SPRING
BODY
RESET
TONE YOUR ABS,
ARMS AND BUTT WITH
ONE EASY WORKOUT!

12

Delicious
MetabolismBoosting
Foods

MEET THE
SURPRISING
NEW PMS FIX
THE FUTURE OF
FITNESS TECH
SCIENCE-BACKED
SKINCARE,
FROM $23
FAST, FILLING
SANDWICH
COMBOS

Shay
#-!w&

On Motherhood,
Motivation And How
Exercise Changed
Her Life Forever

THE

POWER
ISSUE
FIRE UP YOUR

FITNESS
UPGRADE YOUR
ENERGY
BOOST YOUR
NUTRITION
MAX YOUR
MINDSET
Genius
hacks,
direct from
wellness
experts

WHAT EVERY
(FIT) WOMAN
SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT THEIR
HEART HEALTH

ECCO ZIPFLEX

As bold as
you are
#MovesLikeYou

Looking
good,
feeling
greener
CO
EC

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LI
.1
ST

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TO
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BE
EM
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P
SE

Our shoes and leather goods
are ethically made. Always.
For more on the steps we’re
taking, visit au.ecco.com/
explore-ecco/sustainability

contents

26
The truth
about CBD

100
The future
of fitness
tech is here

13 The latest health

LIFE ETC
43 The art of

and wellbeing news

the comeback

BEST BODY

How to embrace
failure and bounce
back even stronger

23 Build your
best butt

A scorching workout
for major glute gains

26 Why

everyone’s talking
about CBD
The CBD situation
in Oz has changed –
here’s the lowdown

30 Mind games
With the spotlight
on athlete mental
health, four champs
share how they look
after their minds

34 Should I eat
according to
my cycle?
Use nutrition to help
you tackle PMS and
cramps. Ahh, relief

36 Lifting the
muscle myths
Outsmart gym-bro
wisdom to maximise
your fitness session

40 Recovery
reboo

Meet percu
massagers – you
new recovery BFF

48 Where have

my friends gone?
A nostalgic writer
revisits her past
friendships to see if
they can be rebuilt

52 Beyond the

Keep Cup

Eco-friendly moves
to take your green
game next level

54 Ahead of
the game

Explore the social,
mental and physical
benefits of gaming

BEAUTY
BRIEF
59 Body talk
Show the skin on
your body some love
with this kit and intel

64 Skin science

124
FEATURES
76 The heart doc
will see you now
Join us on a mission
to take our heart
health seriously –
starting right now

82 The Shay way
Cover star Shay
Mitchell talks fitness,
family and finding
her new normal

88 Rev your plate
Metabolism-firing,
performance-lifting
edibles to help you
smash your goals

94 Power moves
The secret to moving
like a superhero for
years to come? This
power training sesh

100 The future
From intuitive shoes
to smart menus,
a glimpse of what’s
just down the road

106 Getting
back in touch

68 The new

We explore the
connection between

sports luxe

physical contact
and your happiness

FOOD HUB
115 Weeknight
winners
From schnitty to
tacos, get creative
with these supermoreish dishes

122 4 ways with
sandwiches

Sangas have had a
rebrand – as these
nutritious flavour
bombs prove

124 Energy eats
Battery-boosting
recipes to put
that pep back in
your step, fast!

REGULARS
6 The WH team

of fitness tech

Boost your skincare
IQ with these epic
power couples.
You’re welcome!

Ace your daily
capsule wardrobe
with these hot new
ath

Energyrevving
power
plates

7 Ed’s note
8 Ask WH
112 Subscribe to WH
114 The winners’ list
130 Our kinda girl...

36
Fit myths,
busted

4 wom ens h ea l th .co m. a u S E PTE MB ER 2 021

PHOTOGR APHY: STEVEN CHEE. ST YLING: CHARLOT TE STOKES
HAIR AND MAKE UP: JOEL PHILLIPS. MODEL: ANNA K @ CHIC

DISCUSS

On the
cover
94
88
34
100
64
122

SPRING
BODY
RESET
TONE YOUR ABS,
ARMS AND BUTT WITH
ONE EASY WORKOUT!

12

Delicious
MetabolismBoosting
Foods

MEET THE
SURPRISING
NEW PMS FIX
THE FUTURE OF
FITNESS TECH
SCIENCE-BACKED
SKINCARE,
FROM $23
FAST, FILLING
SANDWICH
COMBOS

Shay
#-!w&

82

On Motherhood,
Motivation And How
Exercise Changed
Her Life Forever

THE

POWER
ISSUE
FIRE UP YOUR

FITNESS
ENERGY
BOOST YOUR
NUTRITION
MAX YOUR
MINDSET
UPGRADE YOUR

Genius
hacks,
direct from
wellness
experts

WHAT EVERY
(FIT) WOMAN
SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT THEIR
HEART HEALTH

76

68
Hot sports luxe
looks that work
in the gym and
well beyond it

Aje Athletica
long belted
windbreaker
jacket, $275;
SIR. kelvin
halter jumpsuit,
$280; Asics
cricket elite
socks, $30;
New Balance
trainers, $180

5

getting it done
SPRING
BODY
RESET

Shay
#-!w&

On Motherhood,
Motivation And How
Exercise Changed
Her Life Forever

TONE YOUR ABS,
ARMS AND BUTT WITH
ONE EASY WORKOUT!

12

THE

Delicious
MetabolismBoosting
Foods

POWER
ISSUE
FIRE UP YOUR

FITNESS
UPGRADE YOUR
ENERGY
BOOST YOUR
NUTRITION
MAX YOUR
MINDSET

MEET THE
SURPRISING
NEW PMS FIX

What gives you the
ultimate power boost?

Cover star
Shay Mitchell

Marissa Foye
Contributing Designer
Nikolina Ilic
Digital Content Editor

Photography
Dennis Leupold
Styling
Monica Rose

“A boxing
session.
Getting in the
ring and
hitting pads
with my coach
makes me feel
invincible.”

Jessica Campbell
Digital Content Writer

Iantha Yu
Contributing Beauty Editor

Global Editions/
Editors-in-Chief

Alistair Watchorn
Digital Imaging

Ian Brooks
Chief Executive Officer
Lloyd O’Harte
Executive Director
Natalie Ward
National Brand Manager

“Pole dancing
is my power
move. It’s
made me so
strong, and I
love nailing
new tricks
in 7” heels.”

Rachel Sullivan
National Partnerships
& Integration Manager
Jordan Lozina
Partnerships & Integration Manager

6

CHINA
Chen Ming
GERMANY
Franziska Bruchhagen
JAPAN
Kiriko Kagayema
THE NETHERLANDS
Milou Turpijn
POLAND
Aneta Martynów
SPAIN
Mónica Martínez
UK
Claire Sanderson
USA
Liz Plosser

Chris Mathews
Partnerships & Integration Manager
Julia Pascale
Content Activations Coordinator

Julie Hughes
Subscription Manager
subscribe@paragonmedia.com.au

14/174 Willoughby Road
Crows Nest NSW 2062
Ph: (02) 9439 1955

womenshealth.com.au/subscribe
Women’s Health acknowledges the Cammeraygal
people, Traditional Custodians of the land
on which this publication is produced, and
pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
We extend that respect to all Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Published and distributed by
Paragon DCN Pty Ltd by permission
of Hearst Magazines, Inc, New York,
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America. All content © 2021
Paragon DCN Pty Ltd, all rights
reserved. Reproduction without
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PHOTOGR APHY:JAMES SENEVIR ANTE/ THE COOP.
STILL-LIFE PHOTOGR APHY: JOHN RINTOUL.

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Creative Services

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Women’s Health is proud to support
Aussie women in sport year-round
and in every monthly print edition

Shay wears
ERES SWIMSUIT; LOREN
STEWART EARRING (FIRST
HOOP) AND RINGS (RIGHT
HAND AND LEFT HAND, MIDDLE);
L ADY GRE Y EARRING (SECOND
HOOP) AND RING (LEFT
HAND, TOP AND BOT TOM)

Debi Chirichella
President
Kim St. Clair Bodden
SVP/Editorial
& Brand Director
Chloe O’Brien
Deputy Brands Director

Hannah Warren
Sub Editor

WO M E N I N S P O RT

WHAT EVERY
(FIT) WOMAN
SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT THEIR
HEART HEALTH

Lizza Gebilagin
Executive Editor

Zara Cronin
Contributing Designer

WinS

Genius
hacks,
direct from
wellness
experts

FAST, FILLING
SANDWICH
COMBOS

On the cover

Alex Davies
Features Editor

Want a fresh batch of
WH-approved picks?
Head straight to p68
for more style inspo.
Meet your ultimate
new-season kicks,
the Ecco, BIOM 2.0
trainers, $249.95.

SCIENCE-BACKED
SKINCARE,
FROM $23

Jacqui Mooney
Editor & Content Director

Amanda McCourt
Art Director

“Playing tennis.
Hitting a good
overhead
smash always
makes me
feel powerful.”

THE FUTURE OF
FITNESS TECH

,
s
t
r
a
t
s
h
s
e
r
F
s
g
n
i
n
n
i
g
e
b
new
“Leap and the net will appear” has
always been one of my favourite
mantras. It’s also a philosophy
almost every power woman I admire
seems to live by, both personally
and professionally. The simple but
powerful thinking behind it? That on
the other side of every bold move
and brave decision lies something
truly great, and the kind of unlimited
potential we can only find when we
have the courage to really test and
challenge ourselves. It seems to
be a recurring theme right around
the world, as a growing number
of trailblazers – from health and
wellness seekers to business leaders
and entrepreneurs – rewrite the
rules of what’s possible, in genuinely
exciting and innovative ways.
It’s also something I’ve found
to be true time and time again.
I’ve been lucky enough to lead this
powerhouse brand in Australia
for the past five years, and to say
it’s been the most rewarding
job I’ve had during the two
decades I’ve worked in
media would be a serious
understatement. I’ve had the
chance to work with some of
the most talented content creators
in the game. Craft unforgettable
shoots, tell incredibly powerful
stories and enjoy days in the
office that were so much fun it was
almost criminal to call them work.
Just a few of countless standout
moments? Launching Celeb
Sweats, Secret Sweats,
our podcast series,
Uninterrupted, and
WH Talks – where
we turned the
foyer of the
Sydney Opera
House into
our own private

yoga studio – all in the space of six
months. (Yep, 2018 was one wild
year.) Having the chance to work up
a sweat with 600 of you at Fit Night
Out, three times! Flying to Byron
Bay with much-loved brother brand
Men’s Health to shoot Elsa Pataky
and Chris Hemsworth for a global
exclusive that ran on our March 2019
cover, and in 22 countries around
the world. And to this day, I’ll forever
be proud of making television
history for our game-changing
athletes when the Women’s Health
Women in Sport Awards was
beamed into lounge rooms across
the country in October 2018.
It’s been beyond an honour and
a privilege to lead this truly special
brand. But with Women’s Health
now successfully relaunched onto
Aussie newsstands, now feels like
the right time to make my own
metaphorical leap, explore new
opportunities and pass the baton
on, literally! Next month, you’ll
meet WH’s new Editor and Content
Director. And I’m thrilled to say this
amazing community of women
couldn’t be in safer hands. In the
meantime, thank you from the
bottom of my heart to every single
person who’s been a part of this
journey over the past five years.
I couldn’t be more grateful for it
and will be cheering madly from
the sidelines as Women’s Health
Oz starts its next exciting chapter.

Jacqui Mooney
Editor & Content Director

SEPT EM B ER 2021 wo menshe alt h.com .a u 7

Lift the
confusion

I’ve started
exercising
but I’m
gaining
weight.
What gives?
The most
likely explanation is
that all your workouts
have increased your
appetite. “When you
burn more [kilojoules],
your body wants to
compensate for this
loss by eating more,”
explains dietitian Torey
Armul. Indeed, a 2019
study in the Journal Of
Clinical Nutrition found
that people tend to
lose less weight than
expected when they
exercise because of
increased appetite
and the resulting extra
kilojoules consumed.
Armul advises doing
some dietary analysis
to check the kilojoules
coming in aren’t
dwarfing the ones
Answer

8

you’re burning. Watch
out for sugar-laden
pre- and post-workout
snacks, keeping
yours to fruit, vegies,
complex carbs, lean
protein and healthy
fats – and focus on
portion control at
dinner. Consider
mixing up your
training, too. “Lifting
weights tends not
to boost appetite as
much as cardio, and
it increases resting
metabolic rate by
building lean muscle
mass,” says Armul.
Essentially, embrace
weights during
workouts and you’ll
burn kilojoules even
when you’re lounging
on the couch. Smart.

Ask
Women’s Health
We asked so you don’t have to

How likely
am I to get
from the
withdrawal
method?
While people have been
using this method for
millennia, it’s been with
varying success. In the game
of unplanned conception
roulette, the likelihood
of you falling pregnant is
determined by your partner,
who needs to be relied upon
to know exactly when he’s
about to climax – and
withdraw with haste. “The
big issue is that a number
of men are unable to
accurately identify when
ejaculation is imminent,”
warns sexual health
consultant Dr Naomi Sutton.
Oh, and a study in Human
Fertility suggests sperm is
present in the pre-ejaculate
of around four in 10 blokes.
So even if your bedfellow is
in touch with his manhood,
there’s still a real risk of
pregnancy. Save yourself
a lot of stress and a fortune
on Clearblue with a more
reliable contraceptive.

S EPTEM BER 2021 womens heal t h.co m. au 9

What’s firing up the wellness world?

+IůWů)Tū)R
This free social fitness
app is all about keeping
workouts fun and fresh.
Create video mashups of
yourself breaking a
sweat and take inspo
from clips of other
exercisers. Steppen.fit;
available on iOS.

1Iũ3ů)Gţ
Technology to support
those in menopause is
on the rise – from the
in-development Grace
(a bracelet that detects
and cools hot flushes)
to the Stella app, which
offers personalised
meno support. Watch
this (femtech) space.

)]ŠŴoGa
Peepers feeling all those
video calls? The idea
of eye yoga is to help
soothe stress and relieve
symptoms of eye strain.
Find free moves online
– we’ll see you there.

4PŜ8I9TŢ6Eş)
Our new food goal?
Cutting down on prep
time while still getting
creative. Give it a go
tonight with a packet
of Tilda’s microwave
steamed rice and the Hot
Greek Salad-ish recipe
on p119. You’re welcome.

&Eů,WŞ%TŤ2Ţ
Think: all those pictureperfect soak set-ups you
see on Instagram. We
say: worry less about the
photo and more about
whatever floats your
relaxation boat. Bath
oils, candles and a tea
in the tub, come at us.

10

Can I train
outdoors
and still get
results?
Answer

Just as you
can make gains in your
gym or lounge room,
so, too, can you lift
and lunge in the great
outdoors. By all means,
drag your kettlebells
and resistance bands
to the nearest green
space. But know that
you can achieve serious
results with some
bodyweight training
alone. Research by the
University of Aarhus
found that it nurtures 6
per cent more strength
than standard weight
training. “Think jump
squats and burpees,”
explains PT Andrew
Mitchison. “These
explosive exercises
maximise your muscles
by targeting their
fast-twitch fibres.” If
fat loss is your goal, an
outdoor run beats the
treadmill, too. A lack
of wind resistance
means those on the
latter need to push 15
per cent harder to burn
the same number of
kilojoules, according
to a University of Milan
study. Bonus: you’ll
reap bone- and muscleboosting vitamin D
from the sun’s rays.
What a bright idea.

Will
spraying
perfume
on my neck
age it
quicker?

Ask
Women’s Health
We asked so you don’t have to

HOW CAN I
MAKE MY
HAIR GROW
FASTER?
Answer

Mane
event

Sadly,
perfume may age
your décolletage.
“The skin here
is much thinner
than other
areas, with little
underlying fat,
which is crucial
in nourishing and
hydrating skin,”
says cosmetic
practitioner Dr
Toni Phillips.
This means it’s
at risk from the

PHOTOGR APHY: GREGORY REID/GALLERYSTOCK;
LUCK Y IF SHARP; HENDRIK AL AIDA

Answer

dehydrating
chemicals in
many perfumes.
“They can
interfere with skin
barrier function,
leading to
premature ageing
over time,” adds
Phillips. Eau de
no thanks. Try
applying to your
wrists, which
have thicker
subcutaneous
fat (read: are

hardier against
premature
ageing) and are
usually washed
more often,
lowering the risk
of irritation and
dehydration.
Spritzing from
further away
or aiming at
your hairline
are options, as
is swapping to
a perfumed
body lotion.

This one is more
down to DNA than DIY masks.
Still, there are ways to
encourage it. “On average,
hair grows half an inch a
month,” says Anabel Kingsley,
trichologist at Philip Kingsley.
“Your hair is sensitive to
general health, wellbeing and
diet and, as a non-essential
tissue, it gets last dibs on any
nutrients you take in.” That
means you need to eat a diet
rich in protein, iron and
complex carbs to keep your
hair well fed. As the site of
production, your scalp is
where haircare matters most.
“A healthy scalp helps to
support optimal hair growth,
while flaking is known to
cause, or worsen, fallouts,”
adds Kingsley. Try a weekly
exfoliating scalp mask to
remove dead skin cells and
help keep strands strong. For
afro-textured hair especially,
protective styling is key for
growth, says Trepadora Curl
Therapy founder Keisha Jo
Lawler. “Styles like twists,
braiding or buns help protect
your ends from wind, friction
and daily manipulation.”

SEPT E MB ER 2021 womenshe alth.com. au 11

Juicy news. Shareable stats. Convo starters

Bright
spark

COMPILED BY ALEX DAVIES.
PHOTOGR APHY: SAM BISSO/ TRUNK ARCHIVE

DIAL UP
YOUR
SUNNY
SIDE
Half-full crew, you’ve
got company. Turns out
we humans tend to be
optimistic throughout
most of our lives.
Research reveals that
even hard events like
deaths or divorce
don’t really shake our
outlooks about the
future, suggesting
many people really do
believe that life is short
and to be made the
most of. Focus on small,
positive goals to access
your inner optimist.
SOURCE: MICHIGAN STATE
UNIVERSIT Y

13

2

PEOPLE WHO TRY THIS
MANY (OR MORE)
DIFFERENT KINDS OF
WORKOUT EACH MONTH
MAY BE MORE LIKELY
TO HIT THEIR EXERCISE
GOALS. THIS ECHOES
PREVIOUS RESEARCH,
WHICH REVEALED THAT
VARYING WORKOUTS
CAN HELP BOOST YOUR
CHANCES OF STICKING
TO A FITNESS ROUTINE.
SOURCE: NYU RORY ME YERS
COLLEGE OF NURSING

DO LO-FI
YO G A ,
NIX
B AC K
PA I N

COMPILED BY ALEX DAVIES. PHOTOGR APHY: MILLES STUDIO/STOCKSY; LEO ACKER .

Power
pose

Body
Pump

Nursing a lower-back
niggle? Allow us to suggest
you hit the mat. Not for
anything super intense,
though, just some gentle
yoga or even tai chi . A new
review of studies has found
that these gentle practices
not only calm the brain, but
also soothe a sore spine.
Researchers noted that
regular doses of yoga were
effective in reducing back
pain, while those who
practised tai chi eased the
intensity of their bad back
and also felt less bothered
by it afterwards. Moving
meditation: it makes sense.
SOURCE: HOLISTIC NURSING PRACTICE

Keeping active while pregnant?
Hear this: a recent study in Nature
Metabolism revealed that moderate exercise
– a daily walk will do – in pregnancy increases
levels of a compound called 3SL in breast milk,
which is believed to reduce bub’s lifelong risk
of obesity and diabetes. Sweet news indeed.
S E PTE MB ER 2021 wo me ns hea lth.com . au 15

200

IS
S
MS
ES
S
AS
ED TO
RISK
S
PING
G
BE
BETES
E E .
N IS
S
UT,
OILY
LY
H
TS
INCLUDING
MEGA
3, CALCIUM
N D,
OR H
ORT
Y UR
YO
R
IIN
N
S A,
ST
AS A TOAST
ON
O
N
YOUR NEXT
BARBECUE.

Let’s
Hear
It For
Sprouts
Make room for this humble cruciferous hero.
A fascinating Edith Cowan University study has
revealed that consuming the likes of broccoli
and Brussels sprouts more often is linked with
lower levels of blood vessel disease in women.
Scientists think it’s due to their vitamin K content,
which may inhibit calcification (accumulation
of mineral deposits) in vessels. So plate up!

16 wo m en sh ea lt h.co m .a u S E PTE MB E R 202 1

AL

SE
HE
TE
TE
tha
hatt
ina
na –
gue
u s’
s
y ur
yo
rs at
ta
atee
tha
h t
ab
bit
itss
wor
ok
n xt
ne
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ucch
igh
ghtt
gh
verin
ng,
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ext
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he
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seed
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ace
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PHOTO
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U N LEE

SOURCE:
NUTRITION

e n' tuna
c
i
R

a

post
n
i
y
d
a
re utes
min

Feed your muscles in minutes with Tilda ready to heat rice.
With a range of delicious gluten-free, vegan friendly flavours,
they’re the perfect post-workout fuel up.
Available now at Woolworths.

elevate your plate @tildariceau

What’s our
favourite
fragrance
note?
A

4SŲ(Iŭ=

B

Woo(]

C

'Mů6YŮ

ANSWER: A
After a new scent and not
sure where to start? Turns
out most women prefer
powdery notes, according
to a new survey of the
most popular fragrances.
Think: ingredients that
offer a clean, soapy smell,
such as vanilla, musk or iris.
Sound good? Then try Santa
Maria Novella Iris EDC, $198.
SOURCE: ONBUY.COM

high

Juicy
Vibes

In preparation for summer, we’re
dousing our hair in watermelon.
“It accentuates natural movement
and adds shine,” says expert stylist
Barney Martin. “Watermelon
also helps to promote collagen
formation for healthy growth.”
Try Garnier Fructis Volumising
Watermelon Hair Food, $10.99, and
R+Co Dreamhouse Cold Pressed
Watermelon Wave Spray, $48.

18

o men sh e al t h.co m .a u SEP T EM B

NAILED
IT
We’re all for ’90s beauty
trends making a
comeback (we see you,
hair clips and brown lip
liner). The latest one
enjoying a revival? Nail
stickers. Flowerbed
Nails Launch Party
Collection Drop 001,
$15, features designs
including chillis, smiley
faces and cherries.
Consider them the cutest
– and quickest – way to
jazz up bare nails.

WORDS: IANTHA YU. PHOTOGR APHY: MAT T HAW THORNE:
STILL LIFE: JOHN RINTOUL; SUPPLIED

Watermelon
sugar

ISUZU

MU-X

THE ALL-NEW 7-SEAT ISUZU
MU-X HAS ARRIVED.
The All-New Isuzu MU-X has arrived on Australian shores.
With exquisite styling that combines a commanding
presence with a sophisticated and spacious cabin.
Coupled with the latest technology, including a generous
infotainment display with Android Auto™ and wireless
Apple CarPlay®. Plus exceptional safety with the Isuzu
Intelligent Driver Assistance System#. The 7-seat Isuzu
MU-X is fully equipped for whatever life throws at you.
The All-New Isuzu MU-X – EXTRAORDINARY.

ALL-NEW MU-X
Apple CarPlay is a trademark of Apple Inc. Android Auto is a trademark of Google LLC. Not all devices will be compatible & functionality will vary depending on the device. #IDAS features are designed to assist the driver, but should not be relied upon nor used as a substitute for safe driving practices.

