Detox - don't do it!
It's at this time of year (New Year's Eve) when everyone starts guiltily counting up the cost of Christmas in terms of weight gain, bloating and puffy eyes. You may also be thinking of some draconian New Year's resolutions to do with losing ten stone or joining a gym, or going on a detox. My advice? Don't do it!
Of course it's great to put our bodies first, and commit to eating sensibly for 90% of the time. And I do try to do this. But in my experience, joining a gym in January and making some pretty demanding resolutions is a bad idea at this time of year. January is a gloomy month anyway. Don't be too hard on yourself. If you want to resolve to improve some aspect of your life, do it in a gentle way. If you want to lose weight, maybe try to walk 10,000 steps a day using a pedometer -- and if you're still doing it in six weeks, then join a gym because your resolve is good (and you will have lost weight). Or resolve to lose a dress size in six weeks' time. Or resolve to keep a food diary each day, maybe using this great site
As for a detox, complete waste of time. Scientific studies have shown that our bodies are so advanced they can "detox" very effectively on their own even if you've consumed your own body weight in kebabs and steam pudding washed down with a month's alcohol units. Those special detox drinks are nothing but a con, and taste foul. Exponents of detox say you will feel light headed, maybe have spots - all signs the body is expelling waste. Nonsense - it's the cry of help from a body which is being starved and unable to respond effectively to the demands you're making on it.
So don't detox but instead aim to drink a lot of water, avoid pre-packaged foods full of transfats (pies, pastries, biscuits, ready meals) and include at least five portions of fruit and veg in your daily intake.
My own resolutions this year are about continuing to go to aqua aerobics, three times a week, and to walk more. I aim to eat sensibly 90% of the time and have been doing this in general. There were a few lapses over Christmas of course but I was happy to go back to a healthier regime a couple of days ago. I have another resolution which is to go to the theatre/cinema more often, and I'm looking forward to buying some tickets online shortly to make that one come true! It starts tomorrow with a trip to the Tutankhamnun exhibition. Have a Happy New Year!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
The Dangers of Reading Vogue
I am and always have been an inveterate reader of magazines. My first hit was Teddy Bear comic followed by Princess Tina, Pink and Diana when I was a child, moving swiftly on to Jackie, Fab 208, NME, Honey, 19, Over21; flirtations with The Face and Wallpaper and then Cosmopolitan, New Woman, Marie-Claire. Even when I was married I used to secretly buy wedding magazines and swoon over the dresses. And now I get my magazine fix with about six craft magazines a month, monthlies Eve, Red, Delicious and Woman & Home, and occasionally others like House Beautiful, Zest, Easy Living. And very, very rarely: Vogue.
If I'm in a waiting room I usually reach for the Vogue and find myself thinking how interesting some of the articles are, and why don't I ever buy it?
Well, today dear reader, I did buy it. I knew my DH was going to watch The Bourne Ultimatum, and if there's one thing I find very perplexing, it's those Bourne films where Matt Damon seems to travel the world at breakneck speed always being pursued by the CIA or others, for what reason I can never fathom as he never seems to know himself.
Anyway, the only magazine on the shelf I hadn't read, apart from those completely beyond the pale like Prima or Heat, was Vogue. I was so desperate last week I even read OK and Gardeners World.
The thing with Vogue is that it makes me utter this sort of anguished, swoony sound. It's a sort of choked sob. It's because I get this pang because I'll never wear the massive rocks in the jewellery ads, or drive the flash sports cars in the ads or wear the clothes in the ads or features (o0r be thin enough, even if I had the money and/or confidence to walk into one of those shops).
And then there are the parties with ridiculous socialites posing smugly in their Chloe or Gucci clobber. This issue also featured very sickening interviews with three British top models. Lily Cole, all of 19, is buying some glam apartment in Manhattan and frets about having enough space for her clothes. Agyness (whatever happened to Agnes?) Deynes shares her hectic diary where she seems to rush from one party to the next, staying at the Dorchester in between parties (as you do). Sigh. I never went from one party to the next, even when I was their age. God, I'm jealous.
