-flying women to share their top tips to put yourself first. Whether it’s getting some much-needed shut eye or swapping your trusty builders tea for a herbal, these small daily changes can make all the difference to your health and wellbeing.

ARIANA HUFFINGTON

Author and former co-founder of The Huffington Post “Ninety-five percent of the time I get eight hours of sleep a night, and as a result, ninety-five percent of the time I don’t need an alarm to wake up. And waking up naturally is, for me, a great way to begin the day.

I don’t start the day by looking at my smartphone. Instead, once I’m awake, I take a minute to breathe deeply, be grateful, and set my intention for the day.

I then do 20 to 30 minutes on my stationary bike and 10 minutes of yoga stretches.”

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Try IT

GWYNETH PALTROW Actress, author and founder of Goop.com

@gwynethpaltrow

“While I’ve long-aimed to be healthy, there have been periods of time when I have decidedly not been. I’m a fan of French fries and martinis, for starters – the day I swear off red wine and gluten for life isn’t coming (ever).

But I’ve settled into a way of mostly clean living that lets me indulge and stay balanced while feeling really good. I try to do a 9am dance aerobics workout for 45 minutes after dropping the kids off at school. Getting a great sweat is key for detoxification and if you can get to an infrared sauna, you’ll be helping your system get the toxins out faster.”

CAMERON DIAZ Actress and author

“I love to grill food, usually steaks, or lamb chops, or fish.

Then I throw a few seasonal veggies on top or a couple of salads – either hearty with cabbages or fresh and bright with citrus fruits and a big bowl of simple pasta. I love having quinoa pasta with olive oil and garlic or veggies.”

ELLE MACPHERSON Model and entrepreneur “I wake at around 5.30am and set my intentions for the day. I try to be kind to myself and check in, to understand how I am feeling in my body and my mind. I take about 30 minutes every morning to meditate. It helps keep me stay balanced and feel strong and confident. I always sip on hot water and lemon before I eat breakfast to kick start my metabolism and take two teaspoons of The Super Elixir Alkalizing Formula every day in 500ml of filtered water without fail. The difference it has made is extraordinary. My skin is never dry anymore, it looks plumper, and has something which has been called ‘the alkaline glow.’ The skin is a great barometer and can show how you’re feeling inside.”

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expert SECRETS

KATE PERCIVAL

Entrepreneur and founder of Grace Belgravia “Each morning I collect my thoughts and prepare mentally and physically for the day ahead. I believe in eating healthily 90 percent of the time. I’ll collect breakfast from Grace and make sure it has fresh vegetables, fruit and protein as it makes me feel energised all day. My office is a stone’s throw from Hyde Park and I try to make time to speed walk around it, taking in fresh air and exercise. Wearing a quality sunscreen every day is vital and I've recently started using JK7 skincare which is organic. I truly believe in the importance of a good night’s sleep and try to fit in seven hours but the reality for me and many women is that I wake up pretty much every night around 3.30am. Instead of stressing about it, I read and gently doze off again. When that doesn’t work, I take a low dose of melatonin and magnesium which again sends my body back into sleep mode.”

CAROLINE LUCEY Founder of activeinstyle.com

Above: Grace Belgravia Hyde Park

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CHRISTIANE DUIGAN Director of Bodyfood and Bodyism Global

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“Getting nine hours of sleep every night (children allowing!) is very important to me.

I start my day with some active meditations when I walk to work. That means clearing my mind and enjoying what I can see, smell, hear and feel. I like to walk my short commute and I try to move my body differently every day – whether that's by taking an exercise class like ballet, yoga or Pilates, incorporating movement into my routine or running after the children.

I eat healthily and clean during the day but I must have chocolate daily as this makes me happy and keeps my mind balanced. I can’t fall asleep without a cup of tea – for me this represents my time to relax and unwind before bed.”

TESS WARD

“I always try and start my day with a cup of warm water with lemon before I have anything else. It’s hard getting used to not having a tea but I definitely feel better for it.

I have just discovered the Happy Tummy Company and its unique bread – I have a slice for breakfast everyday and it keeps me full until lunchtime and is great for your digestive system. I have to take the train to and from work and I try not to look at social media or emails for the 20 minute journey. Instead I just have quiet time or meditate. It’s an attempt at calmness for a short spell each day. I love to walk so each weekend I'll plan some kind of stroll along the river, in the woods or park. I spray my pillow with lavender each night, I find it relaxes me and helps me have a deeper and better sleep.”