LEGGINGS
EMPOWERING YOUR WORKOUT
REINFORCED BOOTY LAYER • ENGINEERED PANELS • CORE SUPPORT
FOR ADDED CONFIDENCE DURING YOUR WORKOUT
Instore + online — lornajane.com.au
@lornajaneactive @ljclarkson

Global
gains

DAILY BATHS HAVE
BEEN LINKED TO THIS
PERCENTAGE LOWER RISK
OF CARDIOVASCULAR
DISEASE, ALONG WITH
A 26 PER CENT LOWER
RISK OF STROKE.
RESEARCHERS FOUND
THAT BATHING BOOSTS
‘HAEMODYNAMIC
FUNCTION’ – THE WAY
BLOOD IS PUMPED
AROUND THE BODY.
GOOD TO KNOW YOUR
SELF-CARE SOAK COMES
SCIENCE BACKED, EH?
SOURCE: HEART

PHOTOGR APHY: ADAM VOORHES; SHUT TERSTOCK

SMART
MOUTH

Who
Runs the
World?

In the words of Queen B, girls! Scientists
researching the Mosuo tribe of south-west
China found that women in its matriarchal
villages (where grandmothers are the heads
of households) have lower blood pressure
and fewer inflammatory proteins than those
in similar, but patriarchal, villages. More proof
women being in charge is a win for health.

With so much focus on
the gut microbiome, it’s
easy to forget that your
mouth also has an
ecosystem of teeny-tiny
bacteria (more than 700
species!) keeping it
healthy. “The oral
microbiome is the
second-largest microbial
community in the body,”
says holistic dentist Gerry
Curatola. (Your digestive
system is number one.)
The clever organisms
regulate inflammation in
your mouth, strengthen
teeth and carry cellnourishing oxygen to your
gums. Like the ones in
your gut, these need TLC
to thrive. That’s why
Curatola recommends
nixing alcohol-containing
mouthwash, which makes
your mouth acidic and
kills critters that call it
home. For extra credit, try
cutting back on refined
carbs and sugar; they
have the same effect.

SOURCE: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE S

S EP TEMB ER 2 02 1 wom en sh ealt h.co m.a u 2 1

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23

Build
Your
Best Butt
Lower-body gains − guaranteed
By Kirsti Buick

Challenging – but make it fun.
This is PT Meggan Grubb’s MO
when it comes to designing
workouts for her clientele of
thousands. And whether she’s
creating a session for herself
or her app Beyond, the trainer
starts with the same functional
strength fundamentals.
“My priorities when putting a
workout together are for it to be
intense and effective, so I include
varied techniques and adjustments
to moves – like pulses and pauses
– to ensure that it’s challenging,”
she says. “But I also want it to
be a session you’ll really enjoy.”
24

In this exclusive lower-body
workout Grubb has designed for
Women’s Health, you’ll be working
your glutes, hamstrings, quads
and core. “The circuit has minimal
rest to keep you focused and get
your heart rate up, leaving you
sweaty and your muscles burning.”
Want to know Grubb’s top tip
for lower-body gains? “The mindmuscle connection is key. Think
about the muscles you’re using as
you squeeze them. It sounds silly,
but it makes such a difference.”
Alright, do you hear that,
glutes? We’re coming after you.

wo rko ut

A
A

NEED
TO
KNOW

A

B

01

Do each
move for 40
secs, resting
for 20 secs
before
moving on.
Do the circuit
four times,
resting for
1 to 2 mins
between
rounds.

02

It’s safe to do
this workout
twice a week,
but avaoid
doing it on
consecutive
days. “I’d
suggest
including
some
upper-body
and full-body
days, too,”
says Grubb.

B

B

B-STANCE HIP THRUST
TARGETS: Glutes, hamstrings, quads
DO: 20 secs on each side
(A) Sit in front of a bench, with
your right leg slightly in front of
your left. Lift your right toes so
you’re resting on the heel. Lean
back so your shoulders are resting
on the bench and position the
dumbbell (if using) on your hips.
(B) Drive your hips up until your
thighs are parallel to the floor.
Squeeze your glutes at the top of
the move before lowering your hips
slowly back down. Switch sides.

SUMO-STANCE
GLUTE BRIDGE

BULGARIAN SPLIT
SQUAT PAUSE

TARGETS: Hamstrings, glutes
and your whole lower back
DO: 40 secs in total
(A) Lie on your back with your
knees bent, feet wide and toes
turned out. Weight on your hips.
(B) Resting your weight in your
heels, lifting your toes off the floor,
drive your hips up, squeezing your
glutes at the top of the move.
Lower back down. You can add
a resistance band around your
thighs to boost the intensity.

TARGETS: Glutes, hamstrings
and the good ‘ol quads
DO: 20 secs on each side
(A) Start in a lunge, with your right
foot elevated on a bench and the
weight held at about chest height.
(B) Bend your left knee to lower,
keeping your knee in line with your
foot. Pause for 2 secs, then drive
up to standing through your heel.
To turn up the burn, move your
front foot slightly further away.
Repeat, and then switch sides.

A

PHOTOGR APHY: K ATIE THOMPSON/GALLERY STOCK; MEGGAN GRUB

03

You can do
this workout
with or
without
weights. “I’ve
used a
dumbbell in
the session,
which you
can easily
replace with
something
from your
home, like a
backpack full
of books,”
says Grubb,
who adds
that you’ll
still work
your muscles
if you choose
not to add
weight.

A
A
B

B

B

SUMO SQUAT
TARGETS: Glutes, quads
and your adductor muscles
DO: 40 secs
(A) Stand with your feet wide and
toes slightly turned out, holding
the weight between your legs.
(B) Keeping your core tight and
chest lifted, bend your knees and
lower your bum back and down
into a squat position. Pause briefly,
then push through your heels to
return to the starting position.

CURTSY LUNGE

CROSS-OVER KICKBACK

TARGETS: Glutes, quads
DO: 40 secs
(A) Holding the weight just below
your chin, stand with your feet
hip-width apart. Step your right leg
diagonally behind you, but aim to
keep your hips facing forwards.
(B) Bend your knees to lower into a
lunge. Push through your left heel
to return to standing, then step
your right foot forwards again to
return to the start. Repeat on the
other side. Alternate for 40 secs,
finishing with your left leg behind
you (it might mean an extra rep!).

TARGETS: Glutes, hamstrings
DO: 40 secs
(A) Start in tabletop position on
your hands and knees, keeping your
back flat. Lift your right foot and
drive the heel up towards the ceiling,
keeping a slight bend in the knee,
squeezing your glutes as you go.
(B) Lower your right leg back down
to cross over your left, tapping your
toes to the floor, then bring it back to
tabletop and repeat with the left leg.
Keep alternating for 40 secs. Make
sure you do the same number of
reps on each leg. Burn: complete. wh

SEPT EMB E R 2 02 1 wome n shea lt h.co m.a u 2 5

Why
Everyone’s
Talking
About
CBD
After making wellness waves
around the world, CBD – a form
of medical cannabis – is now
available over the counter here.
Racing to the shop? Not so fast…
By Kate Symons

If Kim Kardashian spruiks a product, the
world pays attention. So, when the ultimate
influencer claimed CBD “saved [her] life”
in 2019, ears everywhere pricked up. She’s
not the only one singing its praises: fellow
A-listers Alessandra Ambrosio, Jennifer
Aniston, Mandy Moore and Olivia Wilde are
also on board this thriving wellness train.
A form of medicinal cannabis, CBD is
gaining traction for its purported calming
effects. It’s infiltrated the fitness industry,
too, thanks to claims its anti-inflammatory
properties can aid post-workout recovery,
relieve aches and pains, and enhance blood
flow. And the hype is real, with everything
from active wear and pillowcases to potato
chips and nail polish infused with CBD
now on the wellbeing market overseas.
As for the science, studies back CBD
as effective, although rather than looking
at wellness, they tend to focus on specific
ailments such as chronic pain, anxiety,
depression, PTSD, epilepsy, insomnia and
arthritis. Regardless, it’s big business.
Valued at $3.7 billion in 2020, the global
CBD market is tipped to see a year-on-year
growth of more than 21 per cent to 2028.
26

Proof is
in the
plant

he a lth re p o r t

46
The percentage
of Aussies who
use medical
cannabis by
accessing it
illicitly
SOURCE: CANNABIS AS
MEDICINE SURVE Y 2018

In Small
CBD Doses
So, what are we
talking about here?
Short for cannabidiol,
CBD is a naturally
occurring compound
found in the cannabis
plant. Unlike THC, or
tetrahydrocannabinol,
CBD has no psychoactive
effects. In other words, it
doesn’t give you a high.
Both cannabinoids
have been available in
Australia since medicinal
cannabis was legalised by
the Federal Government
in 2016, but only via
prescription. That is
until February 1 of this
year, when CBD was
down-scheduled from
Schedule 4 (prescription
medicine) to Schedule
3 (pharmacist-only
medicine) by the
Therapeutic Goods
Administration (TGA).

Now, it’s legal to purchase
products containing
low-dose CBD (150mg
or less) over the counter.
But you can stick a pin in
any plans to pop to your
local pharmacy. While
CBD may be legal, it’s not
actually available. How
come? There are currently
no products approved
for sale by the Australian
Register of Therapeutic
Goods (ARTG). Oh.
“The way it’s set up is
that the companies that
supply these products
have to go and run
clinical trials to prove
their CBD is effective
at that dose range [of
150mg],” says Professor
Iain McGregor, academic
director of Sydney
University’s Lambert
Initiative for Cannabinoid
Therapeutics. “At the
moment, there is very
little evidence that CBD at
150mg or less is useful.”
Certainly, clinical trials
have shown CBD to be
effective for various
conditions, just never
at that specific dose. A
few examples: results of
a landmark trial published
in The New England
Journal of Medicine in

“We expect up
to as many as 1.2
million Australians
to benefit from
cannabis therapy
over the next
couple of years”
S EPTEM BER 2021 wo me ns heal th.com .au 27

he a lth re p o r t

2017 showed that CBD
indisputably reduced
seizures in childhood
epilepsy; while a 2015
New York University
School of Medicine
study discovered that
CBD helps reduce
anxiety behaviours
relevant to multiple
disorders, including
generalised anxiety
disorder and PTSD.
Still, many studies
and organisations,
including the Australian
Medical Association,
have called for more
advanced research,
which is exactly what’s
happening through
the Lambert Initiative.
Established in 2015, this
program is all about
discovering, developing
and optimising safe and
effective cannabinoid
therapeutics. Given
there are more than
100 cannabinoids in
the cannabis plant, the
potential is huge. “It
could well be that other
parts of the plant that
haven’t been discovered
yet are magic bullets
for pancreatic cancer or
brain tumours or more
severe forms of pain [for

69
Around this
percentage
of medical
cannabis
prescriptions
in Oz relate to
chronic
pain conditions
SOURCE: DR MARK HARDY,
MEDICAL DIREC TOR OF CA CLINIC S

example],” McGregor
explains, adding that
“we owe it to ourselves
to properly unlock the
potential of the plant.”

Going by
the Book
Right now, CBD and
THC are the two lawful,
pharmaceutical-grade
cannabinoids in Australia.
These are available
across three classes:
CBD isolate (contains
no other cannabinoids);
broad-spectrum CBD
(contains small amounts
of other cannabinoids,
but not THC); and full-

spectrum CBD (contains
small amounts of other
cannabinoids, including
THC). They come in
various forms (think:
oils, gels, gummies) with
more than 200 products
available over here today.
As it stands, these can
be accessed with a script
via specialised clinics or
a virtual consultation with
CDA Express, Australia’s
only CBD delivery
service. Dr Ben Jansen,
one of the country’s
leading advocates of
medicinal cannabis, says
although CBD has lifechanging potential,
it should definitely not
be treated as a cure-all.
“If you are thinking
about using any
medicine, and that
includes any medicinal
cannabis product, you
should look at yourself
in a holistic way and
consider it as a possible
therapy among all other
possible therapies,” he
explains. “Weigh up the
risks and benefits … [and]
have a proper discussion
with your doctor.”

As founder and clinical
director of CDA Health,
the holding company
for CDA Express among
others, Jansen says he’s
been privy to a changing
attitude towards
medicinal cannabis in this
country. “The barriers are
coming down and we can
see that the uptake has
been generally positive,”
he says. “We expect up
to as many as 1.2 million
Australians to benefit
from cannabis therapy of
some description in the
next couple of years.”
The path to market
for meds is rarely swift,
with more hopeful
estimates putting CBD
on shelves next year.
But concrete science is
critical when it comes to
the safety and efficacy of
pharmaceuticals – and, as
Jansen puts it, for “happy,
healthy Australians.” And
that absolutely gets the
green light from us. wh

A magic

PHOTOGR APHY: AL AMY STOCK PHOTO; ROWAN FEE

bullet?

28 wom e n s h ea lt h.co m. a u S EP T EMB E R 2021

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Mind

s
e
m
a
G
With the
conversation
growing
around
athlete mental
health, four
sportspeople
share how
they deal with
performance
pressure, media
attention and
much more
By Lucy E Cousins

30

wo me n i n sp o r t

Deciding to be an athlete is, in
some ways, choosing a life of pain
and pressure. Of course, there’s
also achievement, passion and
satisfaction but, as most elite
sportspeople will tell you, the
pressure to perform looms large
in their minds at some point.
Whether that pressure
comes from well-meaning
family or fans, or whether
it’s the result of the
double-edged sword that
is media attention, it can
add a heavy weight to an
athlete’s shoulders. This
point was emphasised
recently by world tennis
champion, Naomi Osaka,
who declined to join the
press conferences at
this year’s French Open,
stating they gave her
“huge waves of anxiety”.
Her decision incited
backlash from event
organisers and the media,
and it subsequently
contributed to her
dropping out of the
tournament. Yet, it struck
a chord around the world
– Naomi received support
from the likes of Michelle
Obama, Meghan Markle,

Michael Phelps and
Novak Djokovic, while
other sportspeople left
encouraging comments
on her social media.
She went on to pen a
powerful piece for Time,
where she wrote, “I do
hope that people can
relate and understand it’s
OK to not be OK, and it’s
OK to talk about it.”
Aussie netball champ
Caitlin Bassett says, “I
love her bravery to stand
up for what’s best for
her. As world number
two she has a powerful
platform, which she is
using to illicit change…
Performing consistently
under pressure, balancing
life/study/family, as well
as dealing with injuries,
are just a few [of the]
challenges that athletes
can experience.”
These kinds of pressure
points are common, it
seems, across the board.

A recent Australian
survey published in
Sports Medicine revealed
that elite athletes are
more likely to experience
“high to very high”
psychological distress,
while one in five has
sought some help for
mental health issues.
However, as with most
things, the issue is a
complex one; the same
groundbreaking survey
also found that highperforming sportspeople
were more likely to report
better life satisfaction,
self-esteem and body
satisfaction. So, with that
in mind, we gathered
up four top athletes
to discover how they
handle the pressure, how
they self-care and what
mental-wellbeing intel
they can share with us.

SEPT E MB E R 202 1 wom enshea lth .com.a u 31

leurrent
older

DON’T
COMPARE
YOURSELF
TO OTHERS
“I have a body that’s
biracial and when I was
a young athlete, I didn’t
really have any Asian
role models in Australian
athletics, so I would
compare my body to
someone who is just
genetically completely
different. And I can see
that happening even
now with athletes who
have different ethnic
backgrounds, meaning
we’re all striving for
this single idea of what
a runner looks like. It’s
a complicated issue,
but it just boils down
to being vulnerable
and asking for help.”

MANAGE YOUR
SOCIAL MEDIA
EXPOSURE
“I don’t have Facebook,
I don’t have Twitter and
I heavily restrict my
Instagram consumption.
I basically have social
media at an arm’s length
(one of my friends will
post for me), which
actually means I feel a
lot more freedom to just
post something into the
universe and not worry
about the ‘likes’ I get.”

ASK FOR HELP
IF YOU NEED IT
“If something – or
someone – doesn’t feel
quite right, or you just
feel like you’re trapped
in a bad situation, please
know that there are
always other options
out there for you.”

32

Jemima Montag, 23

8,ŠVŜG)[%ŧO)ŭ

8,ŠVŰR2ŠV

27

A world-champion
20km race walker
who trains by
covering roughly
120km a week

FLIP YOUR
PERSPECTIVE
“I try to think of pressure
as a privilege because
it comes from having
prepared and trained
really well. I see it as a
driving force that’ll carry
me across the line.”

EMBRACE
DOWNTIME
“One of the gifts that
lockdown gave me
was slowing down and
allowing time for myself
for self-care and mental
health. That’s made an
incredible difference to

my training and overall
wellbeing. I used to be an
over-committer and never
thought it was OK to have
a blank space in my diary.
Now I love to sit down
at my piano, cook slowly
for family or friends, and
spend time with my fluffy
Bernese mountain dog!”

WRITE IT DOWN
“I was encouraged to
write in a journal from
a very young age and
I find that pouring my
head down on the paper
before bed makes me
sleep better because
[thoughts] aren’t running
around up there. Don’t
expect yourself to write
a lot each night; just
try to do a five-minute
check-in with yourself.”

Powerful
Pods
Tune into these
podcasts for honest,
raw conversations
about mental health

WOMEN’S HEALTH,
UNINTERRUPTED
Our very own
podcast is full of
convos with sporting
greats, including
Sharni Layton and
Laura Geitz, talking
about life, success,
resilience and fitness.

wo me n i n sp o r t

PHOTOGR APHY:GET T YIMAGES; PADDLE AUSTR ALIA; SUPPLIED.

8,ŠTŜV%'%ũS)ŤW8

AJ Jennings, 49
An elite-level
canoeist who
won silver at the
Rio Olympics and
gold at the World
Championships

TRY TO LOOK
AFTER YOUR
‘HUMAN’ SIDE
“I’ve got a psychologist
who understands me
both on a sporting level
and a human level. That’s
important because our
everyday life affects our
sport. When you’re in
that heightened mental
state, it [can become]
a ‘mountain out of a
molehill’ situation. What
helps me is keeping a
daily routine. I’ve also
started training an
assistance dog; he’s a
huge part of what I do
now and seems to know
when I’m agitated or if
something’s not right.”

DO YOU F****G
MIND?
Pilates instructor
and PT Alexis
Fernandez shares
mindset hacks
for self-love and
self-growth with
some neuroscience
thrown in the mix.

BRYONY GORDON’S
MAD WORLD
With guests such
as Stephen Fry and
Prince Harry talking
about mental health,
this UK journo’s
podcast is helpful,
to the point and
highly entertaining.

FIND WHAT
GROUNDS YOU
“When I feel my anxiety
escalating, I’ll spend
time with my horses to
ground myself and get
perspective. I also like
swimming because I have
to focus on one particular
thing; you’ve got to
[concentrate] on your
breathing, or you drown!”

LISTEN TO
YOUR BODY
“A lot of self-care comes
down to recognising
when you’re stressed and
taking some down time to
walk the dog, or whatever
you need. It could be
walking to the top of a hill
and screaming your lungs
out. As you get to that
elite level, you’ve got to
have an outlet, because
the sport will take over
everything at some point
and it [becomes] harder
to have a balanced life.”

SOUND MIND,
SOUND BODY
STORIES
Powered by Asics
and hosted by Teigan
Nash, this features
wellness chats with
Aussie athletes such
as Caitlin Bassett
and Millie Boyle.

8,ŠVŰK&ŴTŧE=ŠV

Millie Boyle, 23
A cross-code rugby star
with an Origin win, NRLW
premiership and Super W
Player of the Year Award
under her sporting belt

LOOK AFTER #1
“Make sure you’re taking
care of yourself, whether
that’s eating well, sleeping
well, training well… I try to
have balance, and I make
sure that I’m enjoying what I
do. Otherwise, it all becomes
a chore. I’m not going to
devote my life to something
if I’m not truly enjoying it.”

HAVE THE TOUGH
CONVERSATIONS
“One of the things I love
about playing in a team is
that I can always find my
group within it; people who
I can talk to. I’ve got a really
good support network,
who I can have those tough
conversations with. It’s
important to make sure
everything’s going alright,
and if it’s not, to know who
you can talk to about how
to turn things around.”

IGNORE THE
HATERS
“I do everything I can to
perform as best as I can,
but I’ve been ridiculed and
copped a lot in the media
– mainly by old white men
who like to have their say
on women’s sport. People
are quick to judge [and]
constantly compare us to
the male players. We’re not
put in full-time programs.
We haven’t had full-time
pathways, development or
coaching or anything like
that. You’ve got to respect
[women’s rugby] for what it
is, not for what it’s not.” wh
If you need support
or advice on mental
health, contact your GP
or Beyond Blue (beyond
blue.org.au; 1300 22 4636).

WinS
WO M E N I N S P O RT

SEPT EM BER 2021 wo menshea lth .co m.a u 3 3

Should
My Diet
According
to My
Cycle?

While eating chocolate by
the fistful is a time-honoured
PMS salve, nutritional science
has a few other smart fixes.
Dietitian Laura Tilt shares how
you can temper the effects
of your cycle – all month long

34 wome n s h e a l th .co m . au S E PT EMB ER 2021

nu tr it io n

PHOTOGR APHY: ADAM VOORHES/GALLERY STOCK , JUAN MOYANO/STOCKSY

OK, so the idea
of syncing your
nutrition with your
cycle sounds like
extra admin no
woman needs.
But given you’re
probably already
adapting your
social life (duvet,
Netflix) and
workouts (a gentle
yoga flow over
HIIT) depending
on your cycle,
making simple
upgrades to your
nutrition mightn’t
be the cognitive
paperwork you
initially thought.
First, a quick refresh
on the hormonal answer
to your iCal. The average
cycle lasts 28 days
and is made up of two
phases. The follicular
phase begins on day
one of your period; the
pituitary gland produces
a hormone known as
follicle-stimulating
hormone (FSH), which
stimulates the growth
of ovarian follicles in
the ovary. In tandem,
oestrogen levels rise,
causing the lining of
your womb to thicken
until ovulation. About
midway through your
cycle, oestrogen peaks,
causing a surge in
luteinising hormone. This
triggers the release of
an egg from the ovary,
and ovulation occurs.
Post ovulation, the luteal
phase begins. This is

when progesterone levels
rise, supporting early
pregnancy if the egg is
fertilised. If the egg isn’t
fertilised, progesterone
and oestrogen levels fall.
This sets your period in
motion, and the whole
thing begins again.
The majority of
research has focused
on the impact of diet on
premenstrual syndrome
(PMS); a group of
symptoms that includes
tender boobs, bloating,
headaches and low
mood. PMS kicks in postovulation and is linked
with rising progesterone
levels. If you suffer with
PMS, several nutrients
may offer relief. In one
study, women affected
by PMS experienced
fewer symptoms when
consuming a daily
supplement containing
between 1g and 2g of
essential fatty acids
from day 15 to the end
of their cycle. Calcium
also appears to reduce
the severity, with studies
finding that combined
calcium and vitamin
D supplementation
(the sunshine vitamin
regulates absorption)
can ease symptoms.
As for your ability
to sniff out Lindt within
a 50-metre radius,
hormonal fluctuations
during the luteal phase
are thought to be to
blame for food cravings,
with studies showing
appetite and cravings for
sweet and high-kilojoule
foods increase postovulation. One (very
pleasing) theory is that

carb-rich foods give
you a bump in serotonin,
which can offset the dip
in low mood that occurs
around the same time.
Eating plenty of highfibre carbs (wholegrain
and rye bread, pulses,
brown rice and pasta)
may help, by keeping
blood sugars and
mood on an even keel.
As for when your
period is in full swing,
two nutrients are worth

IRON
LADY
Boost your levels
post-menstruation
with these heavy
hitters:

140G
STEAK:

5.5mg (30% RDI*)

200G

considering. Iron is found
in the blood, which
means it’s lost when you
lose blood, so levels are
at their lowest postmenstruation, with heavy
bleeding increasing the
risk of anaemia. Red
meat is the most readily
absorbed source of iron,
but non-haem iron (found
in plant foods, such as
green leafy veg, pulses,
tofu and dried fruits) is
worth topping up, too, as
evidence suggests it can
also help reduce PMS.
Suffer with cramps?
Evidence shows the antiinflammatory effects of
omega-3 (found in things
like oily fish, walnuts,
linseeds and chia) can
help dampen the effects
of prostaglandins, tiny
chemical messengers
that cause your uterus to
contract. While salmon
and leafy greens may not
have quite the appeal of
a packet of Tim Tams, it
might just be the thing to
deliver sweet relief. wh

LENTIL BOLOGNESE WITH
WHOLEWHEAT PASTA:
6.6mg (37% RDI)

50G

IRON-FORTIFIED CEREAL:
4.8mg (27% RDI)
* RECOMMENDED DIETARY INTAKE

35

Get your
strong on

Lifting
the

Muscle

Myths
Use our cheat
sheet to outsmart
gym-bro wisdom
and achieve the
results you’re
after, even faster

36

fitness

THE MYTH

Lifting as
heavy as
you can will
maximise
your gains
If you’ve ever started
a class by picking a
weight that’s a little
too heavy because
you think that’s
where the gains lie,
listen up: a Brazilian
study published in
PLOS One suggests
that it’s not quite so
simple. Participants
performed sets of
seven to nine reps,
or 21 to 36 reps. The
first group lifted
more weight, but
both showed similar
muscle growth.
Should you lift heavy
at times? Yes. But if
you’re tired, you
won’t lose any muscle
(and you may even
gain some) by trading
barbell back squats
for a few more sets
with a kettlebell.