Now, parties are to be dreaded and largely avoided for fear of getting lumbered with someone boring: plus nowadays I rarely get "the glad eye" from anyone which used to make parties worthwhile. For me, the anticipation of a party and the buying of a frock and evening bag is the best bit. Once you've gone in, had the ums-and-ahs for your attire and one or two dances, you might as well go home and see what you taped on Sky Plus.
I am and always have been an inveterate reader of magazines. My first hit was Teddy Bear comic followed by Princess Tina, Pink and Diana when I was a child, moving swiftly on to Jackie, Fab 208, NME, Honey, 19, Over21; flirtations with The Face and Wallpaper and then Cosmopolitan, New Woman, Marie-Claire. Even when I was married I used to secretly buy wedding magazines and swoon over the dresses. And now I get my magazine fix with about six craft magazines a month, monthlies Eve, Red, Delicious and Woman & Home, and occasionally others like House Beautiful, Zest, Easy Living. And very, very rarely: Vogue.
If I'm in a waiting room I usually reach for the Vogue and find myself thinking how interesting some of the articles are, and why don't I ever buy it?
Well, today dear reader, I did buy it. I knew my DH was going to watch The Bourne Ultimatum, and if there's one thing I find very perplexing, it's those Bourne films where Matt Damon seems to travel the world at breakneck speed always being pursued by the CIA or others, for what reason I can never fathom as he never seems to know himself.
Anyway, the only magazine on the shelf I hadn't read, apart from those completely beyond the pale like Prima or Heat, was Vogue. I was so desperate last week I even read OK and Gardeners World.
The thing with Vogue is that it makes me utter this sort of anguished, swoony sound. It's a sort of choked sob. It's because I get this pang because I'll never wear the massive rocks in the jewellery ads, or drive the flash sports cars in the ads or wear the clothes in the ads or features (o0r be thin enough, even if I had the money and/or confidence to walk into one of those shops).
And then there are the parties with ridiculous socialites posing smugly in their Chloe or Gucci clobber. This issue also featured very sickening interviews with three British top models. Lily Cole, all of 19, is buying some glam apartment in Manhattan and frets about having enough space for her clothes. Agyness (whatever happened to Agnes?) Deynes shares her hectic diary where she seems to rush from one party to the next, staying at the Dorchester in between parties (as you do). Sigh. I never went from one party to the next, even when I was their age. God, I'm jealous.
Now, parties are to be dreaded and largely avoided for fear of getting lumbered with someone boring: plus nowadays I rarely get "the glad eye" from anyone which used to make parties worthwhile. For me, the anticipation of a party and the buying of a frock and evening bag is the best bit. Once you've gone in, had the ums-and-ahs for your attire and one or two dances, you might as well go home and see what you taped on Sky Plus.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
The dreaded D word
When I was at my mum's this weekend, she observed that it must be very hard for me to keep the weight off as I still have a very good appetite.
Sadly, that's very true. While I am nowhere near Victoria Beckham's proportions, and never likely to be, I am a couple of stone lighter than I was back in 2004 and I've tried to keep it that way. I'm happy being a normal BMI and size 12. I would love to lose another stone, but it probably isn't going to happen because food is one of the joys of life and I would hate to be on a regime the whole time.
To lose weight, and keep it off, you have to find a system that works for you personally. I went to a class once and hated it, but for some people WeightWatchers and other classes are wonderful. I've tried most of the blockbuster diets but I now realise there's no mystique to it. Calories go in, calories go out. There's a certain number you need for your build and level of activity. It doesn't matter how these calories are consumed. You could eat three Mars bars and be under the limit (although obviously the nutritional value would not be great!). And you could eat an extra Mars bar if you exercised a lot.
So the way that works best for me is calorie counting. This way, I don't need to ban foods. If I want to eat something high in calories occasionally, I can balance it out by lowering my intake the following day.
I like carbs too, particularly potatoes, and I refuse to acknowledge the mumbo-jumbo that is written about carbs. Provided you build your potato intake into your calorie target, there's no reason why you can't eat potatoes. When I lost two and a half stone in 2004, I did it with a jacket potato every day.
