Weight Loss

Do you have low self-esteem? Learn how to boost your confidence with these simple tips. Your self image is tied to what you feel others think of you. It is also influenced by your personality and whether you're an introvert or extrovert, as well as the standards you set yourself; for example, whether you're a perfectionist, a high achiever or whether you are laid back and tend to roll with the punches and are not easily stressed or fazed. If you have low self-esteem, you come home from a party and worry that you spoke too much or said something stupid. At the heart of this is a deep-seated fear that somehow you don't measure up or that people see your failings and think less of you. Tips 1. Cut back on social media: Stop checking how many friends or followers people have. Don't believe the hype . Remind yourself that what people post is based on the image they want to portray, but may be faked or embellished. 2. Treat yourself like a friend : Are you always hassling...

Want a faster metabolism ? You need to ensure your digestive system gets the right nutrients . Digestion and metabolism are not one and the same, but they certainly need to work together for optimal workout benefits. Digestion involves the breaking down of food and distributing nutrients throughout the body while at the same time getting rid of the any waste. Metabolism is when your body uses the energy and nutrients from the digestion process to aid workouts and also to process food in everyday life. For your metabolism to work properly, the digestive system needs to be feeding it the right nutrients for exercise . Likewise, if your metabolism isn't so great, the digestive system ends up storing excess calories as fat, so both need to be working in tandem for your body to completely benefit. After only 10 minutes of exercise, your bloodstream contains more metabolites than when you started, and consistent exercise stimulates long-term changes in metabolism. What to eat During we...

Planning to detox? Try this healthy smoothie recipe from Katie Jean. Watch our demo before you start. Read more ...

Want a bikini body? Amanda Furguson demonstrates this butt-blasting workout. Read more ...

  You think you have leaky gut because you’re bloated , gassy, achy and crampy. We ask three doctors to define this 'grey area of medicine'. What is leaky gut? Leaky gut is still a grey area of medicine. The term has become popular in the last 10 or 20 years to explain how gut substances literally leak into the bloodstream.   Western medicine says A complete digestive stool analysis and a urine test can check for leaky gut, says Prof Kotsirilos. “There are some studies to suggest that these [gut substances] can cause symptoms of inflammation in the body as the compounds enter the blood, building up in other tissues of the body, and are then released into the urine, causing a leaky gut syndrome.” Complementary medicine says “It’s a funny term because, really, it’s a medical scientific term that some Western naturopaths and trained doctors have latched on to,” says Dr Hunter. Complementary medicine practitioners may test for similar diagnoses but they won’t label it leaky gut. I...

  Moisture loss is a one-way ticket to wrinklestown . Don’t believe us? Next time you’re dehydrated – after a night on the prosecco or endurance event – look in the mirror at your décolletage. Here’s betting it’s wrinkled. The same effect applies to skin on your face, which can look years older within hours. “Moisture loss does not directly accelerate skin ageing , but it will accentuate the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, making a person appear older,” says Dr Hunt. The good bit is that you can wind back the visual clock just as quickly by replenishing your body’s fluid stores. As for moisturisers, they’re hit and miss. How does it happen? Dr Hunt explains how ageing skin loses moisture. 1. As we age, a reduction in function of the skin’s glands results in lower levels of natural lipids. 2. Levels of ceramide (a compound naturally occurring in skin’s outer layer) also wane as we age, affecting the layer’s water-binding capacity. Skin’s permeability is also damaged, making i...

So how much should we eat after a heavy workout? We ask the experts to give us the low-down on recovery fuel. As the sweat starts to subside, the post-gym munchies start to set in. Within 30 to 60 minutes post workout is the optimum time to eat a recovery snack, and it's important that you do it right. "Adequate refuelling after exercise is important to replenish glycogen stores and to allow muscles to repair, recover and adapt to the exercise that you have just done," says sports dietitian Margaret Mielczarek ( fuelrightnutrition.com.au ). "But you don't have to refuel after every exercise session; any training of low-moderate intensity that lasts for up to 60 minutes may not need any additional nutrition, and resuming normal eating will be generally enough to refuel." What to eat after heavy training sessions When training for longer periods and at higher intensities, 'food first' after training is a priority. "Enjoy a snack or meal that con...

Mum of two Brandie Chamley had battled with her health for long enough. Read her amazing weight loss success story!   Doing the BodyBlitz challenge has literally changed my life and I am so proud of what I have done and what I can now do. The last year had been a really hard one for me. After the birth of my second child, I was 97 kilograms, anaemic, prediabetic and on medication for high blood pressure. I was diagnosed with post-natal depression. Physically and emotionally I was not healthy at all and in a bad way. I wanted to be fit and healthy and happy and start my 30th year positive. Seeing other transformations really inspired me to do this. Adopting healthy eating and exercise habits wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be! I have young children so I had to be really organised with when I could exercise and I actually looked forward to that time where I was alone. Eating healthy, I was really strict about as I was so determined to get myself off medications and get ...