Lifting heavy can help
build muscle, but it’s
not the only way, says
PT Dan Meek. “You’re
better off basing a
good chunk (75 per
cent) of your workout
in the six to 12 rep
range to build muscle,
using a load that you
can lift for that rep
range. The last 25 per
cent of your session
can be spent lifting
heavier for fewer reps,
or lifting lighter for
more reps – your
choice.” It’s all relative
though. Meek adds,
“Heavy weights soon
become lighter if
you’re training well;
what’s important is
tracking your workouts
so you can gauge your
progress and push
yourself beyond what
you’ve done [before].”
Got a notebook handy?

THE MYTH

You have a
30-minute
window

THE MYTH

Isolation
exercises
are a waste
of your time
An isolation exercise
works just one
muscle (think: bicep
curls). But the rise
of CrossFit has now
convinced some
trainers that such
moves are surplus to
requirements. Why
do a curl when you
can do a chin-up?
Surely moves that
help activate more
muscles build more
real-world strength?
Not so, according to
a recent review of
research on the leg
extension. The move
is simple, requiring
you to straighten
your knee. But a
Tufts University
study found that
doing that alone still
increased walking
speed by almost
50 per cent. Even
isolation exercises
recruit stabilising
muscles – like your
glutes and core –
if done correctly.

“Isolation moves can
actually be really useful
to improve areas of
your body you want to
change,” Meek says.
Think: more defined
triceps with skull
crushers, or stronger
hamstrings for your
runs with hamstring
curls. Still, compound
moves are a more
time-efficient way to
work out and should
still form the bulk of
your session. Meek
suggests at least three
strength sessions a
week made up of
mostly compound lifts.

feed your
muscles
protein
We’ve been sold
the idea of a brief
‘anabolic window’
of time in which you
need to consume
your protein post
session. This is
partly true: you
need protein if
you’re chasing
muscle, and post-lift
shakes count, sure
– but they don’t
need to be guzzled
before the sweat
dries. According to
a study in the
Journal Of The
International
Society Of Sports
Nutrition, your
muscles are primed
for protein for a far
longer window of up
to four hours after
your workout. Phew.

Focus on eating well at
mealtimes to get your
muscle-fuelling protein
within the actual
anabolic window. If you
eat three to five serves
of protein daily, you’re
good, says Meek. If
muscle growth is what
you’re chasing, studies
suggest consuming
1.2g to 1.7g of protein
for every kilo you
weigh. For a woman
who weighs 60kg, this
means eating between
72g and 102g of protein
per day. For context,
there’s about 35g of
protein in a chicken
breast and 19g in 100g
of chickpeas. Eat up!

THE MYTH

You’re
either an
athlete or
a plodder
Scientists have long
divided muscle fibres
into two: slow-twitch
fibres – the kind that
get you through a
marathon – and fasttwitch fibres – the
ones that power you
through a sprint.
Researchers used to
believe distribution
was genetic, so no
training could turn a
skinny, slow-twitch
distance runner into
a muscular sprinter
(or vice versa). But a
landmark 2018 study
on identical twins
– one sedentary
and one a lifelong
distance runner –
changed all that.
Thanks to years of
running, the active
brother’s muscles
were almost entirely
slow-twitch. The
sedentary bro’s? A
50/50 split between
fast and slow kinds.

To build total-body
function and overall
health, include both
fast and slow-twitch
exercises in every
workout. Lead with a
fast-twitch move, such
as an explosive tuck
jump. End with slow
exercises, such as
bent-over rows, in
which you take three
seconds to lower the
weight. Cover all bases.

SE P TE MB E R 2 021 wo menshea lt h.co m. au 37

fitness

THE MYTH

Muscle
soreness
is essential
to muscle
growth
You may consider the
pain and tightness
you feel a day or
two after blasting a
muscle – known as
delayed onset muscle
soreness (DOMS) – a

38 wo m e ns hea l t h.co m. a u S E P TE MB ER 2 021

Don’t judge a workout
based on how hard it is
to hobble to the loo the
next day. Choose key
exercises, like squats,
and do them at least
once a week. If you’re
improving reps, form
or load each month,
you’re on track, even if
you only feel a little
tender afterwards.
“Sticking to the same
plan for a good six to
12-week period is vital,
as you can use the
amount of weight you
lift (or the number of
reps you can do with
the same weight) as an
indicator of progress,”
adds Meek. If either of
those is increasing and
your form is good, then
you’re getting stronger.
“Repeating an exercise
regularly is [how] to
get stronger at it, and
getting stronger is
necessary for muscle
growth, not DOMS.”

If your school PE
teacher taught you
anything, it was that
static stretching
before a session
reduces injury risk,
right? Well, not so
– research has shown
that it may do more
harm than good, and
even hamper your
strength, power and
speed. A 2013 study
in The Journal Of
Strength And
Conditioning
Research found that
including static
stretches in a
warm-up could
impede lifters’ one
rep maximum and
lower-body stability
by 8 and 23 per cent
respectively. Not
exactly ideal when
weight training
safely is your goal.

How to warm up minus
your trusty stretches?
Swap them for dynamic
stretches – think: leg
swings, arm circles,
high knees or body
weight versions of the
exercises you’re about
to do – to increase your
body temperature and
get blood flowing to
the muscles starring in
your workout. If you’re
a sucker for a static
stretch, fret not: they
still have a place in
your routine – after
your workout. Hold
stretches of targeted
muscles for 20 seconds
or more. Why? Doing
so will relax them while
increasing flexibility –
a big-time win-win. wh

WORDS: EBENEZER SAMUEL AND KIRSTI BUICK .
PHOTOGR APHY: JOE T YLER; STILL-LIFE: SEVAK BABAKHANI

THE MYTH

badge of honour.
Identified in 1902,
it’s often a result of
muscle fibre microtears. If you’re new
to training, these
can spur growth.
But more damage
doesn’t equal more
gains. Studies have
shown that muscle
soreness doesn’t
need to occur for
muscle growth.
“DOMS is just an
indication that you’re
doing something
new,” explains Meek.
“Often, people
change up their
program, trying to
chase DOMS because
they think it’s going
to help, but program
hopping every week
is actually less likely
to lead to muscle
growth as you can’t
measure progress.”
Very good to know!

THE MOVE

Stretching
before your
workout
will prevent
injuries

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Recovery
Rebooted
Your CrossFitobsessed mate
has probably
been raving about
their percussion
massager for
ages. Here’s the
experts’ take
By Jacqueline Andriakos

40

My can’t-live-without-it wellness
splurge? Massage. As an avid
exerciser, I try not to skimp on
recovery so I took a cue from
star trainers on my Insta feed
and shelled out for a percussion
massager. These power drillresembling devices, such as the
Theragun and Hypervolt, are
said to reduce soreness and
release tension by working
your muscles with a little more
oomph than other tools like
foam rollers. So are percussion
massagers *really* the gold
standard they’re made out to
be? Here’s what I’ve heard,
versus what the pros say…

fitness tech

They relieve kinks
and pesky soreness
EXPERT VERDICT: That’s a yes.
The theory is that the pressure
from the massage motion increases
blood circulation in muscles and
in turn reduces swelling, which
can help nix aches, says sports
medicine physician Julie Han. In fact,
percussive therapy is as effective
as a traditional rubdown when it
comes to preventing delayed onset
muscle soreness (aka DOMS), a small
study in the Journal of Clinical &
Diagnostic Research found. Bonus:
“Some evidence shows that massage
increases parasympathetic activity,
which is the system that relaxes the
body,” Han says. This tech is easy to
use and simple to store, making it a
great option for self-care at home,
she explains. Recovery mode: on.

Using one can help up
your workout game

Three
of the
best
Take your pick
from these
WH faves.

01

A QUIET TOUCH

The new-gen
Elite is 75 per
cent quieter than
its predecessor.
Theragun Elite,
$649, theragun.
com/anz

02

FOR MORE OPTIONS

Most massage guns
come with only one
attachment. This
comes with six.
Hydragun, $599,
hydragun.com.au

ADDITIONAL WORDS: LIZZA GEBIL AGIN.
PHOTOGR APHY: JIM JOSEPHS. STILL-LIFE PHOTOGR APHY: JOHN RINTOUL

EXPERT VERDICT: Too soon to
say. There’s no hard evidence that
percussion massage improves
sports and exercise performance,
says Han. But you can activate
your muscles ahead of a workout
(or loosen tight areas between sets
to get more out of your next rep)
by using these nifty tool on the
muscle group you’re training for
15 to 30 seconds, suggests physical
therapist Daniel Giordano. Got it.

Going overboard
can lead to injury
EXPERT VERDICT: Possible. The
key is to almost “float” the device
over the area you’re working on.
“There’s no need to add excessive
pressure or dig the massager into
the body,” says Giordano. And
don’t stay in one spot too long –
one to two minutes max per muscle
group – to avoid bruising and skin
irritation. Lastly, make sure you’re
applying the device only to muscle,
not over any bony areas or open
wounds, adds Han. Duly noted. wh

03

FITS IN YOUR GYM BAG

Need to loosen up
before a hard sesh?
Take this with you.
Theragun Mini, $349,
theragun.com/anz

S EP TEM BER 2021 womens he al th.co m.a u 41

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43

The Art
of the
Comeback

How to embrace failure, tap into your
passions and score a spectacular win
By Jessica Migala

44

me nt al h e alth
You’ve got this. What’s ‘this’? It’s anything
you’re shooting for that other people said
couldn’t happen, or you doubted you could
do. It’s your comeback. “A comeback is
when a person or team accomplishes
something that they probably shouldn’t,
such as a win after facing a deficit or a
disadvantage or when their trajectory was
on a downward slope,” explains Gregory
Chertok, a sports psychology consultant.
That might mean selling a book proposal
after being rejected dozens of times, going
back to uni to study something totally
different, starting another business after
closing your first or bouncing back postdivorce. It’s time to engineer your own
comeback with these mind-blowing moves.

01

See the
Outcome
You Want
Picture your goal. Now
feel it. Do you get that
butterflies-in-thestomach rush? That’s
the point. Visualising the
future brings hope to
the process, says sports
psychology consultant
Jim Afremow, author of
The Champion’s Mind
(Penguin, $29.99). (A
comeback is not all fun
and excitement; it can be
arduous and winding.)
Then break it down into
small chunks: visualise
yourself getting to work
early, making phone calls,
etc. W R I T E Y O U R D R E A M O N
A STICKY NOTE AND ATTACH
IT TO YOUR COMPUTER.
Print out a quote that
gets you going and put
it on your mirror. Keep
your vision top of mind.
This is how you build
optimism. “You need to
see your goal constantly
and tell yourself you can
do it,” says Afremow.
This positivity gives you
a feeling of control over
where your life is headed.

02

Sit with Your
Feelings
A comeback can be akin
to a bounce-back. Think
about the trajectory of
a ball after it bounces:
sometimes it comes
up cleanly. Other times
it veers off course.
Occasionally, it’ll whack
you in the eye. To deal
with all the ball’s (read:
life’s) manoeuvres, you
need some resilience.
“RESILIENCE ISN’T THE
GOAL, IT’S THE PROCESS,”
says T. Em Arpawong,
an assistant professor
of research in the Keck
Resilience Lab at the
University of Southern
California. So while you
might get the message
that you should let
setbacks roll off your
shoulders, that’s actually
not so helpful. “When
things break us down,
it’s OK to experience
distress and intrusive
thoughts,” Arpawong
explains. “Feeling them
can help you find new
possibilities.” One thing
that helps is journalling,
as writing can be an
outlet for emotions and
aids in making sense of
what’s happening. It
can get you to a place
where you identify what
brings you joy and feel
a sense of appreciation.
Think of it like resistance
training, tips Arpawong:
the goal is to induce a
little stress and microtears in muscles so you
can become stronger.

03

Strategise
with Your Team
No doubt a home-field
advantage is a very real
thing in sports… and in life.
“THE HOME TEAM IS MORE
THAN THREE TIMES AS LIKELY
TO MAKE A FOURTH QUARTER
COMEBACK AS THE VISITING
T E A M , ” says Chertok. Why?
It’s all about feeling the
love and support from
the crowd. So think of
the people by your side
as fans in the stands and
you’ll bolster your abilities
– and have a crew to catch
you when you fall. “Many
people find it helpful to talk
through their comeback
plans with friends or family
members because things
appear more real, or almost
contractual,” he suggests.
Saying your plans out loud
holds you accountable.

S EP T EM B ER 2 02 1 wome nshealt h.co m.a u 45

me nt al h e alth

04

Mastermind
Your Failure

07
Question
Yourself

05

Quiet Your
Inner Critic
Nervous to step out and
go after something big?
“The brain is hardwired
for safety, not success,”
says Afremow. That
internal “hold back”
mechanism “keeps us
from taking risks so we
survive.” That’s why you
hear that voice creep in,
telling you that you’re
going down in flames.
It’s OK to hear your inner
Debbie Downer, but you
don’t have to listen to her.
Elite athletes, explains
Afremow, regularly have
“I can’t” thoughts, but
they don’t give them
airtime. Acknowledge
them, then counter with
positive self-talk until your
mind repeats it back to
you. W R I T E A F F I R M A T I O N S
OR SELF-TALK PHRASES
O N N O T E C A R D S or jot
them in your phone’s
Notes app. When the
negative ones creep in,
read or repeat the good
stuff out loud. “The brain
is more software than
hardware,” Afremow
says. Translation: you
can create new neural
pathways by flooding it
with these affirmations.

46 wo m ens h e a l t h.co m. a u SE P TE MB ER 2 02 1

06

Prioritise
Your Needs
The drive to succeed can
become all-consuming,
but practising self-care
basics will give your mind
and body the love they
need for you to be at
your best, says Afremow.
No matter what you’re
trying to do with your
comeback, this step is
paramount. You may
want to stay on top of
your exercise routine,
score at least seven
hours of sleep, maintain
a morning routine, and
so forth. Figure out your
answer to this: W H A T A R E
THE BASIC THINGS I NEED
TO DO E ACH DAY TO TAKE
C A R E O F M Y S E L F ? “This
provides the foundation
to do those other superspecial things,” he adds.

You’ll probably doubt
yourself more than once.
That’s OK. Xiaodong Lin
Siegler, professor and
founding director of
Education for Persistence
and Innovation Center
(EPIC) at Columbia
University, asks herself
two questions: “ D O I
ENJOY WHATEVER I’M
GOING AFTER? AM I
PASSIONATE ABOUT IT?”
If the answer to both is
yes, she persists. But if
there’s a “no” in the mix,
understand that quitting
isn’t bad. “You need to
know your heart,” says Lin
Siegler. “When I interview
athletes about when they
know it’s time to quit,
they tell me it’s when their
job becomes a chore.”
Having a love for what
you do is an integral part
of performing at your
peak and moving toward
your mission; otherwise,
“perseverance without
passion isn’t grit, but
merely a grind,” says Jon
Jachimowicz, an assistant
professor at Harvard
Business School. Don’t
waste your time if you
don’t enjoy what you’re
pursuing. Look at bowing
out as creating space for
something else that will
truly light your fire. wh

PHOTOGR APHY: JEAN Y VES LEMOIGNE

A funny thing happens
when almost-successful
people experience
a gutting miss: they
come back better. Truly.
Budding scientists who
narrowly missed being
awarded a careerchanging grant in their
field of study built morethriving careers later
in life compared with
early grant winners,
concluded a study in
Nature Communications.
“THE PEOPLE WHO FAILED
ENDED UP BEING THE
B I G G E R S U C C E S S E S , ” says
author Dashun Wang,
an associate professor
at the Kellogg School
of Management at
Northwestern University.
The F word may make
you redouble your effort
to avoid the complacency
that can lead others to
become stagnant. For
instance, a relationship’s
end may help you focus
on the qualities you want
in your next partnership
and what didn’t work
for this one. Embracing
failures wholeheartedly
really has a perk: “When I
experience any form of a
career rejection, I tell my
students that this is good,
it’ll make me better next
time. Saying that right
away can shift your whole
narrative,” Wang says.

5136 (7/21)

Where
Have
All My
Friends
Gone?

As mounting research reveals nostalgia
as a major win for our health, one writer
dives back into her past to see if she can
rekindle those friendships that faded
By Alice Snape

We’re lying on two single hostel
beds, the hum of Bangkok drifting
through the rickety window, when
Fiona says, “You should move to
Australia and live with me.” We’re
fast approaching the end of our
three-week trip and, as I think
about saying yes, about moving
from the UK to continue our super
tight friendship in the southern
hemisphere, the future stretches
out before us; babies, marriages,
growing old. In that moment, our
friendship feels totally invincible.
48

relationships

Back
to the
future?

I’ve replayed this
scene from 2009 a
few times during the
past year, wondering
how it can be that
I’ve not seen Fiona’s
face for 11 years. I
never did go to
Australia with her,
and the distance
drove a wedge
between us. After
years of shared
history – tipsy walks
home after nights
filled with dancing,
rambling heart-tohearts in the early
hours – we stopped
talking. Pre-Covid, I’d
accepted this loss,
but recently I’ve been
dwelling on these
moments, nostalgic
like never before.
“It doesn’t surprise
me that many of us
are reaching out
to people we grew
up with or went to
school with, and
finding solace and
joy in these [past]
relationships,” says
Dr Sophie Mort,
clinical psychologist
and author of A
Manual For Being
Human (Simon &

Schuster, $35). She
points to research
indicating that this
nostalgia can convert
into legitimate health
benefits. A University
of Southampton
study found that
participants turned
to nostalgia when
faced with worrisome
life situations, leading
the authors to report
that focusing on
happier times can
help you cope with
present uncertainties.
“True connection
to other people,
knowing that they
care about you,
chatting with them
and laughing, makes
you feel safe and
enhances feel-good
chemicals such as
oxytocin,” explains
Mort. “So, it follows
that reconnecting
with people you
share memories with
is a way to reinforce
who you really are.”
So, armed with a
Zoom account and
the knowledge that
my curiosity is both
entirely normal and
potentially beneficial
to my health, I decide
to reach out to the
friends I’ve lost touch
with over the years.
My goal? To see if
there’s something
worth rebuilding.

SEP TEM BER 2021 wom ens he al th.com. au 49

THE SCHOOL
FRIEND
CALL TIME:
one hour,
30 minutes
When I message
Jenny asking to
catch up, she replies
almost immediately
saying she’d love to
reminisce. We met
in secondary school,
in French class. We
were both quiet and
thoughtful. Away
from our desks, we
gossiped about boys
and encouraged
each other to be the
people we couldn’t
be at school. We
were daydreamers
who longed for more
than our small town
could offer us.
After we left
school, our lives just
went in different
directions, and I
can’t remember the
last time we spoke.
On the call – initially
slightly stilted – we
figure out that we’d
last seen each other
six years ago, at
a mutual friend’s
party. The gulf that’s
formed between us
feels near impossible
to cross. She’s in a
bedroom and I think
I spy the corner of
a cot when she tilts
her phone to show
me her dog snuggled
by her feet. “I have a
six-month-old son,”
Jenny says. We’re
only five minutes into
the chat, and I feel
so overcome I burst
into tears. How did
I miss this? How did
I let something so
important slip by?
It’s a wonderful
feeling to know

50

we’re living lives that
we once dreamed
about: me writing
for magazines, and
Jenny a successful
osteopath, a partner,
a mother. Our past
dreamy teenage
conversations are
now real, making
me appreciate what
I have all the more
– our shared history
means we can see
how far each other
has come. “It was
such a warm feeling
when you texted,”
Jenny says. And I
share that feeling.
Whether this is a
friendship revived
remains to be seen.
But, I’m left with a
fuzzy glow that must
be the oxytocin Mort
mentioned, and so I
enjoy the rewards of
reconnection – even
if for a short while.

THE
COMPLICATED
FRIENDSHIP
CALL TIME:
two hours,
27 minutes
I knew when Sam
said yes to the call
that we’d probably
go deep... and fast.
We’d met in ballet
class at age 13, where
the teacher critiqued
our bodies. It led to
something toxic; we
constantly egged
each other on to be
thinner, smaller, shrink
ourselves. “I can’t

Magic
moments

believe how horrible
I used to be to you,”
Sam says, opening
the conversation.
She’d criticise my
choices and body:
“Don’t smoke, it
stinks.” “That top
doesn’t look good
on you.” “You’ve put
on weight.” I took
each judgement to
heart, mostly staying
unresponsive, but
occasionally spitting
back horrid retorts.
At 30, Sam sought
treatment for the
eating disorder that,
looking back, I’d
seen signs of in our
twenties. She tells
me about a dark

period of overdoses,
antidepressants and
years of cognitive
behavioural therapy.
It was hard to hear,
especially as I can’t
deny the part I must
have played. But I
don’t think I could
have been the one to
support her through
it. The cracks in our
friendship were
too deep, and I had
issues of my own.
I’d always thought
our friendship had
started to dissolve
when I’d moved to
London in 2007 in
my mid-twenties and
she’d stayed at home,
but I’d unknowingly

relationships

THE ONE
WHO MOVED
AWAY
CALL TIME:
two hours,
45 minutes

26

PHOTOGR APHY: IAN DOOLE Y/UNSPL ASH; KKGAS/STOCKSY

THE PERCENTAGE OF
WOMEN WHO TURN
TO THEIR MATES
FOR SUPPORT,
COMPARED TO 17
PER CENT OF MEN
SOURCE: REL ATIONSHIPS
AUSTR ALIA SURVE Y 2018

rewritten our past.
“You texted me to tell
me to never talk to
you again,” Sam says.
“I actively removed
myself from your
life, thinking we’d
bump into each other
eventually, but we
never did.” I thought
I wasn’t aware of

Fiona is the person
I feel most nervous
about reconnecting
with. What if she
rejects me? What
if her version of
events is different?
Then she answers.
“I can’t believe this
happened to us,”
Fiona says. “You’re
one of the most
important people in
my life – we weren’t
supposed to drift
apart.” I remind her
of that conversation
we’d had at the end
of our Thailand trip.
She remembers it
with the same clarity
I do. “You could still
move,” she jokes.