Eat too much protein and yes you get thin, but you look older, your breath smells and you lack energy. A balanced diet which includes the right amount of carbs and healthy fat is very important to me.
I find the online calorie counter Nutracheck excellent. First you enter your height, weight, how much activity you have and so on, and it gives you a target date. Then, every day in your food diary you enter the barcodes of many everyday foods from Sainsburys, M&S and so on, and it counts up your fruit and veg portions a day too. It's an excellent educator to guide you into how many calories various things are. And you can also enter the exercise you do, in my case water aerobics, intense effort, three times a week.
Earlier this year, after my Cyprus holiday I realised I was 10 pounds over my preferred weight, and it made a big difference. So I made a concerted effort to lose two pounds a week. Some weeks it happened, others I had to go to business lunches or whatever. The key thing is not to allow a lunch or a dinner to derail you. You can start again the next day.
Christmas poses its own unique challenges. I would love to indulge myself in all my favourite foods: quiche, Scotch eggs, dips, crips, cheese, trifle, dark chocolate - not to mention a huge roast and lots of cocktails. But I find it's better not to be tempted. So I won't be buying most of those things. I suppose it sounds as if Christmas is a bit bleak at my gaff, but we'll still have a big, normal roast, and a small amount of some of the "naughties." But neither of us sees the point in stuffing to excess and then going into the New Year with the miserable task of having to shed pounds. As they say, a minute in the mouth, a month on the hips......
I also find that over indulging leaves me feeling tired and lethargic. I start to crave salads and vegetables. So I plan to cook lots of nutritious meals with healthy ingredients, and will drink plenty of water to offset the schooners of sherry!
When I was at my mum's this weekend, she observed that it must be very hard for me to keep the weight off as I still have a very good appetite.
Sadly, that's very true. While I am nowhere near Victoria Beckham's proportions, and never likely to be, I am a couple of stone lighter than I was back in 2004 and I've tried to keep it that way. I'm happy being a normal BMI and size 12. I would love to lose another stone, but it probably isn't going to happen because food is one of the joys of life and I would hate to be on a regime the whole time.
To lose weight, and keep it off, you have to find a system that works for you personally. I went to a class once and hated it, but for some people WeightWatchers and other classes are wonderful. I've tried most of the blockbuster diets but I now realise there's no mystique to it. Calories go in, calories go out. There's a certain number you need for your build and level of activity. It doesn't matter how these calories are consumed. You could eat three Mars bars and be under the limit (although obviously the nutritional value would not be great!). And you could eat an extra Mars bar if you exercised a lot.
So the way that works best for me is calorie counting. This way, I don't need to ban foods. If I want to eat something high in calories occasionally, I can balance it out by lowering my intake the following day.
I like carbs too, particularly potatoes, and I refuse to acknowledge the mumbo-jumbo that is written about carbs. Provided you build your potato intake into your calorie target, there's no reason why you can't eat potatoes. When I lost two and a half stone in 2004, I did it with a jacket potato every day.
Eat too much protein and yes you get thin, but you look older, your breath smells and you lack energy. A balanced diet which includes the right amount of carbs and healthy fat is very important to me.
I find the online calorie counter Nutracheck excellent. First you enter your height, weight, how much activity you have and so on, and it gives you a target date. Then, every day in your food diary you enter the barcodes of many everyday foods from Sainsburys, M&S and so on, and it counts up your fruit and veg portions a day too. It's an excellent educator to guide you into how many calories various things are. And you can also enter the exercise you do, in my case water aerobics, intense effort, three times a week.
Earlier this year, after my Cyprus holiday I realised I was 10 pounds over my preferred weight, and it made a big difference. So I made a concerted effort to lose two pounds a week. Some weeks it happened, others I had to go to business lunches or whatever. The key thing is not to allow a lunch or a dinner to derail you. You can start again the next day.
Christmas poses its own unique challenges. I would love to indulge myself in all my favourite foods: quiche, Scotch eggs, dips, crips, cheese, trifle, dark chocolate - not to mention a huge roast and lots of cocktails. But I find it's better not to be tempted. So I won't be buying most of those things. I suppose it sounds as if Christmas is a bit bleak at my gaff, but we'll still have a big, normal roast, and a small amount of some of the "naughties." But neither of us sees the point in stuffing to excess and then going into the New Year with the miserable task of having to shed pounds. As they say, a minute in the mouth, a month on the hips......
