Health and Beauty - Banish the Bloat
Banish the Bloat
HEALTH & FITNESSCelebrity shape-up withNicki Waterman TOP TRAINER TO THE STARS OFFERS USEFUL ADVICE FOR A HEALTHIER AND FITTER LIFESTYLE – AND VALUABLE TIPS TO LOSE THOSE EXTRA KILOSTOP CELEBRITY BODY PARTS – AND HOW TO GET THEM!
Ah... celebrity bodies. There's nothing like looking at pictures of Keira Knightley frolicking in the surf, flaunting her flat tum, to make you want to go on a starvation diet. Wouldn't it be great if you knew just how our “body idols” keep those flabby bits at bay? Good job then that H! does – and we're sharing the A-List's secret to a hot body with you... Legs – Cameron Diaz
Cam has been wowing us with a variety of cute, mega-short minis recently and we’re green with envy! The actress maintains that she owes her super slim, toned legs to her love for outdoor sports. Although she does manage to squeeze in 25-30 minutes at the gym most days, concentrating on toning exercises with her personal trainer Teddy Bass, it is through hiking, golf, snowboarding and surfing that she keeps up her fit physique. It’s no secret that Cam loves the outdoors so why don’t you try burning calories the fun way? Anything for those racehorse legs! Bum – Giselle Bundchen
Okay, we have to admit that the pics of Giselle in THOSE ripped white denim shorts are forever burnt into our minds and, while we can’t steal her enviable genes, we can certainly steal her workout secrets! A self-confessed yoga buff, the Brazilian beauty rolls straight out of bed onto the yoga mat rather than hitting the snooze button. Like Cam, Giselle is an outdoorsy girl, exercising in a range of ways to firm and sculpt her butt to perfection. A regular horse rider, the model also counts extreme sports among her list of hobbies. If you want to take a leaf out of Miss Bundchen’s book, try beach volleyball: it’s a great way to meet hotties this summer, plus it's easy-peasy to top up the tan while doing it. Tum – Jessica Alba
If you're from a naturally overweight family like Jessica Alba (yes, we find it hard to believe too!), then take some inspiration from the svelte, ultra-toned-tummed Sin City star. The actress started cooking her own meals when she was only 12 years old to avoid ballooning to the size of a house. Jessica's bod is living proof that a workout doesn't have to be gruelling and long; her workouts may be only 30 minutes long but the actress makes sure that they’re intense and varied. The Hollywood hottie switches between 10-minute cardio stints on the treadmill and strength and toning exercises like lunges and crunches, up to five times a week. Incorporate a little weight training into this and you'll soon have a washboard stomach like Jessica's. Back – Hilary Swank
Winning the Academy Award for best actress for her role in Million Dollar Baby in 2005, Hilary Swank graced the red carpet in a knockout backless dress, and who can blame her? Hilary's toned back and shoulders were a product of the training that she received for the film, but before you rush out and start your own boxing circle a la Fight Club, take Hilary's advice and combine a power pilates work-out with cardio and weight training. Add a high protein, low carb diet and you'll soon be desperate to flaunt it in that LBD (Little Backless Dress). Arms – Jennifer Aniston
Jen is always bang on trend when it comes to new and fresh ways to work out. Her work-out winner though is Budokon, a type of exercise formed of martial arts, yoga and meditation. A firm believer that a healthy, happy attitude leads to a healthy, happy body, Jen swears that her strong and supple arms and her general well-being come from her yoga passion. Yoga trainer Mandy Ingber gets Jen's heart rate up with intense cardio sessions and weight training before the yoga to ensure that Jen's body fully benefits from all that bending and stretching. Combined with long dog walks accompanied by best friend Courtney Cox, Jen is left with the body and arms of a goddess. Of course it helps to have a house on Malibu beach – but there are plenty of great beaches here as well.
CREDIT: 1 hour 45 minutes of gardening = DEBIT: 1 large Danish pastry (616 calories)
BANISH THE BLOAT
No matter how much time you spend in the gym, or how many biscuits you cut from your diet, your stomach can still look and feel a lot bigger due to bloating. Most women experience swelling in the abdominal area after meals or before their period. But if you don’t want to shy away under jumpers and cardigans in the hot weather, read on and find out how to beat the bloat once and for all!
Keep hydrated
Although filling your stomach with fluid may sound unappealing when you’re bloated, drinking water flushes waste out of your system and gets your digestive tract moving. Make sure you drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
Increase your fibre intake
Most women consume only 12-15 grams of fibre per day but we need at least 24-25 grams to get our systems flowing. Fibre prevents constipation by adding bulk, which helps everything move through the intestines quickly and more efficiently. Good sources of fibre include wholemeal bread and pasta, fresh and dried fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Drain excess water
Did you know that up to three pounds (1.4 kilograms) of excess water can be trapped in the body at any time? Eating too much salt is a major cause of water retention – try to find other ways of flavouring food like herbs and spices or lemon and lime zest.
Herbal remedy
Many women suffer from excess water retention around the time of their period, but it can occur at any time. New Aquaban Herbal contains a blend of three natural herbal diuretics which work together to gently relieve the body of excess water, without leaving you dehydrated. Aquaban is available to buy from chemists.
Minty bloat-buster
Mint is known to aid digestion by stimulating the flow of natural digestive juices and bile. So try to replace your morning coffee with peppermint tea and scatter mint leaves over your salads.
Move it and lose it
When you feel puffy, you feel sluggish. This is the time to force yourself off the couch. Exercise is one of the most effective ways to banish that bloat. Just a 10-minute brisk, arm-swinging walk will invigorate your entire system.
Eliminate food triggers
Wheat, dairy products and yeast account for 80 per cent of food reactions. Try to identify foods that may be causing the problem. Try keeping a food diary for two weeks and take note of how you feel after different foods.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew!
Chew slowly! Eating food quickly can cause you to swallow too much air, which results in bloating. Remember it takes around 30 minutes for your stomach to realise that it is full. Eat little and often to avoid feeling full and bloated after eating too much.
WHAT’S NEW IN MARBELLA…the Power Plate
What is it? The Power Plate is a vibrating plate that you can stand, sit or lie on while doing resistance exercises such as squats and lunges. The vibrations make muscles contract at a rapid rate. Conventional resistance exercises cause muscles to contract once or twice a second, but the Power Plate causes contractions at 25 to 50 times per second. The theory is: the greater the amount of muscular contractions, the better the results.
What does it work? You can perform most muscle toning exercises on the Power Plate, so you can target any area you wish. You do each exercise for 30, 45 or 60 seconds. To get the most from this machine, include exercises that involve more than one muscle group: e.g. push-ups instead of front raises with weights.
How often? It depends on the resistance exercises you choose, but using the plate for 10 to 20 minutes three times a week should be enough to target the major trouble spots.
Does it work? Vibration technology is popular in physiotherapy because it's been shown to speed recovery from injury, so it could help those recovering from sports injuries. Many studies also show strength gains in elderly, inactive populations.
There is limited research showing any weight loss benefits, but one study shows a visible reduction in cellulite after a few weeks' use. The emphasis on toning muscle means it's no substitute for cardiovascular exercise like jogging – and its high price tag means it's certainly not for everyone. But if your local gym has one, it could add variety to your usual gym workout, particularly if you want to focus on toning muscle.Available for purchase from El Corte Inglés, Costa Marbella, Puerto Banús
Power Plate training available at Powerfit Center, Marbella; Tel. 952 779 552
AND FINALLY…lose while you snooze
Everyone’s talking about CLA – a natural acid that helps you burn 14 per cent more fat while you sleep. Bio-CLA+GT is available from health stores.