Not long after I
returned from that
trip, I met my nowhusband, so I stayed
in London. I became
tangled in a web
of self-doubt over
why Fiona and I had
stopped talking.
I realise now that,
in the back of my
mind, I’d always held
on to the hope that
she’d come ‘home’,
rather than building
a life without me in a
different time zone.
But the move was for
her; it wasn’t about
me or our friendship.
How easily we picked
up where we left
off tells me that it
could never have
been anything but
distance that kept
us apart. Now we’ve
reconnected, I won’t
let her leave again.

how malicious our
friendship had
become, but I must
have been to send
that text. A vague
memory takes
shape: I’d had a brief
drunken flirtation
with a man she then
started to date (who
she’s now married to,
it turns out). Instead
of being pleased for
her, I recall bubbling
with pure jealousy.
It’s confronting
to be faced with
the person I once
was, and I wonder
whether, if we
became friends
again now, we’d
slip back into those

old ways. I like to
think we wouldn’t.
We’ve both had
mental health issues,
both reassessed
our priorities and
changed who we are
as a result. For the
first time, it feels as
if we’re no longer in
competition with one
another. Our chat,
although difficult,
was cathartic; we
cleared the air in a
way that I hadn’t
known we both
needed. We’ve since
been messaging. Our
fiery outbursts have
been extinguished,
so we understand
each other anew. wh

The
Reach-Out
Rulebook
What to consider
if you’re keen to
revive platonic
relationships
from your past

01
PICTURE YOUR
BEST-CASE
SCENARIO

Ask yourself what you
want, suggests Mort.
“Would you like to be
friends again? Or is
it that you want to
remember that person
and also the time you
shared?” Both are fine,
she adds, but it’s useful
to be clear about your
true expectations.

02

ASK YOURSELF IF
YOU’RE LONELY
Mort cautions that
looking to the past
to remedy loneliness
can be problematic,
as a drive to connect
can make you gloss
over the relationship’s
negative aspects. So,
prioritise meeting
social needs with your
alive-and-kicking
relationships first.
If you still want to
connect with that
person, then you
know it’s for real.

03

DO SOME
EMOTIONAL
SAFEGUARDING
Looking to heal old
wounds? Consider the
worst-case scenario
– especially if you’re
the one seeking
absolution. “Will you
be OK with sending an
apology knowing that
you might not get a
response?” ask Mort.
Or if you receive a
negative one? Avoid
making yourself
needlessly vulnerable if
rejection is too much
to handle at the mo.

SE PTE MBE R 2021 wo me ns hea l th.com . au 5 1

Shop
Dehydrated
Not you, obviously:
we mean your
products. There’s a
growing trend for
waterless beauty
and cleaning
products in bar,
powder or
sugar-cube-like
formats to mix with
water at home.
According to the
Ellen Macarthur
Foundation, a
charity that
promotes a circular
economy, a typical
bottle of household
cleaner is 90 per
cent water! Going
waterless means
reducing the
(usually plastic)
packaging, as well
as the size and
weight, and
therefore transport
emissions. Check
out some brands
like Sea Our Beauty
and Ethique.

the Keep
Cup…
You’ve got
your bamboo
cup and have
cut back on
meat, so what
now for the
budding eco
warrior? Try
these nextlevel hacks
By Jessica Powell

52

Be Less
Delicate
Washing synthetic
fabrics (hello, gym
gear) unleashes
microfibres
(microscopic pieces
of plastic) into the
environment. One
piece of clothing
can release
700,000 fibres in
a single wash,
which can then find
their way to the
sea. Researchers at
the UK’s Newcastle
University found
that a delicate
wash cycle releases
more microfibres
than a standard
one because it uses
more water, which
breaks off more
fibres. So, opt for
a non-delicate
setting for your
activewear and try
washing clothes in
a Guppyfriend bag
– it gathers up
fibres before they
make a break for
the ocean. Gotcha.

Be Med
Aware

PHOTOGR APHY: MARTÍ SANS /STOCKSY.
STILL-LIFE PHOTOGR APHY: JOHN RINTOUL

Sixty nine: the
number of human
pharmaceuticals
researchers found
in the bodies of
aquatic insects in
waterways around
Melbourne. No
prizes for guessing
this isn’t good
news. “Some
medications pass
through our system
and, once in the
environment, they
have the potential
to change how
streams and rivers
function,” explains
researcher Dr Erinn
Richmond from
the School of
Biological Sciences
at Monash
University.
“For example,
antidepressants
can alter how algae
produce oxygen.”
Obviously the
answer isn’t to
ditch any
medicines you
need, but try to
avoid bulk-buying
ones you’re not
sure you’ll use (we
see you, out-ofdate paracetamol
stash). And another
thing: “Please don’t
wash unwanted or
expired medication
down the drain or
flush them down
the toilet,” says
Richmond. “Return
them to a local
pharmacy for safe
disposal.” Noted.

Dodge
the
BPS Bluff
Get
Unscrewed
Next time you’re
eyeing up a new
fitness tracker or
phone, check how
easy it is to take
apart. “A big
sustainability issue
is products with
embedded
batteries. As soon
as the battery dies,
the whole product
is redundant,” says
Dr Rachael
Wakefield-Rann,
Senior Research
Consultant at
Sydney’s Institute
for Sustainable
Futures. Only about
3 per cent of
handheld batteries
get recycled in
Australia; the rest
end up in landfill
where harmful
chemicals leach out
and pollute soil and
water. Planned
obsolescence is
rife in tech, with
products designed
with a limited
lifespan to keep
you shopping. “Ask,
can I pull this apart
to repair it? Are the
screws glued in?
What’s the
company’s
end-of-life policy?
Will they take it
back and recycle
it?” says WakefieldRann. You may be
surprised: sex toy
company Normal
will actually recycle
retired toys for you.
.

6

That BPA-free
sports bottle of
yours might not be
as innocuous as it
looks. BPA hit the
headlines when it
was revealed the
chemical, used to
make plastic,
can impact the
developmental
and reproductive
health of animals
such as fish (not
to mention human
health). While
brands now shout
about being
BPA-free,
Wakefield-Rann
explains that “BPA
has just been
replaced by BPS
in most things”
– referring to
another similar
chemical from
the same family.
“[Manufacturers]
often look for a
chemical that has
similar properties,
so they don’t have
to reformulate the
product – but if it’s
chemically similar,
then it’s likely to
have the same
damaging impact.”
Your best bet?
Avoid – and grill
companies about
whether their
products contain
– any bisphenols
(the chemical
category both BPA
and BPS fall into).
Or, switch to glass
or metal instead –
we’re fans of Ever
Eco’s stainless
steel bottles. wh

94şE8ŠŴSY6+=ŨOŤXŲ-X,8,ŠW)*-ũH7

eco smarts

There are this many
key classes of harmful
chemicals to look
out for in everyday
products. Delve deeper
at sixclasses.org.
SOURCE: GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE

6)Ů-W8ŜR'Š
F%ũHŮ
These cuties
are made with
environmentally
friendly dye and
feature non-slip
grips. Available
in a pack of three,
from light to heavy.
Nutra Organics
Resistance
Bands, $29.95,
nutraorganics.
com.au

4)ŭ-3ş
P)ŢK-ũKŮ
Made with 78 per
cent recycled
material, these
moderate-to-heavy
flow leggings hold
the equivalent
of two to three
tampons (or three
teaspoons) of fluid.
Modibodi 7/8
Recycled Active
Legging, $99,
modibodi.com

46Š
[3ŭO3ŰX
Naked Harvest
ditches the plastic
scoop and ships
in environmentallyfriendly packaging,
while Nutra
Organics uses 100
per cent plastic-free
recyclable canisters.
Naked Harvest
Natural Preworkout, $52.95,
nakedharvest
supplements.
com, and Nutra
Organics Clean
Energy Natural Pre
Workout, $49.95,
nutraorganics.
com.au

46ŪX)ŤR
This gut-friendly
blend of sprouted
and fermented pea,
brown rice, coconut
and pumpkin seed
proteins comes in
a canister that’s less
carbon intensive than
steel cans and glass.
It contains no plastic,
either. Winning.
Nutra Organics
Clean Protein in
Salted Caramel
Fudge, $49.95,
nutraorganics.com.au

wom ensheal th.c

53

Virtual
good
vibes

Ahead
of the
Game
Turns out gaming can foster
connections, sharpen problemsolving skills and help uncover
your true self. Just press play!
By Madeline Howard

54

tech trend

74
This percentage

video games

emotional
wellbeing, while
help people to
maintain social
connections
SOURCE: DIGITAL AUSTR ALIA
2020 – THE POWER OF GAMES

My family and I spent hours
playing Mario Kart together
last year, and in that time,
I rediscovered the long-absent
raw joy of cruising down
Rainbow Road as baby Mario.
Hit by a tidal wave of
nostalgia, I clung to the
escapism of zooming along in
that simpler world during a
radically uncertain time. After
nearly a year of this obsession,
I’ve concluded I am a gamer.
At its core, gaming is a
means by which we can
socialise in a world where
we’re not together, says
Jessica Gold, an assistant
professor of psychiatry at
Washington University
School of Medicine in the
US. It centred my family’s
interactions on a shared
enjoyable activity rather
than on commiseration.
“[The pandemic] was perfect
timing for games to grow
in popularity,” says Sonja
Reid, 30, a Twitch streamer
(OMGitsfirefoxx) with an
eye-watering 750,000
followers. “It deepened
my sense of community.”
Even pre-COVID, women
were increasingly drawn to the
gaming sphere: 47 per cent of
Australia’s gamers are female,
according to Digital Australia’s
2020 report. And since it
never hurts to have another
gadget in your mental health
toolbox – ahead, the benefits
of gaming, online competition
and immersive virtual lands,
according to gamers and
social scientists alike. Your
happier, more playful future
self will truly thank you.
SEPT EMB ER 2 02 1 womenshe alt h.com.a u 5 5

$4.03 billion
The total Australian
video games in 2018
SOURCE: DIGITAL AUSTR ALIA 2020 – THE POWER OF GAMES

Four awe-inspiring
health wins of
logging on

IT CAN HELP
HEAL TRAUMA
Achievement-based
gaming can be a coping
mechanism for those
with post-traumatic
stress disorder –
possibly due to the way
gaming distracts from
the past and present.
That, in turn, may help
reduce the likelihood of
panic attacks and
depressive spells, says
clinical psychologist
Chloe Carmichael.
“There’s a meditative
aspect to it,” she adds.
“It can be extremely
absorbing, which can
be helpful if you’re
ruminating on a certain
topic that you need to
get your mind off.”

IT’S A WAY TO
FOSTER BONDS
When playing against
others or accomplishing
a common feat, you
connect in the way you
do with any team sport,
says psychotherapist
Mike Langlois. And
unlike on traditional
social platforms, you
don’t need to show
your face, a potential
upside for introverts.
“I’ve created more
friendships through
gaming than I had
prior to playing,”
says AnniePants02,
an anonymous
Twitch streamer
with more than
40,000 subscribers.

56

IT GETS YOU
MOVING (REALLY!)
“The old stigma that
playing video games is
somehow lazier than
watching TV or movies
is strange to me,” says
Alanah Pearce, 27, a
game writer and content
creator. She points
out that propelling a
character forward really
works your reflexes,
unlike passively
watching something.
During COVID, for
fitness, she relied on a
virtual reality light-saber
game that involves
swinging at objects,
since she’s a high-risk
individual who couldn’t
safely exercise in a gym.

A SURGE OF
CONFIDENCE
COMES TOO
Gaming gives you
self-assurance thanks
to the Proteus effect, a
behavioral phenomenon
named by Stanford
researchers. When
people were given
a taller avatar and
then interacted with
someone in a virtual
environment, they
then negotiated more
aggressively in a
bargaining exercise in
the real world than
people given a shorter
character. The point is:
our real selves can shift
to behave like our
digital ones. This can
translate to just about
any task, Langlois says.
Scary convo ahead?
Play a game beforehand
that makes you feel
strong and capable.

To t a l
control

Metamorphosis
Magic
Q

Characters can be an unconventional way to
play with self-expression. Here’s how to explore,
with advice from Mike Langlois, who specialises
in using gaming to help patients heal. Ready?

Gaming
involves
stepping into
different avatars
and roles. Why
can that be a
good thing?
ML: You experience
a heightened sense
of freedom in games
because you have
total control of how
you present yourself.
I have a lot of
patients who take
their first steps into
trans identity
development, for
example, by playing
either a genderneutral avatar or
one whose gender
is different from
what they present
in everyday life.

Q

How do you
guide people
through safely
exploring an
identity online?
ML: I pay attention
to the avatars my
patients are using
and I will mention
the qualities and
attributes I see and
ask about them.
I might also steer
them toward a game
where you can
customise the
character. [That
way] they get a
chance to create the
identity they want.

Q

How can you
experiment in
a game setting?
ML: I encourage
people to get
curious about all the
aspects of games.
How do they feel
when they are in a
game world, either
as a non-binary
person or even as
someone else? How
much time are they
spending crafting
their new avatar
compared with the
time they spend
playing? All of these
inquiries might help
give a better sense
of identity in both
the game and life.

PHOTOGR APHY: FLORIAN SOMMET/ TRUNK ARCHIVE;
AUDRE Y SHTECINJO/STOCKSY.

Gaming
is Good
for You

tech trend

Choose
Your Own
Adventure

Whether you’re gearing up
for the social perks or want
to shake up your sweat
routine, follow the arrows
to find your best match.

Start
Here

Relationship
Redux
Neisha Bhagwandin and
her now-partner had
their first date via their
Nintendo screens

“After losing my job
because of the pandemic,
and ending a relationship,
I felt so alone and isolated.
The only thing I had the
energy to do during this
period was play video
games like Dragon Age and
Street Fighter. I'd been
waiting for the new
installment of Animal
Crossing: New Horizons,
a social simulation series
I’d played in childhood that
was becoming popular
again. It involves building a
home and enjoying it as you
interact with other animals.
The upbeat, nostalgic
nature of it boosted my
mental health, and I joined
online communities of
people who loved AC. It
was the most social I’d felt
in a long time. When I
matched with an interesting
person on Tinder, he told
me he also loved playing AC
and I had an idea: what if
we had our first date on our
AC islands in lieu of actually
meeting? It ended up being
the ideal move, and we
clicked. Having such clear
common ground made it
easy to flirt, and the date
felt comfortable and less
pressured, given that we
weren’t physically present.
As we explored each other’s
worlds and creations via our
avatars,we got a peek into
each other’s creative types
and personalities. We
ended up playing often with
each other, and eventually
we met up in person.
We’ve now been dating
nearly a year and have
matching Animal
Crossing tattoos.” wh

I’m
craving
alone
time

D O YO U WA N T
COM PANY ?

Gimme
all the
people!

WA N N A
S W E AT ?

Not
really

FEELING
COMPETITIVE?

I’d
rather
relax

P L AY E R O R
S P E C TAT O R ?

Hmmm,
bring
it on

Get me
up and
moving

In a
wallflower
mood
I want
in the
game!

Try

Try

Abzû
PlayStation 4,
$24.95,
playstation.com
For a way to calm
TF down, dive into
this beautiful
option that’s all
about open-ocean
exploration and
swimming through
uncharted waters.

League of Legends
PC or Mac, free,
leagueoflegends.
com
Want to battle with
your besties? Join the
League to fight
against other teams
and destroy your
competition’s base
for the win.

Try
The Sims 4
Xbox One, $49.95,
microsoft.com
The perfect nostalgic
way to hang with
mates from afar, show
them your (fantasy)
architectural
endeavours and
pretend that you’re
back in school.

Try

Try

Ring Fit Adventure
Nintendo
Switch, $119,
jbhifi.com.au
Getting in a
total-body workout is
a cinch when you’re
battling dragons,
exploring worlds and
navigating obstacles
in this fitness game.

Among Us
Android or iOS,
twitch.tv
You can sit back and
simply watch people
play this one – where
participants have to
guess the outsider
in the group before
time runs out –
via streaming.

S EPT E MBE R 202 1 wo men shea lth.co m.au 57

Simple
ways
to rock
your
fitspo
world
59

BODY

Brush up
that bod
routine

K

B y M a r a S a n t i l l i a n d I a n t h a Yu

Photography by Mikael Schulz

If your skincare routine recently jumped
from a 5k to a marathon, it’s time to
apply that same training to the rest of
your body. The goal: treat all your skin
with the same attention you give your
face (yep, we’re talking brushing, buffing
and hydrating every bit). Ready?
60

b o dy r e b o o t

We know it’s easy to focus all
your energy and time on your
face when it comes to the
skincare game, but channel that
experimentation below the neck
and you’ll be right on trend.
“People are more focused on their
wellness in general, and because
of that, they’re investing more
time in skin beyond the face,”
explains dermatologist Melissa
Kanchanapoomi Levin. “My
patients are interested in caring
for their neck, chest and skin
below that more than ever.”
But here’s the thing. Your body-care
approach of choice could range
from minimalist, like a little extra
exfoliating, to extravagant, à la
massaging yourself head to toe with
a roller after slathering on a fullbody serum. But it’s not just about
playing with more tools and lotions
for a hit of self-care. “Skincare, even
on the body, is still results-driven,”
says medical aesthetician Lauren
Siso. People want to see substantive
outcomes: super-smooth, less puffy,
fully hydrated skin free of the dulllooking top layer. Yep, sign us up!
The good news? You can soak up
the benefits of body care no matter
how crunched for time you are. The
perfect moment to give your bones
that extra-special attention? Your
shower, which is also possibly the
only time of day you truly have to
yourself. Your new plan might just
become your new favourite part of
the day or week. Now, let’s begin…

S EPTE MBE R 202 1 wo mensh ea lth .com.au 61

BEFORE

Brush
It Off
Shed
Those
Layers

DURING

“Dry brushing has
blown up during the
pandemic because it’s
an easy ‘treatment’ to
do at home,” Siso says.
Its benefits are twofold:
exfoliation and lymphatic
drainage. Not only does
it slough off dead skin,
but it can also improve
blood flow, especially
for the legs, giving skin
a tighter, more plumped
look, according to
academic medical centre
the Cleveland Clinic.
The added movement
of fluid through the
lymphatic system helps
with healthy circulation
as well, explains skincare
expert Dr Gina Charles.
Ready to try it? Brush
pre-shower to ditch
dead skin, Charles says.
Brush gently upward in
a circular motion. As long
as you use soft strokes,
you can dry brush daily,
adds Siso – just don’t
use other exfoliants, like
a peel or scrub, on the
same day. And if you
have sensitive skin, cap
your dry brushing at
once or twice a week
to avoid any irritation.

If you didn’t dry brush,
an in-shower scrub
sets the stage for your
revitalising routine.
Mechanical exfoliation,
which involves actually
physically removing
dirt, sebum and cells
via particles, such as
grains of coffee or
sugar, will help even
out skin texture. It’ll
get rid of a number of
layers of past-prime
skin too, says Siso.
Peels, or chemical
exfoliation, are another
option for this removal
phase. (Tip: Always
separate peel days
from scrub days so you
don’t over-strip!)
Chemical peels are
known for being harsh
on delicate skin, but
the skin of the body is
tougher than that of
the face. You can also
try a body wash with
an active exfoliating
ingredient – look for
an alpha hydroxy acid,
like the glycolic kind.

AFTER

Level Up
Hydration
Let’s talk about serums,
which are not just for
your face anymore. “A
serum is basically a high
concentration of an
active ingredient and
can enhance the skin’s
absorption of it,” Levin
says. Using a body serum
– whether it contains
peptides to stimulate
collagen or even skinsmoothing hyaluronic
acid – will help the good
stuff sink in. Follow with
a heavy-duty moisturiser

62

or body cream, especially
if you have melanin-rich
skin, which tends to lose
moisture more quickly
than other skin tones.
For acne-prone skin,
full-body retinol creams
are available and can
clear up breakouts and
help with scarring, Levin
says. Check with your
derm before attempting
a retinoid so you can
get one that works for
you – and make sure any
moisturiser you use it
with doesn’t contain an
acne-fighting acid like
salicylic acid. Done!

b o dy r e b o o t

3

Stock
Your
Shelfie
Put these clever products on repeat;
your tired body will thank you for it

2

Roll This

Use the textured
heads all over to
tighten skin and
relax muscles, or
post–body oil to
work product in.
Caw Rose Quartz
Acupressure
Roller, $49.95

Skin
Quencher

Tasmanian
spring water and
fermented sea
kelp renew skin.
Sand & Sky
Tasmanian
Spring Water
Wonder Body
Lotion, $66.90

Scrub
Star
Coffee
exfoliates,
while natural
oils, manuka
honey,
hyaluronic
acid and
vitamin E
nourish.
Bean Body
Bee My
Man-uka Body
Scrub, $22

8

STILL-LIFE PHOTOGR APHY: JOHN RINTOUL

Good Brush

Dry body
brushing
boosts
circulation,
plus it can also
lightly exfoliate
your skin and
make it smooth
and glowy.
Manicare Dry
Body Brush,
$16.99

4

Heavy-Duty
Hydrator
Plant proteins,
with vitamins C,
E and B5, offer
a surge of
hydration for
super dry and
scaly skin.
Jergens Ultra
Healing Body
Balm, $6.99

7 65
Go-To Tool

All-Over Oil

This plant-based
jojoba and
baobab oil is
perfect for
when your skin
needs a little
love – you can
also massage it
into the ends of
your hair. Nice.
Ingredients
Body Oil, $59

Use this like
you would a
gua sha tool
on your face,
applying
substantial
pressure with
repeated firm
strokes. Done.
Salt By
Hendrix Cloud
Gua Sha,
$34.95

Top Buffer
The combo of
glycolic and
lactic acid with
pumice beads
leaves skin
crazily smooth.
First Aid Beauty
KP Bump
Eraser Body
Scrub, $43 wh

SE P TE MB ER 2 021 wom enshe alt h.com. a u 63

SKIN
SCIENCE

Skincare maximalism was once the norm, but
for the sake of your shelf space – and your
wallet – it’s time to consider quality over
quantity. The key? Understanding how to layer
ingredients. Allow us to guide you through a
way more fun version of chemistry class
By Kristina Rodulfo

6 4 wo me n she a lt h .co m .a u SE PTE M B ER 202 1

Dream Teams

skin fitness

PRIORITISE THESE
POWER PAIRINGS FOR
GLOWIER, HEALTHIER
AND HAPPIER SKIN...

Back to
(s k i n)
school

Salicylic Acid
+ Niacinamide

Anyone who’s ever
had a breakout (*raises
hand*) is familiar with
salicylic acid. It treats
acne by targeting and
removing both oil and
dead-skin-cell debris
from pores, but this type
of acid exfoliation can
lead to irritation. Here’s
where niacinamide
(a.k.a. vitamin B3)
comes in. Dermatologist
Dhaval Bhanusali adds
it to patients’ routines
because “it’s a great antiinflammatory that can
help adjust the irritation
of many strong topicals.”
And it matches well with
salicylic acid because
“they both work toward
the same end goal of
treating pigmentation
and evening skin tone,”

65

says fellow derm Tiffany
Libby. Use something
like Paula’s Choice 2%
BHA Liquid Exfoliant,
$38.01. Then slather on a
serum such as Aesthetics
Rx B Serum Hydrate &
Volumise, $109. Nice.

Retinoids +
Ceramides
tamin C +
in E

66 wom e n s h ea lt h.co m. a u S E PTE MB E R 2021

BEFORE YOU GO
ALL MATCH-MAKER
SCIENTIST, KEEP THESE
GUIDELINES IN MIND...

Don’t…
assume extra
exfoliation is
a good thing
Doubling up on your
resurfacing ingredients
like retinol and chemical
exfoliants “can cause
flaking, redness and even
burns,” Bhanusali warns.
To start, it’s safest to use
alpha hydroxy acids (like
glycolic) or beta hydroxy
acids (like salicylic) twice
a week, but not on the
same nights that you use
a retinol. One exception is
lactic acid, which is more
hydrating than the rest.