Relaxing Pillow mist, £18 loccitane.com Chia Loaf, from £10 thehappytummyco.com

Chef and author

“I love coffee much more than it loves me, so I drink green tea and Earl Grey as an alternative wherever possible as it stops me raiding the cookie jar (yes, I have a cookie Green Tea With Lemon, jar!). I love exercise – it gives me motivation £1.85 clipper-teas.com and really helps create energy. I alternate between HIIT, yoga (Leila Sadaghee's classes in London are my favourite) and spinning. For me food is life – after testing a lot of sweet dishes I get a craving for that, which is fine in moderation but I then gravitate towards bitter foods to bring my tastebuds back to balance. It's easy to let work run away with us but nurturing good relationships is key. I try to take time to be around close friends and away from a work environment as much as possible.”

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ELIXIR OF GOOD HEALTH Turmeric has a long history of traditional use as an anti-microbial cleansing spice that has been added to food for centuries to season and fortify and the Turmeric Powder from Indigo Herbs is a great way to boost your intake of this powerful spice. It is the phytonutrient curcumin that gives turmeric its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and scientific studies suggest that turmeric may be beneficial to the heart, acting as an asset in combating heart disease. In the traditional Indian medicine practice known as Ayurveda, turmeric is used to support the blood, liver, joints, immune system and digestive tract. You can use turmeric in curries or try a glass of ‘Golden Milk’. Simply add a teaspoon of turmeric powder to milk and honey as a bedtime drink. Turmeric Powder £3.99 for 100g, Turmeric Tincture £8.99 for 100ml

106 YourFitness

VEGAN PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT Looking for a hit of protein? The Organic Super Protein Powder contains pea, pumpkin, rice, hemp and chia seed powders which contain 65 percent protein and provide a reliable source of vegan plantbased protein.

It has the potential to help rebuild and restore muscle tissue and aid with recovery after a workout. This complete protein powder includes all the nine essential amino acids and a daily dose of it added to a smoothie or milkshake can support a healthy mind and body and helps you really get behind your fitness regime! £5.99 for 100g, £13.99 for 250g, £26.99 for 500g

NATURAL IMMUNE BOOST Containing reishi, cordeceps, lions mane and chaga mushroom powder, the Super Mushroom Nutri-Complex Powder features powerful phytonutrients known to boost the immune system and potentially improve your health.

Add just a teaspoon of this nutricomplex to your smoothie and get serious at banishing the winter bugs and giving your system the health kick it deserves. Super Mushroom Nutri- Complex 100g £15.99, 250g £37.99

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celeb COLUMNIST

works it out

Your Fitness’ intrepid columnist stakes out the newest classes and takes on the latest challenges

D

ancing sober in the streets to music and routines you don’t know? The pre-30 me may have considered this embarrassing but times have changed.

Dramatically. At the minute we live in a town that survives on tourism, and as a result there are weekly activities for tourists – including street Zumba. The energetic instructor stands on a platform, with a microphone attached to her face shouting instructions as music is pumped through the roads. Admittedly, I have watched from afar for weeks like a nervous teenager at a school dance, longing to get involved but lacking the courage. That was until my girl friends decided en masse that we should join in.

Of the six of us, two had tried street Zumba before, two had prepared by watching YouTube videos and trying to master the routines and two of us just decided to get stuck in.

There’s no doubt that Zumba is an aerobic workout. For some it’s serious business, but for us it was a Friday night out on the streets, dancing, throwing our arms and legs around, lacking rhythm and coordination but making up for it with effort.

Zumba, officially known as a dance aerobic workout, was founded in 1999 by a Colombian dancer and cyclist. The routines include hip hop, samba, salsa, squats and lunges and approximately 15 million people take part in a workout class weekly.

Although I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, I cast aside my nerves and my inhibitions and just had fun. Our instructor was a brilliant advert for Zumba is I ever saw one – sassy, sexy and smart, and I wanted to be like her!

To be honest though, rather than imitate her I looked like a total berk! I couldn’t keep up, I couldn’t do the moves like the others could and I certainly couldn’t execute the fancy footwork and repeat the routines. An hour flew by as I tried to look half as good as my peers. I sweated, I swore and I promised to be back. I am not sure we earned our post-dance wine but what’s a Friday night dancing session without at least one glass between friends? It was an intense workout but I roared with laughter and hung out with my pals. Rarely does an exercise class leave me so elated and alive. Zumba, if you will have me. I will be back.