I also find that over indulging leaves me feeling tired and lethargic. I start to crave salads and vegetables. So I plan to cook lots of nutritious meals with healthy ingredients, and will drink plenty of water to offset the schooners of sherry!
Saturday, December 08, 2007
In search of radiance
One of my friends told me I haven't updated this blog for ages. So here are some suggestions on how we oldies (40+) can find that elusive glow that you take for granted when you're younger.
I quite often look at myself in the mirror and sigh "not exactly radiant!" But there are a few tips and tricks for giving the illusion of smooth glowing skin. The famous Beauty Flash Balm from Clarins, and an equivalent product from Decleor never really worked for me. I find them quite drying and you have to be quick to apply make-up.
If I've got time on my hands, or I'm preparing for a party, then finding radiance can be quite a process. It starts with Elemis's gorgeous Papaya enzyme mask. This is a deliciously scented cream which acts like an exfoliator and gets rid of all the surface dry skin. I don't like exfoliators very much - they are all, to my mind, harsh and drying, but this Elemis product is like a hybrid exfoliator and mask.
I follow that with my beloved Decleor Hydrotenseur eye firming serum (the best eye product I've ever used) and on my skin, Decleor Experience de l'Age moisturizer which claims a triple action for wrinkle correction, firmness and radiance. Well, you can't argue with that, and it certainly feels lovely with a melting velvety texture.
Now for make-up. Women over 40 should always use foundation. Tinted moisturizers don't offer enough cover. I don't like a heavy foundation but I opt for one that gives light to medium coverage and has an illuminating effect, usually by Chanel or Estee Lauder (I love Lucidity). Then I use Yves St Laurent Touche Eclat in areas that need lightening: around the nose, corners of the mouth, the circles under the eyes (but not close to the lashes). Blusher is the final touch, and it needs to be a cream blusher, never powder. I like Nars The Multiple in Portofino. Mascara and lip gloss complete the look, and by now you should be looking fairly radiant!
If time is tight then I rely purely on the Decleor moisturizer and serum, Touche Eclat and blusher.
One of my friends told me I haven't updated this blog for ages. So here are some suggestions on how we oldies (40+) can find that elusive glow that you take for granted when you're younger.
I quite often look at myself in the mirror and sigh "not exactly radiant!" But there are a few tips and tricks for giving the illusion of smooth glowing skin. The famous Beauty Flash Balm from Clarins, and an equivalent product from Decleor never really worked for me. I find them quite drying and you have to be quick to apply make-up.
If I've got time on my hands, or I'm preparing for a party, then finding radiance can be quite a process. It starts with Elemis's gorgeous Papaya enzyme mask. This is a deliciously scented cream which acts like an exfoliator and gets rid of all the surface dry skin. I don't like exfoliators very much - they are all, to my mind, harsh and drying, but this Elemis product is like a hybrid exfoliator and mask.
I follow that with my beloved Decleor Hydrotenseur eye firming serum (the best eye product I've ever used) and on my skin, Decleor Experience de l'Age moisturizer which claims a triple action for wrinkle correction, firmness and radiance. Well, you can't argue with that, and it certainly feels lovely with a melting velvety texture.
Now for make-up. Women over 40 should always use foundation. Tinted moisturizers don't offer enough cover. I don't like a heavy foundation but I opt for one that gives light to medium coverage and has an illuminating effect, usually by Chanel or Estee Lauder (I love Lucidity). Then I use Yves St Laurent Touche Eclat in areas that need lightening: around the nose, corners of the mouth, the circles under the eyes (but not close to the lashes). Blusher is the final touch, and it needs to be a cream blusher, never powder. I like Nars The Multiple in Portofino. Mascara and lip gloss complete the look, and by now you should be looking fairly radiant!
If time is tight then I rely purely on the Decleor moisturizer and serum, Touche Eclat and blusher.
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