ADDITIONAL WORDS: IANTHA YU PHOTOGR APHY: FLORIAN SOMMET/ TRUNK ARCHIVE;
STILL LIFE PHOTOGR APHY: JOHN RINTOUL

MVPs,
vitamin C tops the list.
nt
helps protect against
the
culprit behind visible
ve
“It’s
n
es
our skin support and
structure to combat
fine lines and wrinkles,”
Libby says. She suggests
pairing it with another
antioxidant powerhouse,
vitamin E. “When
formulated together,
they work to make each
other’s benefits more
potent,” she reveals.
“Vitamin E makes vitamin
C four times stronger.”
Wow! Do yourself a
a bottle
bines the
like Olay
namide +
er Serum,
ns C and E
to increase
r your skin
ray–induced
on’t forget
need to wear
y, though.)

Steer Clear

The first in this couple
does everything from
fading discolouration
to preventing wrinkles
– but retinoids are also
known to be drying.
Stop sensitivity before it
starts by making a double
skincare “sandwich”:
apply moisturiser, apply
a retinoid, then apply
moisturiser again. The
stacking “helps the
retinoid penetrate deeper
into the skin to work
its magic,” says Libby.
And any of those earlier
annoying side effects can
be nixed by ceramides
(naturally occurring lipids)
in a moisturiser. “Our
skin’s barrier relies on
lipids to remain healthy,
plump and capable of
holding in moisture,”
Libby explains. You lose
those lipids over the
years, but applying them
topically helps to rebuild
that “glue” between
cells. Try CeraVe Facial
Moisturising Lotion,
$22.99, on for size.

skin fitness

Don’t…
go OTT
with active
ingredients
The bottom line: too
much of a good thing is
a bad thing – so beware
of layering many potent
picks. Libby sees patients
using a glycolic acid
cleanser followed by a
glycolic acid cream, for
example, which is “a sure
way to irritate your skin.”
What would that look
like? Redness and flaking,
with your face stinging.
When in doubt, introduce
just one active-boosted
product at a time. Easy!

Don’t… mix
up your ace
acne fighter

Go with
the skin
flow

All those benefits from
vitamin C? You might
undo them with a popular
acne-fighting ingredient,
benzoyl peroxide. “It can
destabilise vitamin C, so
they shouldn’t be used in
succession,” Libby tips. A
common mistake is using a
BP cleanser, then applying
vitamin C. “Use the BP
cleanser at night and then
vitamin C in the morning.”
Smart skin advice! wh

“WHEN
FORMULATED
TOGETHER,
THEY
WORK TO
MAKE EACH
OTHER’S
BENEFITS
MORE POTENT
– VITAMIN
E MAKES
VITAMIN C
FOUR TIMES
STRONGER”

67

The ne
Photography by Steven Chee
St yling by Charlot te Stokes

THE
LEGGINGS
“ While it ’s cold,
get more wear
our of your
statement skirts
by layering over
leggings. Make
sure they’re long
enough to be
seen and work
back with other
sporty pieces.”

Jaggad Palisades
Batwing Spray
jacket, $189.95,
Essential Aurora
Pink sports bra,
$69.95, and
Palisades Reflect
7/8 eco leggings,
$139.95; Mes
Demoiselles Luxor
skirt, $317, from
H&B Fashion; Veja
x Rick Owens
Runner Style 2
trainers, $405

68

sports luxe

style

Work these
hero athleisure
pieces into
wardrobe with
clever, stylistapproved tips

THE
SPORTY
DRESS
“This sportsluxe style can
be mixed into
your Monday to
Friday wardrobe
by layering a
crisp white shirt
underneath and
pairing with
cute flats.”

Aje Athletica
Signature Logo
Neoprene dress,
$245, and Classic
Neoprene bomber
jacket, $275;
Country Road
Modern shirt, $119

SEPT EM B ER 2021 wo menshe alth.co m.a u 69

style

THE
BIKE
SHORTS
“Bike shorts
worn under
a mini gives
a ’90 look
and makes
shorter skirts
wearable for
w h e n eve r.”

Russell Athletic
Double Play
crew jumper,
$99.99, and
Overule bike
shorts, $59.99;
SIR. Oli mini
skirt, $250;
Asics Pace low
socks, $6; New
Balance 327
trainers, $140

70

THE
YOGA SET
“ Te a m t h i s s u p e r
comfy set with an
oversized denim
jacket on the
weekend or after
the gym so you
can just get on
with your day.”

Calvin Klein 90s
denim jacket, $199;
Nagnata Colour
Block bralet, $200,
and Retro shorts,
$225; The Upside
Montay Cropped
Alena crew jumper
(worn around
waist), $149.99

SE P TE M BER 2021 womens he alth.co m.a u 7 1

THE
SNEAKERS
“Give your
tailored
pieces a
sporty edge
by adding
a statement
s n e a k e r. Yo u
get much
more done
in kicks than
a killer heel.”

Aje Fortuity
blazer, $495,
and Fortuity
pants, $295;
Running Bare
Power Up
longline sports
bra, $79.99;
Lululemon
Power Stride
socks, $19; New
Balance 327
trainers, $140

72

style

THE
CROP TOP
“This season’s
versatile knitted
dresses are great
dressed up for
d i n n e r, o r d re s s
them down by
layering your
statement crop
tops underneath
for an effortless
sports-luxe look.”

Bec + Bridge Luka
knit maxi dress,
$380; The Upside
Miramar Candice
sports bra, $99,
and Miramar Spin
shorts, $109.99;
Asics Cricket Elite
socks, $30; Veja
x Rick Owens
Runner Style 2
trainers, $405

SE P TE MB E R 2 021 womenshea lt h.com .a u 73

THE
TR ACKPANTS
“Dress this
casual style up

gym. Add extra
polish with a
c a s u a l b l aze r.”

COS cotton
blazer, $290;
SIR. Audrey
crop top,
$180; Calvin
Klein Pride
asymmetrical
bodysuit, $119;
Venroy women’s
trackpants,
$140; Stripey
Lululemon
Power Stride
socks, $19; Dr
Martens Jadon
boots, $319.99

74

HAIR AND MAKE-UP:JOEL PHILLIPS/ VIVIENS CREATIVE. MODEL: ANNA K /CHIC

by teaming with
boots rather than
trainers when
you’re not on
your way to the

style

THE
WINDBREAKER
“For an easy
everyday go-to,
this statement
piece looks great
tucked into highwaisted jeans and
zipped low to
show some skin.”

Tommy Jeans
Colour-blocked
Tommy Vadge
windbreaker
jacket, $249; Aje
Freecycle jeans,
$295. wh

SEPT EMB ER 202 1 wo me nshea lth.com .au 75

The
Heart
Doctor
Will See You Now
Thought heart disease was just
a bloke’s issue? Not so much.
Join us on a mission to take our
ticker health seriously – starting
this powerful new pump protocol
that even fit, healthy women
should know. You’re welcome!
By Cat Rodie

76

health

S E PT EMB ER 202 1 wome nshea lt h.com. a u 7 7

My name is Cat. I do
three HIIT classes a
week, walk 7km a day
and get up early for
Sunday morning yoga.
I don’t smoke, I don’t
drink alcohol and
I’ve never had high
cholesterol. Oh, and I
also have premature
heart disease – really.
Although I don’t tick many of the
risk factor boxes, I do tick one, and
it’s a biggie: genetics. My dad died
from a sudden heart attack at the
age of 50. My dad’s dad also died
of a heart attack, as did my dad’s
dad’s dad. My cardiologist describes
this as “an alarming family history.”
Despite knowing this, I didn’t pursue
a heart check up until I turned 43.
Lulled by the false narrative that
heart disease is a men’s issue, I just
didn’t think too much about it.
Turns out many women make the
same assumption. “When anyone
thinks of heart disease, it isn’t a
female image that comes to mind,”
says Julie Anne Mitchell, director
of health strategy at the Australian
Heart Foundation. “The classic
Hollywood heart attack image is a
man falling to the ground clutching
his chest.” In non-movie reality,
ticker problems don’t discriminate.
Ready for some eye-opening stats?
“Heart disease is a leading cause
of death for Australian women,”
Mitchell says. “In fact, more than
twice as many women will die of
it than breast cancer.” (Side note:
while women can experience the
classic chest pain during a heart
attack, it can also present as arm,
neck, shoulder and upper stomach
pain, as well as shortness of breath,
nausea, sweating and fatigue.)
When my uncle survived a heart
attack in 2020, he told me to get
checked out. My GP referred me

78

to a cardiologist and,
just weeks later, I was
laying on a table having
sticky electrodes fixed
to my chest. Initially the
prognosis looked good.
The echo cardiogram
didn’t show any obvious
blockages; the halter
monitor didn’t flag any signs of
arrhythmia; and my cholesterol
got a gold star. But given my family
history, my cardiologist decided to
order a CT scan of my heart.
I’m glad she was cautious; the
scan showed two blockages in
my arteries. I’d walked into the
appointment expecting to get
the all clear, so it was a bit of a
bombshell. Even my cardiologist
was shocked. The diagnosis
means that I can keep on top
of my heart health. My arteries
can’t be unblocked, but by taking
statins I can make sure the current
blockages don’t get any worse.
Honestly, I’m lucky. But it could
have been a very different story.
Dr Clare Arnott, a cardiologist
and conjoint senior lecturer in the
Faculty of Medicine at UNSW, tells
me heart disease is simply not
on the agenda for the majority
of us. “Data suggests women
have low awareness of the
risk factors for heart disease
and many do not know they
possess those risk factors,”
she explains. “This
translates into clinical care
too, with women 12 per
cent less likely to have a
heart screen in general
practice than men.”
So, what does all this
mean for you? While it’s
important to understand
the risks, there are plenty
of things you can do to show
your heart some love. Here’s the
expert- and science-backed intel
you need to get your ticker on track.

health

Look After Your Mind
Decode
Your Risk

First off, track down the
Heart Age Calculator over at
heartfoundation.org.au – it
weighs up risk factors, such as
weight, cholesterol and blood
pressure, as well as lifestyle
habits such as smoking and
alcohol intake. “[The calculator]
gives you an approximation of
what your heart age is compared
to your actual age,” says Mitchell.
“[It can be a trigger] to think, ‘Oh,
my heart age is a bit higher than
my actual one. Maybe I should
see my doctor and talk about
my personal risk in more detail’.”
Dr Ashlea Broomfield, a GP and
spokesperson for The Royal
Australian College of General
Practitioners, adds that it’s wise
to seek advice, especially if you
have a family history of heart
disease – particularly immediate
family members, grandparents,
uncles and aunts. And FYI, if
you have more than 45 candles
on your birthday cake (or more
than 30 for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander women),
you’re advised to have an annual
ticker check. Life stage and
medical history play a role, too:
pregnancy complications, like
pre-eclampsia or gestational
diabetes, can increase the risk of
heart disease later in life, while
the risk also increases around
menopause – scientists reckon
that one’s down to the drop in
oestrogen levels at that time.

Permission to Netflix and chill,
granted. Some relaxation habits
(think: smoking, boozing and
too many takeouts) can add up
to bad news for your heart. So,
it’s no surprise that Broomfield,
whose own self-care strategies
include meditation, exercise and
downtime, is keen to emphasise
the importance of managing
our stress levels. Similarly, social
connection is vital: a 2020 study
from the University of British
Columbia found that middle aged
and older women who lacked
social ties were more likely than
men to suffer from high blood
pressure. Bonding time doesn’t
just have to be the human kind: an
Uppsala University team tracked
the health of dog owners over 12

years and discovered that having
a furball was linked to a lower risk
of death due to cardiovascular
disease, especially for people living
alone – likely because of the social
contact and increased physical
activity (Fido ain’t gonna walk
himself, after all). Those walkies
score you extra time outside, which
is another happy-heart winner:
people who spend more time in
green spaces have significantly
reduced risks for chronic illnesses
including coronary heart disease,
according to analysis published
in Environmental Research. And
you’ve heard of forest bathing?
It’s credited with helping to lower
blood pressure, cholesterol and
stress. A large dose of vitamin N
(that’s nature), coming right up.

Your Smart Watch
Data, Explained
RESTING
HEART RATE
WHAT IT MEANS:
How many times your
heart beats per minute.
The very fit have RHRs
as low as 40, but
60-100 is normal.
USE IT: Regular cardio
will improve the score.
If it’s 15-20 beats
higher in the morning,
that may mean you’re
not recovering fully
from workouts.

ACTIVE HOURS
WHAT IT MEANS:
When you’re not
moving, blood
pressure goes up
and inflammation
starts to increase.
USE IT: If you have
a desk job, get these
numbers up. Stand
up every 45 minutes
and do something:
squat, climb some
stairs, or walk down
a corridor and back.

Your wearable tracker
is a deep well of
knowledge: you just
need to know how
to read it. Here’s
cardiologist Dr Aaron
Baggish with your
y

60

8

25

150

HEART RATE
RECOVERY
WHAT IT MEANS:
How quickly your
heart rate drops
after you smash out
exercise. The more
consistently you
,
your HRR will be.
USE IT: It’s a useful
indicator of cardio
fitness. A drop of 20
beats in the first two
minutes is normal.

SLEEP
DURATION
WHAT IT MEANS:
The heart never fully
rests, but sleep is the
closest we can get.
USE IT: Peeps who
regularly sleep
less than six hours
are 27 per cent
more likely to have
plaque-laden
arteries than those
who get seven to
eight. Good to know!

S E PTE M BER 2021 wo menshea lth.com . au 79

Get Set...
Sweat!

Cardio – the clue is in the name!
Staying active is a crucial move for
your heart health and, rather than
being too prescriptive, the golden
rule is to keep it simple. “Try to
exercise on most days for at least
45 minutes,” suggests exercise
scientist Jane Kilkenny. “Combine
longer-duration lower-intensity
workouts with shorter-duration highintensity ones for both cardio and
strength training. Keep challenging
your body to keep your heart health
on track.” Get your heart rate up by
washing the car, climbing stairs or
carrying groceries – 2019 research
published in the British Journal of
Sports Medicine found that just
10 minutes a day of high intensity
incidental physical activity (HIIPA)
can yield significant health benefits.
Show your fitness tracker some
love, too. “Tracking your heart rate
is an excellent way to measure your
exercise intensity,” tips Kilkenny.
“Your resting heart rate and also
recovery rates are a great indication
of your fitness level.” Check out p79
to demystify that tracker data.

4
Environmental
noise (traffic,
planes and so
on) is more than
just an irritation.
When researchers
studied nearly
500 adults and
where they lived
over five years,
they discovered
that every fivedecibel increase
in the average
24-hour noise
level was linked
with a 34 per cent
uptick in heart
problems. Time
to dig out those
noise-cancelling
headphones.

Get Clued Up
On Cholesterol
You know, the fat-like substance
that circulates in our blood. We
need some to build cells and make
hormones, but off-kilter levels are
a risk factor for – you guessed it –
heart disease. Chat with your GP
about what’s best for you. If that
includes lowering your cholesterol,
what’s on your plate can improve
things in six to eight weeks. Lana
Hirth, an accredited practising
dietitian and nutritionist, says,
“To optimise someone’s levels,
I’m looking to increase the ‘good’
cholesterol (HDL-C) and decrease
the ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL-C), by
including more fibre, healthy fats

80

SOURCE: EUROPEAN
HEART JOURNAL

and plant sterols, while reducing
saturated fat from the likes of
red meat, coconut oil and butter.
Losing just 5 per cent of your body
weight can help.” As for those
headlines you read about eggs?
While there is cholesterol in some
foods, it’s not something to worry
about. (Foods high in sat fat are
more problematic.) If you’re at risk
of heart disease, limit your egg
intake to seven a week, tips Hirth.
“Put heart disease on your
agenda,” urges Arnott. “Advocate
for yourself and the women in your
life. Ask your doctor for a heart
assessment.” That’s advice to love.

health

Meet the
ticker-loving
smoothie
Try this hearthealthy recipe
from sports
nutritionist Chris
Mohr. Just throw
everything in a
blender and blitz
until smooth
MILK, 200ml
People who average two portions of
dairy per day appear to have a lower
risk of heart disease than those who
avoid it, The Lancet reports. If you’re
plant-based, look for a blend
fortified with vitamin D. Simple!

SPINACH, a handful
Researchers at Linköping University
in Sweden linked markers of heart
disease with low levels of the
antioxidant lutein. Raw greens are
a top source. Spinach is also rich
in vitamin K, which may inhibit
artery calcium deposits.

BLUEBERRIES, 80g
High levels of anthocyanin, the
pigment that gives the berries their
colour, are linked with more robust
heart health. Blueberries also contain
pterostilbene, a compound that may
help to reduce blood pressure.

BANANA, ½
Your heart needs potassium
to trigger the contractions that
move blood. Boosting your
potassium intake could be as
important for blood pressure
management as limiting salt.

ADDITIONAL WORDS: MEN’S HEALTH (TICKER-LOVING SMOOTHIE).
PHOTOGR APHY: GREGORY REID; ADAM VOORHES;
GET T Y IMAGES; GREGORY REID; TED &CHELSEA CAVANAUGH

PROTEIN POWDER, a scoop
Protein helps you avoid the crash
by slowing the absorption of sugar.
Soy and whey also contain leucine,
which supports muscle – in turn
reducing your heart attack risk.

WALNUTS, 4, crushed
These provide more plant-based
omega-3 fats than any other nut,
curbing blood-vessel-damaging
inflammation. A Journal of
Nutrition study found that
swapping saturated fats for
walnuts improved blood pressure.

GROUND FLAXSEED, 1tbs
As well as offering a pinch of
protein, flaxseed is rich in soluble
fibre. This reduces LDL cholesterol
(the “bad” kind) by binding to it in
the small intestine and ushering it
away from your bloodstream. wh

SE PTE M BER 2021 wo me nsh ea lth.com . au 8 1

THE
By Molly Creeden
Photography by D ennis Leupold

Between
first-time
motherhood
and a lifealtering
pandemic,
Shay Mitchell
find a new
normal. But
about her
experience
and getting
back to
movement,
she found a
fresh flow, and
she’s now an
even better
parent, partner
and person
82

WAY

c ove r s to r y

Shay wears Blanc
Noir spray jacket,
blancnoirusa.
com; Nike Swim
top and shorts,
nikeswim.com

SEP TEM BE R 2 021 wom ens healt h.co m.a u 8 3

“I’M VERY
GRATEFUL
FOR MY
BODY, AND
THAT IT
GAVE LIFE”

Norma Kamali
swimsuit, norma
kamali.com; Lady
Grey earrings and
rings, ladygrey
jewelry.com; Fallon
necklace, fallon
jewelry.com

84

c ove r s to r y

In the first year and
a half of her life,
Shay Mitchell’s
daughter, Atlas Noa
Babel, learned how
to crawl, walk,
wave, point to birds
in the sky, pick up
rocks and offer
them as presents,
eat spinach off her
parents’ plates and
parrot things her
mother says, like:
“I don’t knoooow!”
It took that same
time period, one and
a half years, during
which her baby has
changed countless
times, for Shay to
finally feel like her
pre-pregnant self.
“I hit the pause button,”
she says of the confluence
of a newborn, a pandemic
and a life devoid of travel
and social activities. The
actress felt lucky to be
present with her partner,
Matte, and Atlas, who
was five months old when
the pandemic ramped
up, yet she was also
unmotivated. “I was like,
‘Well, what am I getting
ready for?’” she says,

reflecting on how little
she moved. Atlas wasn’t
mobile, so Shay spent
a lot of time with her on
the floor. “Everything
just went whoooomp,”
she says, articulating the
slowed pace of pretty
much everything.
In January, it was a
partnership with fitness
platform Openfit – in
which she and friend
Stephanie Shepherd
committed to working
out five days a week for
four weeks via classes
on the app – that made
her take stock. Part of
what attracted her to
the partnership was
that she would have
to treat working out
like a job. Twenty days
of accountability. “It
changed everything,”
the 34-year-old says of
finally feeling like herself
again. “I had way more
energy; I don’t have five
cups of coffee anymore. I
can sound preachy when
I’m talking about it, but it
totally altered my year.”
But then the Internet
came for her. Shay posted
a photo to Instagram,
showing split screens
of her body before she
committed to the plan
and after. She wrote that
she felt more “healthy,
energetic and engaged.”
The comments popped
off. People alleged that
this was merely the same
photo taken from two
different angles; that she
was criticising people for
being overweight; that
she wasn’t grateful for
her post-baby body. It
bothered Shay, because
she was proud of the
work she had put in –
and in her view, she was

promoting health, not
vanity. “Right after I had
Atlas, if I ever made
a comment about how
I didn’t feel like myself,
people were like, ‘Well,
you just had a baby.’
Yeah, I know I just had a
baby,” she says pointedly,
adding. “I’m very grateful
for my body, and that
it gave life, but I’m still
allowed to express that
I don’t feel like myself.”

FINDING
STRENGTH
Shay dealt with
prepartum depression
while carrying Atlas
and being open taught
her that honesty about
motherhood is the only
way. “I was strong before
I had Atlas, and I wanted
to feel that way after,”
explains Shay. “We
celebrate our bodies
before we’re pregnant;
we celebrate our bodies
with bumps. We should
also celebrate our bodies
at whatever point we
feel our best again.”
Trainer Kelsey Heenan
led Shay and Stephanie
through a mix of cardio
and strength training that
changed daily. They did
HIIT workouts, EMOMs
(every minute on the
minute), jump squats,
arm and leg raises, and
squat presses. “For me,
it was always about a

S EP TEM BE R 2 02 1 wom en she alt h.co m.a u 8 5

NOURISHING
BOTH MIND
AND BODY
These were the kinds of
discussions Shay didn’t
think about when she
was pregnant; even
18 months in, she still has
moments of disbelief that
she is someone’s mother.
“To be honest, I think
it was attached to my
prepartum depression,”
she says of realising that
the life she lived was
going to be put to rest…
and that this was OK. Her
doula told her, “A new
version of you will be
birthed with this baby.” In
other words, “Yes, you are
going to lose something
– but what you gain,
obviously, is so worth it.”
Shay’s prepartum
struggles were helped

86 wom en s he a lt h .co m. a u S EP T EM BE R 2021

in part by talking to
friends. “And then, of
course, seeing Atlas for
the first time, I forgot
everything,” she says.
(By “everything,” she is
referring to hormonefuelled tears, fatigue
and hands so swollen
they wouldn’t close.)
“Moments after she was
born, I said to Matte,
‘OK, I’m ready to do
this again!’” For the
moment, however, it’s
just the three of them.
And Shay continues to
focus on getting back to
herself, which includes
nourishing her body
through “healthy-ish”
eating. “I wish I could
say it was all quinoa,
salmon and asparagus,
but it’s not,” she says. She
starts the day with water
and lemon, followed by
the “perfect breakfast
quesadilla” from TikTok:
eggs, spinach, cheese
and olive oil. She has a
snack around 11am; at
her parents’, it’s fruit
– mango, grapefruit,
strawberries. For lunch,
she has soup, something
like pho, or chicken and
macaroni. Then there will
be cheese and vegetables
and a glass of wine
around 4pm. Shay eats
dinner at 6:30, usually
a balance of starch and
vegetables, like noodles
and vegies, with a
salad. For dessert, it’s
two caramel-chocolate
cookies or some choccovered almonds.
Now that she’s
harnessed this sense
of balance, what will
life be like for Shay as
everything opens back
up? She’ll be happy to be

around co-workers in real
life or to meet up with
friends for a cycling class.
She’ll follow her curiosity,
whether that means
making a bucket list of
places to show Atlas;
overseeing the look and
feel of two companies
she co-founded, Beis
and Onda; or voicing the
protagonist in Netflix’s
adaptation of the Filipino
graphic novel Trese.
“People are like, ‘Why?’
and I’m like, ‘Well, why
not?’” she says of jumping
into a variety of projects,
adding, “Look, I have one
life to live. I don’t want
to say, ‘What if?’” wh
If you want advice and
support around perinatal
anxiety and depression,
contact PANDA via
panda.org.au and national
helpline 1300 726 306.