TWEET HELEN @HelenSkelton

This month Helen’s been...

Watching...

Learning...

Committing...

THE WOMEN’S RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP I know I am biased (my hubby plays Rugby League) but I love this game – it’s easy to follow, fast paced, hard core and a good opportunity to support some of our nation’s finest females.

TO LOVE LEEDS We are soon moving to Leeds, and I can’t wait. I hear great things about the city but know very little about it so I will be spending a lot of time getting to know the area and everything on offer.

TO THE GYM Once upon a time I was a total gym bunny, hitting the gym at least four times a week.

Since I had my children I just can’t justify the time away from them but I really feel it would be good for my health so I am promising myself I will get back into it.

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108 YourFitness

This month

WE’VE BEEN…

Our top rated picks of all that’s new in the world of health and fitness

Editorial assistant Georgia-May Collings reviews the latest wellness trends EATING GOOD CARBS

I try to maintain a healthy diet but like most people, every now and then I have days where all I want are carbs, carbs and more carbs. So what better way to get my fix than with a healthier alternative?

Gusto Nero’s Black Jasmine pasta boasts lower calories and provides you with twice the energy compared to white and brown equivalents.

The pasta is also ethically grown in Thailand and the team ensure every grain of rice made into the pasta is wholly organic, 100 percent pesticide-free and chemical-free. Another box ticked. The only real next test was of course, the taste. I found this pasta had a lovely texture and the jasmine flavouring was subtle but still detectable. I would definitely switch to this long term as a healthier way to consume pasta. £3.19, planetorganic.co.uk

MOVING TO THE BEAT

Finding the perfect pair of gym-proof headphones that stay put for the duration of a workout, have good sound quality and won’t require you to remortgage your house to afford them is something of a tricky task. But we just might have found them!

Groov-e’s Action Earphones are kept in position around your neck with a bright LED neckband meaning I could happily get on with my workout without having to constantly re-adjust tangled wires – a particular pet peeve of mine. Available in three colours – red, green and blue – the neckband is designed to make you stand out and be seen, a great feature for any runners at night (although I did just like to coordinate my gym kit with mine).

They also feature Bluetooth wireless audio, have up to eight hours of music playback and a built-in mic for hands-free calling, making them a great multi-tasking set. Priced at under £45, these are really reasonable. £44.99, groov-e.co.uk

“THESE WOULD MAKE A GREAT GIFT FOR ANYONE IN NEED OF A LITTLE EXTRA INDULGENCE AND PAMPERING ESPECIALLY ON THOSE DREARY, WINTER NIGHTS” Winter to me is otherwise known as bath season.

The thought of stepping into a cold shower on a dark morning fills me with dread so I very much enjoy switching to the tub and finding new luxuries to add to my soak. Kiss the Moon is a brand that has been on my radar for a while and when I heard about the new Bedtime Bath Salts, I was sold. I tried the Dream blend featuring lavender and bergamot and loved the floral fragrance as it instantly enveloped me in a spa environment. Plus everything in the range is 100 percent natural, cruelty-free and proudly made in the UK. These would make a great gift for anyone in need of a little extra indulgence and pampering especially on those dreary, winter nights. £20, kissthemoon.com

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Style, flare and hydration Fitness and fashion come alive in these glistening beauties, find your look at:

www.thebigbottleco.co.uk 110 YourFitness

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s u c Fo h this month… lt a e h r u o y rt o Ideas to supp

Go Raw

Did you know that cooking can chemically change the substances of some foods, damaging nutrition and enzymes as well as creating acid-forming toxins? This is why rawLicious provides quality, organic raw snacks that are packed full of nutrients and flavour. rawLicious makes sure that healthy choices are never boring with these tasty treats that are wheat-, dairy- and gluten-free, with no added sugar.

They’re the ideal way to break mid-morning or mid-afternoon hunger. £2.49, rawlicious.eu

Sunshine vitamin spray Vitamin D is vital for supporting your immune system and for building strong muscles and bones – which is especially important during the cold, winter months when sunshine is lacking. Aliment Nutrition has created an ingenious method of administering your daily dose of this vitamin – its Urgent D Spray tastes great and is a much more convenient way of taking supplements. Vitamin D is also available in chewable tablets if you prefer. £7.95, alimentnutrition.co.uk

Stay hydrated

Young, green, organic coconuts make the best coconut water, which is exactly why TIANA Fair Trade Organics uses them in its Pure Raw Coconut Water. This refreshing thirst-quencher is bottled within three hours of opening fresh coconuts, so that it remains pure, raw and unpasteurised. High in essential electrolytes, Pure Raw Coconut Water is perfect for re-hydrating yourself at the end of a gym session.

