Weight Loss

Trying to lose weight? Don’t be deceived by the term ‘juice fast'... Considering a glass or bottle of cold-pressed juice can contain up to 1,000 kJ – a juice cleanse won’t necessarily cause rapid weight loss . “People on juice diets might be having litres of juice in a day…it’s a little ridiculous,” says WH&F dietitian on speed-dial Melanie McGrice (melaniemcgrice.com.au). “We actually recommend that people who need to gain weight drink juice because it’s good for you, doesn’t fill you up, and has a high kilojoule content,” she says. Any weight lost during a juice cleanse or detox – think no solids and a few fancy avant-garde powders – is likely to largely comprise water and muscle, not fat. “There are very few fruits or vegetables that contain enough iron to fulfil your daily needs,” McGrice warns. “It would also be hard to get enough vitamin B12, zinc or calcium, not to mention protein.” Trade up to a smoothie A sound way to reconcile the uber-dose of produce made practicable...

  Protein cupcakes are nothing less than totally awesome. These are intensely chocolate and rich. Top them with whatever you like best. Perhaps this salted caramel cream cheese icing? It’s really good. Disclaimer: We won’t pretend this caramel sauce is high in protein or low in sugar, because ... it is caramel. But it contains no refined sugar. The secret here is to harness the naturally occurring sugars in the syrup and the coconut milk to produce a delicious and light alternative that has half the fat of traditional salted caramel. It is also simple to make, delicious, suitable for dairy-free and low FODMAP diets and has a gorgeous aroma! Ingredients (makes 12 standard cupcakes) •    112 g egg whites •    100 g granulated stevia blend (or sugar) •    25 g unsweetened cacao powder •    65 g oat flour (or plain flour) •    65 g rice protein powder •    2.5 g bicarbonate of soda •   ...

  Suffer from pigmentation , discolouration or frown lines? Fraxel skin
 resurfacing helps replace damaged cells. What is fraxel skin
 resurfacing? Fraxel promises to smooth skin tone, soften scars and frown lines and reduce discolouration and pigmentation. The resurfacing laser creates thousands of microscopic treatment zones, inducing the skin’s natural healing process and replacing damaged cells with fresh, youthful-looking skin . What to expect? You will feel a hot prickling sensation before the area is cooled to relieve the discomfort. After the treatment, you may experience redness and swelling, but this diminishes over the next couple of days. The skin will naturally bronze over the next week or two before flaking like sunburn and revealing fresher-looking skin. How many treatments do you need? An average of three to five treatments, spaced about two to four weeks apart, will help the skin gradually improve over the next six months. NEXT: Your guide to dermal fillers>>...

  Want to know exactly what fitness models eat? Cover model Theresa Jenn Lopetrone shares her diet plan. Note: “I usually rotate my protein, vegetables and carbs; except on the weekends I have a glass or two of wine, one to two meals out, and a Quest bar.I may have a slice of cheesecake or go out for a burger and fries or steak dinner, it all depends what I am in the mood for.” 5am: Option A. Smoothie (1 scoop protein, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 scoop greens, 1 tsp maca powder, 1 tbsp chia seeds, ground flax seeds, or hemp hearts, 3/4 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 banana, 2 cups fresh spinach and handful ice. Water and a double espresso. Option B . OR Protein Pancakes – blend 1 scoop protein powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 4.5 egg whites, 1/2 banana, stevia, 16 g walnuts, 2 tbsp 1% cottage cheese, 1/4 cup oats 7:30am 9 egg whites, 1 slice sprouted grain bread. Water and single espresso. 10.30am 12 raw almonds, 1 BabyBel Light cheese, 1 bell pepper. Water and green tea. 12.30pm Extr...

Kass Fraser is our June 2015 BodyBlitz winner. Here, she shares her amazing weight loss story. I first saw the BodyBlitz challenge while flicking through WH&F magazine in my doctor’s waiting room, awaiting my post-operative review and clearance. I had just had another surgery, my seventh reconstructive surgery to my lower organs in four years following life-threatening complications sustained with the delivery of my two children. I had an overwhelming thought of ‘I’m going to do that, that’s me’. In 2010, at 139.8 kg four months after the delivery of my first child, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Having always been physically active prior to pregnancy, my inability to move independently affected my health in all areas of my life and my self-esteem suffered considerably. Finally I was given clearance from my doctor and my physio and I signed up to the challenge. I never anticipated how much this decision would affect my mindset. Being able to s...

Looking for healthy recipes? Try these sweet potato pancakes from cover model Nichelle Laus Ingredients » 250 ml liquid egg whites » 120 g cooked (and mashed) sweet potato* » Cinnamon to taste What you'll do: Blend ingredients for about 10 seconds and pour batter into lightly sprayed pan. Cook on both sides and enjoy! Tip: Be patient and allow to cook thoroughly or it will fall apart. *Substitute pumpkin or cauliflower if desired NEXT: Read about kickboxing with Nichelle or check out some other healthy recipes . {nomultithumb}   Read more ...

Feeling stressed? Simple tweaks to breathing can immeasurably boost wellbeing and reduce stress . Here's how to audit and upgrade your breath for better physical and mental health. Step 1: Breathe from your abdomen To get the most out of each breath, you need to breathe from your belly, says Ros Ben-Moshe, director of Laughlife Wellbeing Programs . "Optimal breathing stems from the abdomen, where a richer inhalation of oxygen and exhalation of carbon dioxide occurs, slowing the heart rate and easing anxiety." She says breathing deeper in this way stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which induces feelings of " peace and calm ". "Interestingly, we begin our lives breathing well, which can be seen watching babies breathing, as they take deep breaths in and out with their abdomen rising and falling, not their chest," Ben-Moshe notes. Somewhere along the way we lose this vital skill of breathing through our tummies, and rely on shallow breathing ...

Robyn Lawley is the face of Pantene , a swimware designer and cookbook author. Here, she tells us how she stays in shape. "I am an Australian size 16, which is really rare in the fashion world," Robyn says. "People don’t understand that models are so, so, so much smaller than I am. I’m trying to spread body love and body positivity because the message can get lost when people are focusing on things like weight loss stories; that’s not what I’m about." Instead of focusing on extreme diet plans , Robyn concentrates on getting fit and healthy. "I think exercise is a really great combat to depression, sadness and generally not feeling good about yourself," she says. "Fitness is where you get your endorphins and how you’re going to make yourself feel empowered. I like kickboxing, swimming and SoulCycle, which is a crazy American trend of cycling in the dark to crazy music. I’m terrible at it. I enjoy yoga as well. "I get into the trends like everyone...