FASHION DIREC TOR: KRISTEN SAL ADINO. ST YLING: MONICA ROSE

deadlift,” Shay says.
“Getting up to 50 pounds
[around 22 kilos] was a
boss move. I was really
proud of myself.” She can
now do pushups and has
added a “life-changing”
roster of stretches –
spidermans, thoracic
rotations and arm sweeps
– to her post-workout
routine. Occasionally,
she’ll supplement with
rope jumping or hikes in
Vancouver, where she’s
spent much of the past
year hanging with her
parents and benefiting
from their childcare.
Vancouver is where
I reach her when we talk
about her newfound
fitness routine, but also
about the mood at her
parents’ house. The day
before, eight people in
Atlanta – six of them
Asian women – died in
a shooting. Shay, whose
mother is Filipino and
father is white, saw some
of her own experience
reflected in the wave of
Asian American racism
plaguing the US. “It’s
something my mum has
dealt with her whole life,”
Shay reveals. “When she
and my dad were dating in
the 1980s in Toronto, their
relationship was looked
down upon. On the bus
with my dad, she would
get the worst looks. They
would tell me about going
into a restaurant and
people not serving them.
I also saw it in real life,”
she continues. “My mum

would get derogatory
remarks like, ‘Are you
the cleaning lady? Are
you the nanny?’ And she
was like, ‘No, but what is
your issue if I was?’” Shay
wasn’t spared either, she
reveals. “In school I was
bullied – I’d get questions
like, ‘Are you going to go
clean the bathrooms?’”
It’s something she
thinks about from a
different perspective now
as she parents a mixedrace child. “Matte is half
white – his dad is from
Trinidad – and Atlas is a
mix of all of us. But she’s
very fair-skinned and
has light eyes and hair,
so she doesn’t look like
either of us,” Shay says.
“We’re learning how to
have those appropriate
conversations. It starts
with her dolls, with the
toys she plays with, and
the books we read to her,
that have all different
colours and ethnicities.”

c ove r s to r y

“I was strong
before I had
Atlas, and I
wanted to
feel that
way after”

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87

REV
UP
YOUR
PLATE
Boost your health goals with the help
of these metabolism-firing,
performance-enhancing edibles
By Mark Bailey

A fit and healthy
body isn’t built by
workouts alone. Of
course you know
that nutrition really
matters. But what
you might not know?
Certain foods can
help you train harder,
burn fat faster and
sculpt muscle more
easily – so stock up
on the following fare
that’ll help you to
smash those goals…

88

we i g h t l o s s

Meat
your
match

01

Be lean on
creatine

KEY
F FAT SLAYERS

S

L

To fire up your metabolism

S STAMINA SAVERS
To take you all the way

MACHINES
L LEAN
To increase muscle mass
BOOSTERS
M MENTAL
To firm up your focus

This humble power player
can be overlooked for
women. “Creatine plays
a role in the regulation of
energy,” explains Chloe
McLeod, an advanced
sports dietitian and
co-founder of Health
& Performance Collective.
“Increased creatine stores
may help the body resist
fatigue, which can lead to
performance improvement.
[It can also help] those
doing resistance training
to increase lean muscle
mass.” Meat and fish are
also sources but if you're
supplementing, “a loading
then maintenance phase
is required,” tips McLeod.
“Think a five-day loading
period where a larger
quantity is consumed,
followed by a lower daily
maintenance dose.
Creatine monohydrate is
the best supplemental
form. Look for a reputable
brand without any of
the unnecessary fillers.”

SEPT EMB ER 2021 wo mensh ea lth.com. au 89

SPICE
THINGS
UP

Strike a
balance

F

Incorporate cinnamon,
cayenne pepper
and ginger into your
recipes and you’ll reap
the benefits. “They
have a thermogenic
effect, which increases
energy expenditure
and fat oxidation [a
key process in energy
production], and
reduces your body’s
propensity to store
fat by regulating
your insulin levels,”
explains nutritionist
Matt Lovell. Just a
teaspoon of cinnamon
or 14g of cayenne
pepper is enough
to kick-start that
thermogenic effect.

03
Get
herbal
clarity
S

M

Not a latte lover? Swap a
pre-workout coffee for
a yerba mate tea: it also
contains caffeine (less than
coffee but more than
regular tea) so a cup may
help improve your focus
and performance so you
can really nail that squat
set. Get your fix with the
likes of T2 Yerba Mate
Loose Leaf, $3, t2tea.com.

90

ENJOY A
JAVA JOLT
S

Coventry University pros discovered
that recreational cyclists who drank
caffeinated coffee one hour before a
5km ride scored better times by an
average of 1.7 per cent compared with a
placebo group. “Caffeine is a stimulant
that can reduce the perception of effort
of exercise – essentially this means that
you can push harder, for less perceived
effort,” explains McLeod. “If caffeine
causes you to feel jittery and anxious,
it may not be the best choice, so just
be mindful of how you react to it.
Caffeine impacts sleep, too, so I usually
recommend not having it after 2pm.”

we i g h t l o s s

05
Olive it up
S

“Kalamata olives are a top
source of the polyphenol
hydroxytyrosol, which
triggers the synthesis of
mitochondria, the battery
packs in cells that convert
fuel into energy,” says
sports scientist Tim
Lawson. Pop 10 olives into
your salad at lunch. It’ll add
2.7g monounsaturated fat
to fuel your arvo workout.
Leaf it
alone

08

Say cheese

06

L

Be a chia
feeder
F

Turns out chia seeds are
weight-loss superheroes.
“These high-fibre seeds up
your satiety and slow carb
absorption,” Lovell says.
Ideal, since excess carbs are
stored as fat. Try whizzing
some with watermelon for
a smoothie. The versatile
seeds also help to guard
against dehydration, while
watermelon has been shown
to help reduce post-workout
DOMS, thanks to its high
levels of the amino acid
L-citrulline. Sweet relief.

POWER UP
ON PLANTS
S

In 100g of celery, there are 250mg
of nitrates. Why care? Nitrates widen
your blood vessels, sending oxygen to
your muscles and delaying exhaustion.
Studies show that you need to consume
300mg to 500mg of nitrates preworkout to reap the benefits. Can’t
stomach celery? There are more than
400mg nitrates in 100g spinach,

M

Reacquaint yourself with
cottage cheese. It’s a great
low-fat, high-protein food
as well as a rich source of
calcium, which your muscles
need a constant supply of to
be able to contract (more
cheese = more burpees).
Yes, it’ll feel like you’re in
’80s diet nirvana (pull on
leg warmers to complete
the picture), but a serving
of this retro dairy product
also contains the amino
acid tyrosine. Research by
the US Army suggests that
tyrosine may improve
cognitive performance in
stressful situations. Sure,
you’re not going to war, but
repeated mountain climbers
can be stressful, right?

S EPT EMB E R 2021 wo me nshea lth.com.au 91

we i g h t l o s s

09

Splash out
on goat’s
milk
M
Stressed? If you find
yourself skipping workouts
for a glass of nerve-calming
wine far too often, start
splashing goat’s milk
into your smoothies. The
amino acid tryptophan is
an essential precursor for
mood-boosting serotonin,
and goat’s milk boasts
significantly more of the
stuff than the bovine
alternative. It also
helps you unwind
if a workout has
left you wired.

Bonus
upgrade

MAKE BIG
GRAINS

A few extra
tricks to support
your efforts

L

It’s innocuous-looking, but quinoa has
a secret – it’s packed with a naturally
occurring steroid called ecdysterone.
Think that’s just for getting Arnie-like
muscles? Think again. The more lean
mass (read: muscle) you have, the more
of a kilojoule-burning powerhouse
you become. A 2019 study by Freie
Universität Berlin in Germany found that
athletes who consumed ecdysterone (via
a food extract) over a 10-week period
enjoyed greater muscle gains than those
who received a placebo. Oh, and did we
mention quinoa is also a rich source of
protein and fibre? Winner winner!

EAT AT THE
TABLE
Everyone loves
a TV dinner, but
munching while
distracted can
drown out your
belly’s “stop
eating now”
messages, so you
consume more
than you need,
according to a
study in the
journal Appetite.

SLEEP ON IT

Tune in to
turmeric
F

S

L

Got a lunchtime kettlebell session in the
pipeline? Eat a dollop of ricotta midmorning. The creamy cheese contains
the amino acid glutamine, which can
raise levels of human growth hormone
(HGH) within 90 minutes, according to
a small study in the American Journal
Of Clinical Nutrition. This means that
you’ll get more effective lean muscle
gains from your session. Nice one.

92 wo m ens he a lt h.co m.a u S E P TE M B ER 2 02 1

“Turmeric is a wonder spice
that helps burn fat and
reduce muscle soreness,
but it can also have really
important effects on
mood,” according to sports
scientist Tim Lawson. One
study revealed that the
curcumin found in turmeric
can boost alertness within
60 minutes, so you can hit
the HIIT in storming form.

PLAN AHEAD
Think about how
to manage
temptations that
may derail your
efforts in advance,
suggest University
of Wyoming
experts. If that
means popping
some nutritionpacked snacks
in your bag so
you swerve the
vending machine,
or choosing a
brunch spot with
a healthier menu,
then go for it. wh

ADDITIONAL WORDS: ALEX DAVIES. PHOTOGR APHY:ADAM VOORHES;
JONATHON K AMBOURIS /GALLERY STOCK; SHUT TERSTOCK; BEN GOLDSTEIN/STUDIO D

SPOON
A LOTTA
RICOTTA

12

It’s worth
prioritising your
shuteye and
brushing up on
those bedtime
habits. A lack of
sleep can trigger
increased levels of
ghrelin, the
hunger hormone.

The easy
way to
healthy

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fitness

Workout
routine:
upgraded

Want to know the secret to moving
like a superhero for years to come?
Two words for you: Power training
Photography By Robbie Fimmano
B y L a u r e n D e l Tu r c o

SEPTEM B ER 2 02 1 wo m ens heal th.com .au 95

When you think about
power in a sport sense,
what comes to mind?
Basketball players jumping
sky-high and sprinters
exploding off starting
lines? Well, truth is, you
don’t have to be a pro
athlete (we’re all athletes!)
to reap the rewards of
training this way.
“Power training is
essentially overcoming
resistance as quickly
as possible,” says
certified strength and
conditioning specialist
Mel Herl. This means
that working to boost
your power is less about
what you do and more
about how quickly you
do it. Instead of teaching
your muscles only to
get bigger and stronger,
power work enhances the
neuromuscular system,
which sends signals
from your brain to your

96

T The
R Amethods
I N I forN developing
G T A Sserious
TES
voltage fall into three buckets

01
PLYO

02
BALLISTIC

03
DYNAMIC

Plyometrics (also
called jump training)
challenges your
fast-twitch muscle
fibres, which are
responsible for
explosive movements,
by forcing them to
stretch and contract
quickly. All sorts of
explosive jumps,
hops, and quick agility
moves that involve
fast feet or changes in
direction fit the bill.

While in plyo your
body actually leaves
the ground, in
trajectory or ballistic
work the focus is on
your ability to move
or even launch an
object (like a
medicine ball) as
hard or far as
possible, says Wilson.
Two examples: wall
balls (in which you
throw the ball) and
kettlebell swings.

In this training,
you tweak your
approach to typical
strength moves and
use a moderate
weight − 50 to 60
per cent of your
one-rep max (the
most you can lift for
a single rep) − to tap
into your intensity.
So you might lower
down slowly into a
weighted squat and
then rocket up.

muscles so your body
can respond to a stimulus
and jump into action
more efficiently, says
Herl. When you work on
box jumps, for instance,
the message passing
from your mind to the leg
muscles that propel you
off the floor gets faster.
As a result, power
work improves not
only your reaction time
but also your balance,
coordination, and overall
performance, says PT
Danyele Wilson, whose
power workouts generate
lots of buzz on Instagram
(@danyelewilson). So
whether it’s tripping
over your dog or almost
missing a curb on a run,
everyday situations are
what power training
prepares you for.
And that’s just one
reason Wilson refers
to developing power
as “training for life.”
Since power training
is higher in intensity,
you reap cardiovascular
endurance benefits. Oh,
and did we mention it’s

also hella good for your
joints? This fiery workout
mode puts more of a
load on them − as well
as on the tendons and
ligaments − than other
types of exercise, which
makes them stronger
and more stable over
time, says Herl. (It’s no
wonder she calls powerfocused sessions “WD40 for your body”!)
All of these perks
appeal at any age,
no doubt, but they
become increasingly
important as we get
older, since we tend to
lose power more quickly
than we lose strength,
notes Wilson. In fact,
power declines by 7 to
14 per cent per decade
in adults, recent research
suggests − hence we
can all benefit from
power training, like, right
now. That’s where WH
comes in. Use this primer
to add a little more kapow! to your routine.

POWER VS STRENGTH

You knew Megan
Thee Stallion’s
song “Savage”
was a jam before
Beyoncé jumped
in on the remix,
but combining
the two queens
on one track
took the hit to a
whole new level.
And while you
also know that
strength training
equals all sorts
of benefits,
add speed to
the equation
and you have
a whole new
level of badassmaking beast:
power training.

Though the
concepts seem
similar, they’re
quite different.
While speed is
top priority
in anything
power-focused,
it’s not a factor
at all in strength
training. The
latter is about
how much total
force you can
exert, not how
quickly you
can exert it,
Wilson says.
WHAT THIS
MEANS:
While power
work offers
neuromuscular
benefits, it can’t
stimulate your
muscles (or
bones) to get
bigger. Only
good ol’
strength
training can do
that, Herl says.
You develop
power with low
reps but need
10-plus reps
for your bod to
grow muscle.
It’s because of
these defining
factors that
strength and
power actually
pair perfectly,
though. The
more muscle
you have, the
more fibers
your brain can
signal to jump,
sprint, or pivot
when you train
explosively.
Think of it as
having more
horsepower to
work with.
Plus, beelining
to power work
without a solid
strength base
first is a big
no-no that
often leads to
tendinitis, ACL
injuries, and
ankle tweaks.
Power may
be all about
flooring the gas
pedal, but you
need adequate
muscle strength
to hit the brakes
without ending
up injured.

fitness

Power
pose

2

THE NUMBER
OF POWER
SESSIONS
PER WEEK TO
START WITH.

BEST PRACTICES
.
Giving
your all doesn’t mean going from zero
to 100. Use these parameters to make sure
your power-training efforts are paying off

01

KEEP INTENSITY
MODERATE
Stick to an effort
level of 50 or 60 per
cent of your max,
especially with
weighted exercises,
Wilson says. This
allows you to move
with the explosive
speed needed to
reap the benefits.

02

MIND YOUR REPS
You can’t push
yourself into
fatigue (or bad form)
and still develop
power, so Wilson
recommends
sticking to six
reps − or roughly 10
secs of work time.

03

REST, REST, REST
In order to maintain
peak output in
power training,
you’ve also got to
take active recovery
seriously. A work-torest ratio of one to
five ensures you
can bounce back.
So if you work for 10
seconds, rest for 50.

SE P TE M BER 2021 wo m ens he al th.co m. a u 97

STEP INTO
Power training
is bigger than
ever thanks to
group fitness
and badass social
media trainers,
but the boom
has led to some
misunderstanding.
Clarity, here.
First of all, not all
trainers program
power properly. So if a
coach has you doing 15
box jumps or a minute
of ball slams, and
labels it “power work,”
get sceptical. Do any
move for much longer
than six to 10 seconds
and it’s just “fancy
cardio,” Herl says.
It’s not necessarily
bad − these longer
bouts of effort boost
your endurance − but
this approach won’t
help you level up your
jump height or slam
with more oomph.
Then there’s the
misconception that
power training has to
look fancy. “People
see someone jump
five hurdles before
getting to a box jump
and hop around like
a bunny rabbit on
Instagram, but it’s just
too much,” Herl says.
Simple body-weight
movements − like
skipping or lateral
shuffles − are your
best bets for seeing
results and avoiding
injury from the start.

98

FOR YOUR LOWER BODY

WORK
SMARTER,
NOT
HARDER

FOR YOUR UPPER BODY

Pick two upper body and two lower body
moves. Do three sets of six reps, with one
minute rest in between each set. Power up!

01
Med
ball
chest
pas
pass
ss
Stand a few
metress away
from a wall,
facing it with
your kn
nees
slightly
ly
y ben
b t
and
d hands
holding
ga
med
e icine ball
at che
c st height
(A)
A . En
ngage
you
o r ch
hest
muscle
es to
explosiively
toss the bal
alll
straigh
ht ahe
ead
againstt the
he wal
walll
(B). Ca
atch
h it
on the ebound
and resett.
That’s 1 rep
ep.

B
A

02
Med
ball
slam
Stand with a
medicine ball on
the floor between
your feet. Squat to
pick up the ball,
then pull it up and
press it straight
overhead, rising
onto the balls of
your feet (A). Slam
the ball down
forcefully (B).
That’s 1 rep.

A

01
Wall
ball
Stand about
1 metre from
a wall, facing
it with feet
slightly wider
than hips and the
medicine ball in
your hands. Drop
into a squat
and lift the
ball in front of
your face (A).
Explosively push
A
through your
feet to extend
your body,
rising up onto
your toes and
throwing the
ball overhead
at the wall (B).
Catch it on the
rebound.
That’s 1 rep.

B

B

02
Box
jump
Stand facing
a box. Swing
your arms
back and
press hips
down slightly
to prepare
(A), then jump
onto the box,
landing in a
slight squat
position (B).
Stand up
tall, then
step down
carefully.
That’s 1 rep.

A

B

YOUR P OWER
04
Plyo push-up
from knees

03
Med
ball
rotational
toss

Start in a knee plank with your body
forming a straight line from head
to knees (A). Bend your elbows to
lower your chest (B), then press up
explosively so that your hands lift off
the mat at the top of the push-up
(C). Return to start. That’s 1 rep.

Start in a
half-kneeling
position with
your left foot
forward and a
wall about a
metre to left.
Hold the ball
outside your
right hip (A).
Explosively
rotate your
core to throw
the ball at the
wall (B). Catch it
on the rebound.
That’s 1 rep. Do
all reps then
switch sides.

A
A

B
Advanced?
Try this
move on
your toes
(carefully!).

B

C

04

EXERCISE PHOTOGR APHY: ALLIE HOLLOWAY

03
Power
step-up
Stand facing a
box with your
right foot planted
on it and your left
arm forward in a
runner’s stance
(A). Push through
your right foot
to jump up,
simultaneously
driving your left
knee to hip height
and swinging your
right arm forward
(B). Land softly
and return to
start. That’s 1
rep. Continue on
this side, then
switch sides.

fitness

d
l
uat
mp
p
B

A

with your
-width
ugging
dicine ball
chest.
to a
squat (A
A), then
forcefully extend
your bacck up
and push off
the floor (B).
Land softly.
That’s 1 rep.

B

WATTS
UP?

If you’re using
a rower, a bike,
or another
machine, pay
attention to
the watts
measurement
on the display.
Though various
brands and
types of
equipment
are calibrated
differently, it’s
the best way
to understand
your power
output, Wilson
and Herl agree.
Find your
baseline power
threshold
by noting
your peak
watts during
a 10-second
all-out effort.
Repeat this
step monthly
as you train
and watch that
threshold go
up, up, up.
Even if the
equipment isn’t
100 percent
accurate, it’s
consistent,
so you can
track your
progress. And
pat yourself
on the back
as you continue
to crush it. wh

A

SEPT EMB ER 202 1 wome nshea lt h.com .au 9 9

The
Future
of
Fitness
TECH
transformed the way
we train. But bigger
Ready for a glimpse of
what’s down the road?
By Kieran Alger

1 00

wo r ko u t t re n d

Technology sets quite a
pace. It’s only 20 years since
we strapped on our first GPS
running watches, barely a
decade since the first runner
chased a Strava segment
and only a few years since
records started being served
up on carbon plates. In less
than a generation, we’ve
swapped basic stopwatches
and manual pulse reads for
real-time heart-rate tracking,
VO2-max estimates and
recovery-time suggestions.
Wearable tracking tech has
already colonised runners’
bodies, but in the coming
decade, we’ll see it get right
under the skin, literally, of
running performance. Think:
targeted insights that unlock
some of the complexities of
our unique physiology and
biochemistry. Intrigued?
Thought so. Here are some
top tools running your way...

THE
R AC E
FUEL
We still rely on
generalised advice
when it comes to how
much, how often and
what we eat to power
our runs. But in the
near future, we’ll be
able to switch from
blanket guidelines to
bespoke fuelling.
Polar’s FuelWise
watch feature already
uses physiological
data to suggest
fuelling strategies for
racing and training,
based on the duration
and estimated
heart-rate intensity
of your run. The
recommendations
adapt in real time if
your effort levels
deviate, but it’s still

a rough estimate.
Skin-worn, real-time
Continuous Glucose
Monitors (CGM) –
created for diabetics
– will make runfuelling a more
precise science.
Already adopted by
Kenyan long-distance
pro Eliud Kipchoge,
these CGM biosensors
insert tiny filaments
under the skin and
read your glucose
levels via interstitial
cellular fluid
(translation: the fluid
in the spaces around
cells). Stats are
then beamed to
smartphone apps
such as Levels and
Supersapiens,
revealing the
immediate impact of
what you consume on
your blood-sugar
levels. Clever, eh?
The tech is in its
infancy in real-world
sports settings, but
Levels founder Josh
Clemente believes
the innovation will
create a “personal
glycaemic index”, a
window into the burn
rate of the carbs we
eat. “Right now,
fuelling operates
strictly on theory, but
Levels’ primary focus
is on helping people
– including runners
– understand what
they should eat and
why,” he says.
Using the sensors
may help you
discover which gel or
sports drink provides
the best sustained
energy; which
carb-loading foods
get you to a marathon
start line with your
glycogen tank full;
and which recovery
options replenish
your stores best.
“You get to this point
where you’re making
fuelling choices that

are tailored to you,”
says Clemente. “We
can say, here’s your
glycaemic index;
here’s how your body
processes these
carbs.” He believes
the tech will also be
intelligent enough
to evolve as we do
throughout our
training. “If I train
consistently for a
year, my glycaemic
index may adapt as
my body changes,
and the hormonal
environment
changes,” he says.
Within a decade,
running watches and
wearables will go
further, housing
so-called ‘noninvasive’ glucose
monitors. Big players
such as Apple and
Samsung are
rumoured to be
chasing this goal and
a German company,
DiaMonTech, is
developing patented
technology to move
glucose readings to
the wrist. These
cutting-edge
photothermal
detection sensors
shine light into the
skin to look for
the identifiable
signatures of glucose
molecules; namely,
tiny temperature
changes caused when
the glucose absorbs
the light. So, erm,
watch this space!

S EPT EMB ER 2021 women she al th.co m. au 101

The
Intuitive
Shoe

What if your sneakers could tell
you if they’re right for you? With
brands like Under Armour putting
form-tracking sensors in connected
shoes, footwear can already share
how well you run while you’re
wearing them. And consider this:
a beginner runner’s gait might be
totally different after six months of
improvement in fitness, form and
body composition. So, the shoes
they bought in week one might no
longer be the most efficient when
week 24 rolls around. By tracking
the right metrics, their shoes could
actually tell them this. What’s more,
if millions of runners have chips
in their kicks, artificial intelligence
engines could use this info to
pinpoint which shoes might work
best for us next. “There might be a
few different components to it, such
as your performance in different
shoes, your stride and the way your
foot strikes the ground,” says Ben
McAllister, director of connected
fitness at Under Armour. “But I think
over time [we’ll be able] to do a
good job with the [tracked] data in
getting you to the right shoe.”