Other varieties of this product are also available including Pomegranate and Passionfruit. £2.99, available from Holland & Barrett, Amazon, independent health stores, and online at tianacoconut. com

Re-charge

Boost your energy levels with these tasty snacks which are packed full of protein, fibre, vitamins and potassium. Acti-Snack Power Packs are available in seven delicious flavours. The convenient, slim-line packs are ideal for keeping in the house or office to refuel or replenish the body after exercising. The dried fruits, nuts and seeds offer the perfect combination of nutrients to amp up your fitness regime and help you go the extra mile.

Either eat on their own or add them to your breakfast – they are convenient and ideal for people with an active lifestyle. £4.99, in 180g to 250g sizes, acti-snack.com

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Why not learn how to run your own life rather than letting life run you!

• THE ART OF CHANGING YOUR LIFE ULTIMATE WELL-BEING WORKSHOP A unique one day certificated teachers workshop with Buddhist monk

Ven. Lama Ngedon Drime (shri sadhu dharmavira) This very special certificated workshop, created and taught exclusively by Lama, contains all the techniques needed to enable you to: SLOW DOWN THE AGEING PROCESS LIVE A STRESS FREE LIFE BOOST YOUR ENERGY LEVELS This course was created for those who wish to teach others this unique practice. But, anyone who would like to attend for their own personal benefit, is very welcome.

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YourFitness 113

Final SAY

Fit and Famous...

Ashleigh Lawrence

Meet the woman who will make you strong – fitness influencer and member of the Reebok #GirlSquad, Ashleigh Lawrence “I’m originally from Australia and have been living in London for the past seven years. Fitness in Australia is so popular and there’s a lot more outdoor exercising because of the weather but I think London is catching up.”

“My biggest piece of advice is to not be intimidated. Try a personal trainer with a few friends”

“When I first moved to London, I started running, and after not seeing a lot of progress, I quickly switched to weights.

Not long after, someone suggested that I try power lifting but I was convinced I wasn’t strong enough. After doing some research it turns out I fitted the bill, so I started training and entered a few power lifting competitions.”

WORTH THE WEIGHT Tone up and blast fat with Ashleigh’s quick three moves GUIDELINES

“I started training clients because I really wanted to help other women learn how to own the gym.

It was something I really struggled with when I began training and I know that a lot of people feel lost when they start.

There’s nothing I love more than to help those new to fitness develop a passion for exercise. My biggest piece of advice is to not be intimidated. Try a personal trainer with a few friends – this will help to give you the confidence to be able to work out on your own.”

“I try to always eat as much unprocessed food as possible. Sometimes I have bad meals, but I’m happy as long as I’m eating well 80 percent of the time. I usually wake up at 6am and have oats with some protein for breakfast before training clients. At around 10am I’ll have a second breakfast of eggs and avocado before some more client appointments followed by lunch which is usually chicken and salad or sushi. I’ll then do my own workout in the gym before a second lunch of leftovers from my first lunch or a protein shake.

After that I’ll take some Instagram shots if I have some free time, write some client programmes and do some admin. I try to make dinner more interesting so it’ll be steak, potatoes and vegetables or a chicken stir fry. When I’m feeling naughty, pizza and chocolate are my downfalls!”

Work with a weight that you can only do the amount of reps prescribed and no more.

You can use either a barbell or dumbbells.

I like to do five minutes of light cardio to warm up such as jogging on the spot.

WORKOUT

Doing what she does best

Pounding the pavement

Stretching it out

 Squats 4 sets of 8 reps Keeping your chest up, sit back as if you’re going to sit down onto a chair.

Keep your heels on the ground, your knees in line with your toes and your thighs parallel to the floor, then push through your heels and stand back up.  Romanian deadlifts 4 sets of 15 reps Start by standing up straight and push your hips back behind you. Hold the weight at hip level, keep your back straight, your chest up and move the weight down your legs until you feel a pull in your hamstrings. Drive your hips back to your starting position.  Bent over row 4 sets of 12 reps Begin by bending forward from your hips so you are at the bottom of a Romanian deadlift.

Pull the weight in towards your stomach, squeezing your shoulder blades together.

Make sure you keep your abs engaged so that your back doesn’t bend.

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