“IT HELPED ME DECODE
M Y LOW E N E RGY LE V E L S ”
Athlete, running
coach and mum
Cass Benadum
(@cass.benadum),
29, has been using
the Levels tech for
six months. The
California-based
founder of run
community GIRLAB
(girlab.org) shares
her experience

“My days are fairly
busy, so I find myself
eating whatever is
quickest and closest.
For years, this meant
I didn’t make choices
with the big picture
in mind and often felt
tired and ‘hangry’.
Now, as well as using
the Levels app to
record what I eat and
when I work out, I
scan the Continuous
Glucose Monitor
(CGM) with my phone
throughout the day
– it updates the app
to give my latest
metabolic score. The

102 wo m en s h ea l th .co m. au S EP T EM B ER 202 1

app also scores the
food based on my
insulin response over
the subsequent two
hours; I’ve found this
to be really helpful in
learning how my body
responds to certain
foods, especially
when dealing with
heavy training days,
stress or fatigue.
The first 30 days were
eye opening. Foods
I thought wouldn’t
cause a spike in blood
sugar did, and I
quickly learned to
connect my fatigue
and low energy runs

with my blood
glucose. I’m still
learning how to
optimise my nutrition
for runs, especially
longer or more
intense sessions, and
I’m experimenting
with whole food
combinations (like a
banana with peanut
butter) to help
stabilise my blood
sugar. Using the
platform empowers
me to take a more
intentional and
informed approach to
my nutrition, both in
life and training.”

THE
DA I LY
MENU
What we eat daily
impacts training, health
and immunity, but
nutritional science is
complex and advice is
sometimes conflicting
and rarely tailored to
you. In the next few
years, next-level tools
and approaches could
change that. “We’ve
been told how we
should be eating, with
carbs, proteins, fats and
micronutrient RDAs set
in stone,” says Olga
Hamilton, vice president
of nutrition at
Nutri-Genetix, one of a
growing number of
companies using DNA
testing to identify our
individual nutritional
needs. “But we all as
individuals metabolise
micronutrients
differently, we use
fats differently; glucose
that hits the blood
elicits different
responses in different
people, depending on
their insulin sensitivity.”
Hamilton acknowledges
it’s still early days in this
field. “We don’t really
have genes for many
different micronutrients
yet, but research is
ongoing and, in the
future, it will test for
more genes, be more
personalised and more
tailored,” she explains.
Increased testing also
opens the way for
constantly evolving
nutritional supplements
that adapt in line with
our training habits,
lifestyle and health. A
company called Bioniq
already pairs blood
tests with personalised
supps. Meanwhile,
Nourished, another
pioneer in this space,
lets you build bespoke,
3D-printed gummies
based on an online quiz
that defines your goals
and needs. Mind, blown.

wo r ko u t t re n d

The
Hydration
Hero
You already know
dehydration is a
major downer – just
five per cent
dehydration can
cause a 30 per cent
dip in performance.
So, it’s no surprise
that many runners
turn up to races laden
with bottles and
hydration vests. But

there’s a worrying
trend here, too: a
rise in incidences
of dangerous
overhydration – or
hyponatraemia.
And if you’ve ever
watched your PB go
down the pan halfway
round a marathon,
you may just have
wondered: did I
guzzle too much?
Providing a real-time
answer to that curly
question is another
holy grail of running
tech. And the race is
also on to make sweat
personal. Currently,
sweat tests such
as those used by

Precision Hydration
provide accurate
readings of the
amount of sodium in
your sweat. They’ve
been around for a
while and can help
tailor the composition
of your electrolyte
drink. But they can’t
respond to live,
changing real-world
conditions. That tech
is edging closer,
though. Sports drinks
big hitters Gatorade
recently launched a
skin-worn patch that
measures your sweat
rate and sodium loss.
During a run, the
Gatorade Gx patch
absorbs sweat and
changes colour to
reveal your sweat rate
and sweat-sodium
concentration.
Post-run, an app
algorithm generates a
sweat profile that you
can use to create
future hydration
plans for different
events, intensities
and conditions.
“Previously, you

could only know your
sweat rate if you had
access to scientists
and also scientific
equipment,” says Dr
Rebecca Randell, an
associate principal
scientist at the
Gatorade Sports
Science Institute.
“The patch makes it
more accessible.”
Another patch
pioneer, Sweati, is
developing a sensor
that cleverly uses
small amounts of
perspiration to read
key data metrics like
your glucose and
hydration levels in
real time, without the
need to draw blood.
Sweati founder James
Mayo hopes this
personalised tech will
have a more profound
impact than just
helping you bag a PB.
“Imagine the uptake
of people enjoying
marathons if you
could tell them when
to fuel, when to
hydrate and a pace
to run at,” he says.

SEPT EM BE R 2021 womenshea lth.com .au 103

wo r ko u t t re n d

THE
SMART
TIGHTS

The
Temp
Monitor
– and instead measure
inputs, things about the
athlete’s technique.” In
practise, this might mean
your Asensei-powered
leggings and sports bra
can not only spot a kink in
your running style, but
prescribe exercises to fix
it, coach you on form for
those exercises and check
the correction has worked
on your next run. So cool.
Shane Benzie works with
some of the biggest
names in tracking tech to
help runners combine
movement data and their
running intelligence to
maximise efficiency.
Benzie has long used
video in his practice and
sees the potential in
real-world gait-analysis
tracking – but warns we
must use the data wisely.
“You have to be careful
you don’t just let the
software tell you what to
do; that we don’t turn into
robots,” he says. “We
don’t want to move in a
pre-prescribed way and
forget to move like

10 4 wo m en s h ea l th .co m .a u S EP T EMB ER 2 02 1

humans.” In short, the
data is there to support
us, but tuning into our
own perception of how
we run is crucial. “Even
in 2070, when we’ve
got amazing at this
[tracking], we should
always have that ability
to make sense of the
data ourselves,” he
adds. Physiologist
Jamie Pringle agrees.
He sees both potential
and risk in these new
technologies. “Some of
these tools are really
good at giving the
athlete self-awareness.
I believe that’s the key,
where athletes can
understand themselves
and the inputs, how
they respond to it and
what that means. The
data is only as good as
the decision that can be
made from it.” After all,
you can have all the
tech in the world to
power your run, but
you’re the only one who
can put one foot in front
of the other, right?

Hands up if you’ve experienced
how quickly hot weather can torch
your goals. Runners have lacked
a convenient way to keep tabs on
core body temperature, but a fresh
innovation could help you train
smarter for the rising mercury.
A little background: as you run, your
core temperature rises, affected by
intensity and the outside temp. It’s
easy to stray into dangerous territory,
plus rising core heat can negatively
affect your performance. “When your
body pumps more blood to the skin
surface to cool the blood, you divert
blood from the muscles generating
the power,” says Chris BlomfieldBrown, product manager at CORE.
CORE’s small sensor clips to a heartrate chest strap and uses a precise
heat-transfer reading to measure your
temp. There’s a role for core-temp
monitoring in training your body to
perform better in heat, too. “Some
Olympic teams are doing this. They’ll
train at a slightly higher core body
temperature, tuned to the individual.
For example, doing their easy onehour session at 38.5 degrees, which
is hot but not uncomfortable.”
CORE’s tech is also designed to work
in watches and Blomfield-Brown
predicts we’ll see that soon. It could
add useful data for training and
racing, and making heat training more
precise, personalised and safer. wh

ADDITIONAL WORDS: ALEX DAVIES. PHOTOGR APHY: ADAM VOORHES; CHARLIE SURBE Y; SUPPLIED;
SAM ARMSTRONG/GALLERY STOCK; OHL AMOUR STUDIO/STOCKSY

High-end watches already
track a wide range of form
and efficiency metrics.
But in the coming years,
unlocking an efficient
running style could be as
easy as slipping on your
favourite base-layers as
we move from tools that
track, to connected
apparel that teaches.
That’s the vision of
Asensei, whose tech pairs
camera-free, full-body
motion-monitoring
apparel with adaptive
coaching and real-time
feedback. Asensei has
developed the capability
to embed tiny (and
washproof) sensors into
clothing. These sensors
capture posture and
movement data hundreds
of times a second,
measuring and assessing
form, timing and
technique. They’ll also
potentially sync
biomechanical analytics
with biometric data – such
as heart rate – to produce
real-time feedback,
coaching you to more
efficient form. Rather than
selling its own clothing,
Asensei plans to work
with big brands to get its
tech into your gear. CEO
Steven Webster sees
run-coaching tech moving
to a world beyond
screens, with far more
intelligent real-time
guidance. “We want to
move beyond cheering to
coaching. And beyond
tracking to actually
teaching. We will shift our
focus on measuring
outputs associated with
effort – steps, reps,
[kilojoules] burned, watts

BETTER treatment.
BETTER outcomes.
BETTER cancer care for kids.

SIGN UP TODAY
at thebetterchallenge.org.au

This September, we’re asking you
to run, walk or roll 90kms to support
medical research to help kids with
cancer. Almost 90 children are diagnosed
with cancer every month in Australia.
By joining us in The Better Challenge,
you’ll be supporting research to help
them get better for good.

GETTING
BACK IN

10 6

T

we l l b e i n g

OUCH

became a global edict. WH explores the link
between physical contact and your happiness
By Gemma Askham

If you could reach out for
anyone’s hand right now,
whose would it be? The small,
sticky squeeze of your justwalking niece? Maybe it’s
the interlocked fingers of a
successful fourth date, the
stroke of your grandma’s satin
skin or the firm handshake
that says the job is finally
yours. Well, whichever palm
you pick, we suspect you’ve
now given the question a
great deal more thought than
you would have done a few
years ago, when your biggest
social contact dilemma was
whether someone was going
in for one cheek kiss or two.

It was only when the
world lost touch at the
start of the pandemic
that people realised
the power of all things
tactile to convey emotion
profoundly, meaning
instantly and comfort
deeply. In the many
months since, reams of
data have sought to prove
what you’ve probably felt
for yourself at one stage
or another: that touch
isn’t just nice to have, it’s
essential to your physical
and emotional health.
So, what has losing touch
taught us about having it?

SE P TE M BER 2021 wom ens he al th .com . a u 107

The award for the
most prophetic piece
of research published
in 2020 goes to those
behind The Touch Test – a
large global study into the
social role of touch, which
just so happened to take
place between January
and March last year. The
team gathered data from
40,000 people in 112
countries, asking if they
liked to touch, how often
they touched others and
how physical affection
affected their mental
health. Researchers
found a striking touchhappiness correlation:
those who rated touch
positively recorded the
highest wellbeing scores,
and those who’d touched
most recently were the
least lonely. Even then,
we were social distancing,
albeit subconsciously;
54 per cent felt they
didn’t get enough touch.
“We were already
on the road to working
more autonomously,
connecting virtually
rather than in person and
holding a smartphone
as a substitute for a
human hand,” says
chartered psychologist
Suzy Reading, author
of Self-Care For Tough
Times (Hachette, $19.99).

10 8

You knew, of course,
that hugs trumped
‘likes’, but it wasn’t
until screen time
went from fun
distraction to your
only form of human
interaction (hey,
Zoom calls) that
you realised by
how much. Reading
adds, “Touch is the most
significant way we seek
safety and comfort.”
Without it, your brain
goes into defence mode.
The resulting stress can
increase heart rate and
muscle tension, and
lead to racing thoughts,
difficulty sleeping and
focusing and, though
unconfirmed by scientific
research, the urge to
kidnap your neighbour’s
cat for a good cuddle.

PALM
READING

we l l b e i n g

Touch is a sense
that’s important
from before birth –
foetuses experience
it in the womb – and
the only one that’s
with you until death.
Sight and hearing
fail, and taste and
smell ultimately
fade. Being held
is what makes
babies bond with
their parents and
it’s why children
in orphanages
often self-soothe
by rocking back
and forth. Harry
Harlow, one of the
first psychologists
to perform (the
now controversial)
bonding studies in
the 1960s, found
that if he separated
a baby monkey
from its mother,
it would cling to
a cloth-covered
wire surrogate
rather than a wire
surrogate with milk.
The monkey was
so desperate for
affection that it
picked touch-based
nourishment over
actual nourishment.
This in-built
longing for physical
contact, known as
skin hunger, isn’t
something you
grow out of as an
adult; it’s a desire
that exists within
skin itself. Skin
is covered with
mechanoreceptors
– sensors that
detect different
touch sensations,
such as vibration
and pressure – and
nerve endings,
which respond
to temperature
and pain. These
sensations are

LO

VES

#WH

transmitted from
the skin to the
spinal cord and
brain, where it’s
the job of the
somatosensory
cortex to actually
process what
touch is going
on in different
body parts.
But it doesn’t
just recognise
that someone’s
scratching your
back and oh my
god, up a bit,
to the left; the
somatosensory
cortex also has a
direct line to your
brain’s emotional
processing areas,
meaning touch
and emotion are
interlinked. When
you hug, hold
hands or feel
friendly touch,
your brain releases
oxytocin (dubbed
the ‘cuddle
hormone’) – the
neuropeptide
used in brain
communication
to foster trust and
bonding and dial
down anxiety, too.
And not by
accident – new
research is
demonstrating
that our skin
has evolved
specifically to
reap these social
support benefits.
One of the big
names in the
field is Professor
Francis McGlone,
who leads the
Somatosensory
& Affective
Neuroscience
Group at Liverpool
John Moores
University in the
UK. He’s spent his
career working out
what gets on your
skin’s nerves – in a
good way. He tells
WH that there are
two types of touch
nerves in the skin.
“Fast nerves tell
you that an event
has occurred on

the skin, so they
orient attention
to the body,
while slow nerves
called C-fibres
project to the
brain, to areas that
process emotion,”
he explains.
Neuroscientists
have known
about this double
system, and its
role in pain, for
some time. If you
burn yourself, it’s
the fast system’s
reflex that pulls
your hand away
and gives you a
sharp pricking
sensation; a few
seconds later, the
C-fibres make you
experience deep,
throbbing pain.
“We’ve discovered
recently that
there’s a similar
duality for
touch,” McGlone
continues. “As
soon as you’re
touched, you feel
it on the skin.
But depending
on contextual
factors, such as
who is touching
you and how, after
a few seconds,
the C-fibre that
responds to gentle
touch will leave
its mark in your
emotional brain.”
He believes
these slow C-fibres
for touching
exist purely to
facilitate social
bonding and, by
watching how
nerves behave
while skin is being
touched, his team
has identified what
they respond to
best; gentle touch,

We all know
how important
it is for mental
health to switch
off and soak
in downtime.
That’s why we’re
loving Epzen’s
Relax range of
bath crystals,
body spray and
body lotion,
packed with
super-relaxing
magnesium and
natural essential
oils to help dial
down stress and
boost your zen.
Epzen
Magnesium
Bath Crystals,
$14.95, or
Relax Bundle,
$35.95,
epzen.com.au

as close to skin
temperature as
possible, at an
optimum caress
speed of 3cm to
5cm of skin per
second. Before
you reach for a
stopwatch, this
speed is the
default velocity
you use when
comforting a
baby or touching
your partner – it’s
evolutionarily
embedded in you
in order to keep
you touching
and bonding.
As for hugs?
A 20-second
squeeze is the
sweet spot to
release oxytocin.

SE PTEM B ER 202 1 wo menshe al th.com .au 1 09

THE
REAL
FEEL
It’s all touching
stuff, but what
happens when
you’re told to
keep your hands
to yourself? If
you ever tried to
self-tickle as a
child, you’ll know
it doesn’t work.
That’s thanks to
a process called
sensorimotor
predictions – your
brain can’t relax
and enjoy the
touch because
it’s preoccupied
with predicting
what you’re going
to do next. The
more predictable
your touch, the
less enjoyable it is
– but that doesn’t
mean self-touch
is a lost cause.
Professor
Tiffany Field,
director of the
Touch Research
Institute in Miami,
conducted an
online study of
260 people on
touch deprivation
during an early
lockdown. She
found that 32
per cent of the
respondents were
using self-touch –
in this case, yoga
and stretching
– to compensate
for the lack of
human touch,
and minimise
touch deprivation
symptoms
including
loneliness, sleep
problems and
anxiety. She
found exercise
to be the most
positive thing
you can do. “Any
exercise, even

110

walking, moves
the skin, thereby
stimulating
its pressure
receptors – which
is the underlying
mechanism for the
beneficial effects
of hugging or
back rubbing,” she
explains. “It slows
your nervous
system (heart rate,
blood pressure
and brainwaves),
which, in turn,
reduces cortisol.”
While she’s never
seen any data
comparing the
effects of selfmassage with
being massaged
by someone else,
she encourages
anyone feeling
lonely to engage
in more selftouch. How you
move your skin
is important,
though. Field
describes it as
affectionate touch
with enough
pressure to
actually move
the skin – which
is a sign that
those pressure
receptors are
being stimulated
and your nervous
system is slowing
down. Duly noted.
Meanwhile,
Reading believes
self-soothing
practices, such
as breathwork
or massaging
in body lotion,
are vital. She
suggests pressing
the back of your
hand against
your forehead for
a few seconds,
or making a fist
with each hand
and pressing
the base of each
thumb on to your
forehead, roughly
above each eye,
until you feel a
sense of release.
“Even holding
your own hand
can be soothing,”

she says. “Or
massaging your
abdomen in a
circle from your
right hip to your
left, giving it your
full attention.”
As we slowly
move towards a
post-Covid future,
our experts agree
that if there’s
been one good
thing about this
touch hiatus, it’s
that it’s been a
much-needed
wake-up call to
the forgotten
merits of physical
contact. “We
only seem to
appreciate the
value of a sense
when we lose it,”
says McGlone.
“How often do
you hear a plea
for a hug when
someone needs
sympathy or
reassurance?
What is the
one thing that
lonely people
are less likely to
experience? It’s
touch. But up until
now, many people
didn’t credit how
absolutely vital it
is for mental and
physical health.”
The danger, he
warns, is that if
you stop using
this hardwired,
touch-based
reward system,
the pleasureseeking brain will
simply try to find
another way to
get that reward;
alcohol, as one
example, is an
easy substitute.

His hope is that
we all realise the
full force of good
that’s embedded
in our fingertips.
Countless
observational
studies prove that
even a stranger’s
touch can turn
you into a more
positive and
generous person:
a casual pat
prompts people to
leave bigger tips
in a restaurant,
rate sales
assistants more
positively and
be more likely to
give things away.
Touch brings you
support in the
face of criticism,
it makes you feel
included instead
of sidelined,
reduces stress
and naturally
strengthens social
bonds. It’s truly a
touching thought:
feeling less lonely
really could be in
your own hands.
If you need help or
advice about loneliness
and mental health,
contact your GP or a
support organisation
such as Beyond Blue
(beyondblue.org.au;
1300 22 4636).

we l l b e i n g

,3Ų8Ūŕ

X%ū-RůSůSY'ţ
The mighty benefits of social contact: they’re

PHOTOGR APHY: WE ARE THE RHOADS / TRUNK ARCHIVE

ENGAGE IN
SOLO SEX
Masturbation
releases
a cocktail of
feel-good
chemicals,
such as
dopamine
and oxytocin.
It’s a known
mood-booster,
stress-nixer
and sleepinducer. If you
use a vibrator,
try playing
around with
the speeds
and vibration
patterns to add
an element of
the unexpected
to your DIY
repertoire.

BEDTIME

USE A FOAM
ROLLER
We know it
might not be
the most
pleasurable
sensation
you’ve ever
felt, but foam
rollers offer
an intense hit
of sensory
stimulation
that can mirror
the pressure of
a real massage.

PLEASURE TIME

DRESS IN
SOFT
CLOTHES
“Your skin is
very sensitive
to textures,”
explains Field.
That’s why an
itchy woolly
sweater is
virtually
impossible to
ignore. Right?
Wearing a soft
material you
love the feel of,
such as silk,
cashmere or
those comfy
10-year-old
trackies, can
create a touch
experience that
delivers a real
mood boost.

POST-WORKOUT

MAKE A HOT
COFFEE
Strange but
true? Physical
warmth can
help trigger
socially warm
behaviours,
as the brain’s
insular cortex
processes both
physical and
social warmth.
One study
found that
someone
holding a hot
coffee will rate
others as being
more generous
than if they
held an iced
drink. Sitting in
a warmer room
also makes us
feel stronger
social bonds.

GETTING READY

USE
SKINCARE
TOOLS
Let equipment
lend a hand
to create a
new touch
sensation,
such as body
brushing in the
shower, using
a handy scalp
massager or
adding a jade
roller into your
beauty regime.

WAKING UP

SHOWER TIME

at your fingertips – even if you’re alone
INVEST IN A
WEIGHTED
BLANKET
Weighted
blankets
(usually filled
with glass or
plastic beads)
are designed to
mimic a hug.
The weight
stimulates
pressure
receptors to
produce a
soothing effect
that provides
warmth (literal
and emotional)
while reducing
anxiety. Go
for one that’s
around 5 to
10 per cent of
your own body
weight. Bliss in
a blanket. wh

SE PTE MB ER 2021 wo mens hea lth.co m. au 111

FREE
ESSENTIAL
OIL
KIT
WHEN YOU
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Diffuse the Lavender essential oil at bedtime
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Create instant spa vibes at home by adding
a few drops of Tea Tree essential oil to your
favourite shampoos and moisturisers. And,
add Peppermint essential oil to your diffuser
or use it in a relaxing post-workout massage.
Head to youngliving.com.au for more.

SCORE
A HOT
CORE
The Abs You Want
In The Time You Have
5, 10 OR 15 MINUTES!

Jessica
Gomes
ON FITNESS, FEMALE

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ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

The
Winners’
List
Events, products and promotions
that take out the top prize

THE GOODNESS
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SNACK STAPLE
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Food
Hub

G o o ey,
chewy
chocolate
(p121)

Let go of your day and get
creative in the kitchen with
these full-of-flavour dinners
by food stylist Lucy Tweed

Winners

11 5

Finished work late and
can’t be bothered to
cook? Well, permission
to throw a bunch of
ingredients together
and call it dinner:
granted. Food stylist
Lucy Tweed has created
these delicious evening
feeds to satisfy any
food mood, from warm
salads to lush chocolate
cravings. Over to Lucy...

VINAI-NO-REGRETTE
(VINAIGRETTE)
MAKES 375ML

X½ cup lemon juice
X1 garlic clove, peeled
and smashed (into
big chunks you can
fish out later)
X2 tbs dijon mustard
X2 tsp sugar
X2 tsp sea salt
X½ cup grated parmesan
X1 cup extra virgin
olive oil
1. Mix lemon juice, garlic
(sauté first if you want
to keep the garlic in the
stored container), Dijon,
sugar, salt and parmesan
in a jar. Leave for 30 mins.
2. The key is to let the
lemon juice dissolve.
Just go away long enough
to suddenly think, “Oh,
the salad dressing!”.
3. Pour in the extra virgin
olive oil and shake or just
whisk it up like crazy.
4. I have a jar of this running
like master stock in my
fridge for weeks. It gets
low fast and I top it up.
You can decide if that
works for you but the main
thing is to remove the raw
garlic if you’re storing it.

11 6

Food
Hub
CHICKEN

SERVES 4

and Chips
This dinner is so loved at our house I use it
to manipulate everyone. This combo of
the best cut of chook, fried crispy things,
heaps of umami goodness and a tangy
punch to go with it is my idea of heaven.

X6 chicken thigh fillets
X½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
X1½ tsp onion powder
X1 tbs chicken stock powder
X3 eggs
X2½ cups panko breadcrumbs
X1 tbs dried rosemary
X1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into rough
5cm angular chunks, resembling shards
X1 cup chicken stock
X½ cup white wine
XJuice of 1 lemon
X1 tsp sweet paprika
XSea salt
XRice bran oil, for shallow-frying
X1 baby cos lettuce, cut into wedges
and washed
XVinai-no-regrette (see box), for dressing
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
XSauerkraut, aioli and lemon wedges
1. First up, preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Place each chicken thigh between two
pieces of baking paper and smack it out
firmly to 1.5cm thick. Don’t be too rough
or sections will break up. A thigh schnitzel
does result in a misshaped crown affair
– all the more spots for the crumb.
3. Combine the flour, onion powder and
stock powder in one bowl. Crack the eggs
into another bowl and lightly beat. Mix
together the panko crumbs and dried
rosemary in a third bowl. Then line a
baking tray for the finished schnitz.
4. Dust the chicken in flour, drench in egg
and press into the crumbs, then place on
the tray. Repeat this until your fingers are
bulbous with crumb – E.T. fingers are a
suitable gauge. Rinse and continue until
finished. (Or use skewers to avoid this
situation.) Set aside until ready to fry.
5. Toss the potato shards in the stock, wine,
lemon juice, paprika and salt to taste, then
tip into a roasting tin and spread out. Roast
for 40 mins, flipping halfway through.
6. Heat about 5mm of rice bran oil in
a non-stick frying pan over medium heat
and cook the schnitzels for about 3 mins
each side. You want them golden and
cooked through. It’s best to fry the
schnitzels in batches to achieve this.
7. If you’re making this close to the end
of the week, you would hope the salad
has at least attempted to make itself, and
to be fair... it kinda has. Leaves + dressing.
Eat with the schnitties and shards.

Super

GREENS
PIE

SERVES 8

An aggressive level of greens for dinner is a good way to dictate
how the next day will play out. Once you learn this recipe, you
can adapt it and make it your own. It will become a staple.

X1 bunch rainbow
chard, leaves
removed and torn,
stalks chopped
into 1cm pieces
X6 garlic cloves,
chopped
X1 onion, chopped
X2 tsp ghee (or
olive oil)
X1 bunch kale,
chopped into
4cm pieces
X250g frozen
spinach, thawed,
drained
XSea salt and freshly
ground black
pepper
X500g fresh ricotta
X2 eggs, lightly
beaten (reserve
1 tsp for the egg
wash)
XHandful of dill,
chopped
XHandful of flat-leaf
parsley leaves,
chopped
XHandful of mint
leaves, chopped
XGrated zest and
juice of 1 lemon

X250g haloumi,
grated
X1 tbs dried oregano
X1 rectangular sheet
(or 2 squares)
good-quality
shortcrust pastry
X1 rectangular sheet
(or 2 squares)
good-quality
puff pastry
X1 tbs black and
white sesame
seeds
OPTIONAL
INGREDIENTS
XLemon wedges,
sriracha
and Kewpie
mayonnaise.
1. Preheat the oven
to 180°C to start.
2. In a large frying pan
over medium heat, fry
the chard stalks, garlic
and onion in the ghee
for 10 mins. Turn the
heat to high, add the
chard and kale leaves
and fry for a further 5
mins. Add the spinach

and season, then
remove from the heat.
3. In a large bowl,
combine the ricotta,
beaten egg (except
the tsp you’ve
remembered to keep
back), dill, parsley,
mint, lemon zest and
juice, haloumi and
dried oregano. Stir
in the chard mixture.
4. On a 50cm x 30cm
tray lined with baking
paper, place one sheet
of shortcrust pastry,
or overlap two square
sheets and carefully
seal at the centre.
5. Spoon the ricotta
and chard mixture on
top. Top with the sheet
of puff pastry, crimp
the edges to seal
and score using long
diagonal slashes.
6. Whisk the reserved
egg and 1 tbs of water
to make an egg wash.
Brush over the pastry
and sprinkle the seeds.
Bake for 40 mins until
golden and puffed.

SEP TEM BER 202 1 wom enshea lth.co m. au 11 7

Salmon

SPRING SPAGHETTI

SERVES 4

I hope the sun is shining the day you make this. It’s the time of year when asparagus will
have just changed in price from one human soul per bunch to “buy one, get three”. Bonus.

X1kg whole salmon
fillet, skin on,
pin-boned
X1 tbs olive oil
XSea salt
X3 zucchini, julienned
X2 bunches
asparagus, julienned
(or if you don’t have
the patience, halved
lengthways)
X250g angel
hair pasta
DILL SAUCE
X3 tbs grated
parmesan
X½ cup vinai-noregrette (see
previous spread)
XHandful of dill,
finely chopped
X1 tbs olive oil
XDill sprigs (optional)

118

1. Preheat oven to
220°C and bring a
saucepan of salted
water to the boil.
2.Place the salmon,
skin-side down, on a
tray lined with baking
paper. Brush with oil
and season with salt.
This goes in for a total
of 15 mins (or 20 for
more well done).
3. Place your divinely
julienned vegetables
in the colander you
intend to drain the
cooked pasta into.
4. Add the pasta to
the boiling water. I
always cook angel hair
for 1–2 mins less than it
says on the packet.
It’s thinner than my
daughter’s snow fluff

hair and I’d probably
consider steaming it if
I could. Drain the pasta
over the vegetables.
5. Place this beautiful
tendrilly mess on a
platter to create a nest
for the salmon. Break
the salmon into chunks
and nestle around the
pasta (if you don’t like
the skin wet you could
pan-fry that separately
for crisp shards, or I’m
pretty sure if you cut
eye, nose and mouth
holes into it, it would
be better than most
peel-off face masks).
6. For the sauce, blitz
all the ingredients in a
small blender. Drizzle
generously over the
salmon and spaghetti.

Food
Hub

salad-ish

SERVES 4

You know when you’re craving salad...
but you want it warm, and baked, and
saucy, with cheese? Same. Hot, sticky,
buttery greens rice, oozing warm
Taleggio, bouncy garlicky sweet
toms and zingy bitey herby cold
crunch. It’s a hot Greek salad-ish.

X1 red onion, finely chopped
X1 cup grated zucchini
X3 tbs olive oil
X6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
XBaby fist of chopped flat-leaf parsley
X½ cup frozen kale
X½ tsp sea salt
X50g butter
X1 cup short-grain white rice
X2 cups chicken stock
X60g Taleggio, sliced (or any
other soft oozy cheese, such
as mozzarella or brie)
X2 garlic cloves, extra, sliced
X400g tin cherry tomatoes
X1 Lebanese cucumber, roughly chopped
X3 tbs Kalamata olives
X3 tbs chopped dill and mint (combined)
X1 tbs white wine vinegar
1. Preheat your trusty oven to 200C.
2. In an ovenproof frying pan, fry the
onion and zucchini in 1 tbs of oil over
medium heat for around 5 minutes, or
until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic,
parsley and kale and saute for another
5 minutes, until combined and nicely
fragrant. Season to taste with salt.
3. Add the butter and rice, and stir until
the rice is fully coated and the butter
has melted. Pour in the stock and stir.
4. Put the whole pan in the oven for
20 minutes. Place the taleggio on top
and bake for another 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat another tbs of oil
in a frying pan over medium–high heat,
and pan-fry the extra garlic for 2 mins.
Add the cherry toms and cook for another
3 mins. This is called a passata party.
6. Toss together the cucumber, olives,
dill, mint, vinegar and remaining tbs of
oil. Place the garlicky tomatoes and fresh
salad on the baked rice. Next up, just
forget all the rules. Scoop and slide.

S EP TEM BER 202 1 wom ensheal th.co m.a u 11 9

Pulled pork

TACOS WITH PICKLED
PINEAPPLE
Low and slow pork … all in the pot, lid on, set and forget. No browning. This
is a slippery slide into a heavenly situation. Smoky, delicious and stringy.

X1.5kg pork neck
X16 tacos
MARINADE
X1 cup pineapple
juice
X1 cup BBQ sauce
X3 tbs American
mustard
X1 onion, skin
removed and
quartered
X2 tsp coriander
seeds
X1 tbs cumin seeds
X2 tbs dried oregano
X1 cinnamon stick
X1 head of garlic,
cloves peeled and
lightly crushed
X1 tbs sea salt
PICKLED PINEAPPLE
X2 cups white
vinegar

X¾ cup sugar
X1½ tbs sea salt
X3 cardamom pods,
bruised
X1 whole pineapple,
peeled, cored
if you like and
thinly sliced
SLAW
X3 cups shredded
cabbage
X2 tbs Kewpie
mayonnaise
XJuice of 1 lime
X2 tbs chopped
chives
X1 tsp sea salt
OPTIONAL
INGREDIENTS
XThinly sliced red
onion, coriander
leaves and fresh
lime wedges

12 0 wom ens hea lt h.co m .a u S E PT E MB ER 202 1

1. First up, preheat
the oven to 120°C.
2. Combine all the
marinade ingredients
in a heavy ovenproof
dish with a lid. (I use
a Dutch oven; you
could also use a
slow cooker.) Add
the pork and turn to
coat on all sides.
3. Place a piece of
baking paper over
the pork and press
it down into the juices
– this is like a face
mask, keeping the
whole thing moist
while it cooks. Pop
the lid on, place in
the oven and cook
gently for 6 hours.
4. Remove and allow
to cool, then shred the
meat with tongs and

TIP

SERVES 8

stir with all the juices,
breaking up the garlic
and onion as you go.
You can discard
harder spices, like
the cinnamon stick.
5. The pork can be
made ahead of time,
and preheated to
serve. You can do this
in small batches in the
microwave, checking
and stirring often, or
in a saucepan over
medium–low heat,
stirring occasionally.
6. For the pickled
pineapple, combine
the vinegar, sugar, salt,
cardamom and 2 cups
(500ml) of water in
a saucepan. Bring to a
simmer, then allow to
cool slightly. Place the
pineapple in a large

I really don’t like the
hard shells you can
buy off the shelf
− they taste like stale
corn chips to me.
I choose the soft
ones, give them a
quick spray with oil
and heat in the pan,
then let them cool
flopped over an old
paper towel roll. DIY
crispy tacos. Or just
keep them soft.

airtight jar and pour
the pickling liquid
over the top. Seal
and allow to pickle
for at least an hour.
Store in the fridge
for up to 2 weeks.
7. To make the slaw,
toss all the ingredients
together in a bowl.
Warm the taco shells
(see tip). Take all the
components to the
table and let everyone
help themselves.

A

Chocolate THING

Food
Hub
SERVES 6

All my desserts are dream chasers, perhaps because I don’t crave them much myself so
I rely heavily on that one time… The blueprint for this dessert is essentially chocolate,
then words like warm, gooey, melty, sugary, crisp and chewy, and finally a random
“ooooh yeah let’s put this in there!” element. In this case, marshmallows. Enjoy.

X130g butter, melted
X1 cup sugar
X1 tsp vanilla extract
X3 tbs cocoa powder
X3 eggs
X½ cup plain (allpurpose) flour
X½ cup hazelnut meal
X1 cup roughly
chopped dark

chocolate
X10 pink
marshmallows

X1 cup frozen
raspberries (or
fresh if in season)

STEWED RHUBARB
X1 bunch rhubarb,
trimmed and cut
into 5cm lengths
X3 tbs orange juice
X½ cup sugar

OPTIONAL
INGREDIENTS
XVanilla ice-cream
1. Preheat the oven
to 180°C to start off.

2. For the stewed
rhubarb, combine
the rhubarb, orange
juice and sugar in a
saucepan and simmer
over medium heat for
10 mins until the fruit
has softened. Remove
from the heat and stir
in the raspberries,

then allow the mix
to cool down a bit.
3. Whisk together the
butter, sugar, vanilla
and cocoa powder
until light and creamy.
Whisk in the eggs, one
at a time. Gently fold
in the flour, hazelnut
meal and chocolate
until just combined.
4. Put the rhubarb in
the base of a greased
ovenproof frying pan
(the one I used is
25cm) or baking
dish and spread
evenly. Dot with the
marshmallows, and
spoon the chocolate
batter over the top.
5. Bake for 30 mins
or until puffed and
slightly crispy on the
edges. This decadently
moreish dessert can
be served slightly
underdone, kinda like
self-saucing pudding.
You’re welcome! wh

PHOTOGR APHY: LUCY T WEED

For more delicious
dinner ideas, grab a
copy of Every Night
of the Week by Lucy
Tweed (Murdoch
Books, $35).

121

Four ways with...
Sangas have undergone a rebrand since your childhood.
Meet four nutrient-packed recipes that’ll induce major
office food envy. It’s the yeast we could do…

LEAN MUTTON SHWARMA

NU T RIEN T
RICH

Not just kebab shop fare. Mutton packs a superior nutrient profile to lamb, beef
and veal, as the richest source of thiamine, B6, B12, phosphorus, iron and copper
SERVES
1

2719
KJ

22G
FAT

63G
CARBS

46G
PROTEIN

X150g roast mutton
XHandful of crunchy
slaw
X2 tsp garlic yogurt
X1 seeded bagel,
halved

X½ white cabbage,
shredded
X1 green chilli, sliced
X1 tsp coriander
seeds, lightly
toasted

FOR THE MUTTON
X½ shoulder of
mutton, deboned
X50g baharat spice
X100g pomegranate
molasses

1. The night before
roasting, rub your
mutton with salt
and spice. Put in
fridge overnight.
2.The next day, sear
the meat nicely in
a griddle pan. Then
pop it in a roasting
tray and pour over
the molasses and
1 litre water. Cover
with foil and roast
for 3-4 hrs in an
oven preheated to

FOR THE SLAW
X100g cider vinegar
X50g sugar and 20g
salt, or to taste
X2 large carrots,
shredded
X½ red cabbage,
shredded

160°C. Delicious.
3. While cooking,
whisk the vinegar,
sugar and salt with
100ml water, then
combine with the
slaw ingredients.
4. Smelling good
yet? Toast the
bagel, spread with
garlic yoghurt (to
make your own, just
mix plain yoghurt
with garlic, lemon
and salt), then pile
it high with your
shredded meat and
slaw. Best served
at 2am. (We jest).

BROCCOLI BRIOCHE

SERVES
1

2552
KJ

24G
FAT

96G
CARBS

X100ml ginger beer
X1 tsp white wine
vinegar
X100g cornflour
X5g cumin
XExtra light olive oil
X4 florets of longstem broccoli
X1 brioche roll
XLamb’s lettuce
XSweet chilli sauce
X1 tbs sauerkraut
FOR THE HUMMUS
X50g peas
X25g edamame beans
X1 tbs sesame oil
X½ tsp ground ginger

12 2

12G
PROTEIN

1. Ready for some
battered broccoli?
Lightly whisk the
ginger beer,
vinegar, cornflour
and cumin all
together, then heat
the oil to 180°C.
Submerge your
broccoli in the
batter, one stem at
a time, then fry for
2 mins. Allow to
drain on a paper
towel to remove
any excess oil.
2. For the hummus,
blitz all the tasty

ingredients
together to a
coarse paste,
then set aside.
3. Sandwich time.
Slice and toast the
roll, spread it with
1 tbs of hummus
and top with a
handful of lettuce
and broccoli.
Drizzle with the
sweet chilli sauce
and garnish with
sauerkraut. Bon
appétit, friends!

ONE
S TING
WORDS: ELLIE HOPLE Y. FOOD ST YLING: LUCY-RUTH HATHAWAY.
RECIPES: MR BAO (MRBAO.CO.UK); SUB CULT (SUBCULT.COM); THE GOOD EGG
(THEGOODEGG .CO) PHOTOGR APHY: SUN LEE

Broccoli in brioche? Park that judgement – this sandwich
is as moreish as it is nutritious. Packed with vitamin K
thanks to the broc, it’ll help you maintain strong bones

Food
Hub
B

DOMS

PORK AND SEAFOOD ROLL
Think surf’n’turf is just pub grub? No longer. Packing
40g of protein and a hearty punch of B vitamins, this
meaty monster will refuel your muscles and replenish
that energy when the gym has taken a bite out of you
SERVES
1

2355
KJ

34G
FAT

X120g slow-cooked
pork shoulder,
shredded
X1 tbs oil
X3 king scallops
X3 squid rings
X1 brioche roll
XSmall handful of
fresh rocket
FOR HERBY MAYO
X1 tbs chopped
parsley
X1 tsp chopped dill
1 tsp capers
X1 tsp chopped
pickled cucumber
XZest and juice
of 1 lemon
X1 tbs light mayo

32G
CARBS

40G
PROTEIN

1. Slow-roast your
pork in advance
or work with the
leftovers from
a Sunday roast.
2. Ready for round
two? In a pan, heat
the oil and sear the
seafood until lightly
browned, then add
the shredded pork
to warm it through.
Meanwhile, mix
together all the

ingredients for the
herby mayo in a
bowl. Nearly there!
3. Now, slice your
brioche roll in half
lengthways and
toast, then spread
with mayo and top
with rocket. Now
place the pork and
seafood mixture in
the (you know the
drill) bread and
get it down you.

GOCHUJANG CHICKEN
Fiery gochujang is Korea’s latest export and the fermented
soybean paste packs a seriously spicy probiotic punch.
It gives an extra kick to this roast chicken sandwich – just
maybe don’t start with the ‘extreme hot’ variety, okay?
SERVES
1

GU T
HE ALT

2146
KJ

19G
FAT

XSalt and pepper
X2 boneless chicken
thighs
X¼ cucumber,
roughly ribboned
with a peeler
X½ carrot, ribboned
X½ spring onion,
thinly sliced
X2 thick slices of
white bloomer
bread
X1 tbs light
mayonnaise
X1 tbs gochujang
paste
XA few slices of
onion to taste
X1 tbs crispy onions
XSmall handful of
coriander leaves

58G
CARBS

27G
PROTEIN

1. Preheat the oven
to 180°C. Now,
season the chicken
and roast for 30
mins-ish, until
cooked through. Let
it cool, then shred
the meat with
a fork – go on,
shred it like you
mean it. At the
same time, prep
your cucumber,
carrot and spring
onion (tip: leave
out all the watery
cucumber seeds).

2. Spread 1 slice
of bread with the
mayo (if using) and
the other with
gochujang paste.
Stuff with the
chicken and top
with the cucumber,
carrot and spring
onion, garnishing
with thinly sliced
onions, crispy
onions (if using)
and coriander. Eat
up and enjoy! wh

SE PTE M BER 2021 womens he alth.com. au 1 2 3

ENERGY
EATS
While some dishes are
the culinary equivalent of
a book and a bath, others
are the nutritional answer
to an iPhone cable, packed
with battery-boosting
nutrients and slow-release
energy to nudge you back
to your 100 per cent. Tuck
into this clever lot the next
time you’re power hungry

124 wo men s hea l th .co m . au SE P TE M B E R 2 02 1

Food
Hub

Te r i y a k i
turkey
heaven
(p128)

12 5

POLENTA WITH
GARLICKY
WILD MUSHROOMS
The ultimate win-win starchy food,
polenta provides a rich source of
complex carbs but is naturally low in
sugar. The result? Long-lasting energy
that keeps blood-sugar levels steady.

SERVES 4 1807KJ (432 CALS) 49G CARBS
12G PROTEIN 19G FAT VEGAN
X1 small butternut pumpkin (about
500g), peeled, deseeded and
cut into 1cm pieces
X 750ml vegan vegetable stock
X 175g quick-cook one-minute polenta
X 4 tbs vegan cream cheese alternative
X2 tbs olive oil, plus extra, optional,
to drizzle
X 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
X 400g mixed wild or exotic mushrooms,
large ones torn
X 4 garlic cloves, crushed
X 1 tbs thyme leaves
X 150g baby spinach
X2 tbs pine nuts, toasted
1. First, steam the pumpkin over a large pan
of simmering water for around 10 to 15 mins,
until tender. Then mash it up thoroughly
with seasoning to taste and set aside.
2. Bring the stock to the boil in a medium pan
and pour in the polenta, whisking with a large
balloon whisk. Cook, whisking (word lost all
meaning yet?), over a medium heat for 1 to 2
mins, until thickened. Remove from the heat
and stir in the pumpkin puree, vegan cream
cheese and plenty of seasoning. Lay your
baking paper directly on to the surface of
the polenta, cover with a lid and set aside.
3. Heat 1 tbs of the oil in a large frying pan.
Add the shallots and cook gently, stirring
occasionally, for 6 to 7 mins, or until well
softened. Add the remaining oil, turn up
the heat, then add the mushrooms, garlic
and thyme and cook, stirring, for between
4 and 5 mins, until tender and golden.
4. Next up, stir in the spinach and some
seasoning, cooking for 1 to 2 mins until
it wilts. Give the polenta a stir and divide
between bowls (and containers if you’re
batch-prepping). Top with the mushroom
mixture, sprinkle over the pine nuts and
drizzle with a little extra oil to finish it off.
Polenta to go round. Like what we did there?

12 6

Food
Hub

ONE-PAN PUTTANESCA
Fatty fish, such as tuna and sardines, are a good source of
metabolism-boosting protein, energy-enhancing B12 and omega-3
fatty acids, which can help to reduce fatigue-causing inflammation.

SERVES 4 1849KJ (442 CALS) 74G CARBS
23G PROTEIN 4G FAT PESCATARIAN
X6 anchovies in olive oil,
drained and finely chopped,
plus 1 tbs oil from the tin
X3 large garlic cloves, crushed
X 2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes
X ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
X 900ml hot vegetable stock
X 350g bucatini, linguine or
spaghetti
X125g (drained weight) tinned
tuna or sardines
XHandful of black olives,
halved or stoned
X 2½ tbs nonpareille capers
XHandful of small basil leaves,
roughly torn, to garnish

1. Mix the anchovies, anchovy oil and
garlic in a pan. Cook over a mediumhigh heat, stirring for 2 to 3 mins.
2. Next, add the tomatoes and dried
chilli flakes, stirring to break up the
tomatoes. Add the stock, pasta and
½ tsp fine salt, and bring to the boil,
pushing the pasta down into the
sauce without snapping it. Once
the pasta is submerged and the
sauce is bubbling, cook for 15 to
16 mins, stirring regularly, until
the pasta is al dente and the sauce
has thickened nicely and reduced.
3. Gently stir in the tuna or sardines,
along with the olives and capers, and
season with ground black pepper
and a little more salt, if needed.
Garnish with basil, serve and dive in.

SEPT EMB ER 202 1 women sh ealth.com.a u 127

Food
Hub

CURRIED PUMPKIN
AND LENTIL SOUP
WITH NAAN BREAD
Offering a slow and steady energy burn
thanks to their fibre content, lentils are
also an excellent source of selenium – a
mood-enhancing mineral which, when
low, can deplete your energy levels.

SERVES 4 2452KJ (586 CALS) 78G CARBS
19G PROTEIN 20G FAT VEGETARIAN
X1 tbs vegetable oil
X1 onion, finely chopped
X2 celery sticks, finely chopped
X½ large butternut pumpkin, about 700g
X125g red split lentils
X 1 tbs mild curry paste
X900ml vegetable stock
XSmall handful of coriander, to garnish

TERIYAKI TURKEY BALLS
WITH SOBA NOODLES
Low in fat and high in protein, turkey also contains B6 and B12,
two vitality-boosting vitamins that can also help ease energy
zappers such as insomnia and depression. Now that’s delicious.

SERVES 4 1824KJ (436 CALS) 42G CARBS
38G PROTEIN 12G FAT DAIRY-FREE
X400g turkey thigh mince
X4 tbs fresh breadcrumbs, white
or brown
X2 garlic cloves, crushed
X1 tbs vegetable oil
X 3 tbs teriyaki sauce
X1 tbs runny honey
X2 tsp white sesame seeds
X150g soba noodles
X150g sugar snap peas, julienned
X1 medium carrot, peeled
and julienned
XJuice of ½ lime, plus extra
wedges, to serve
XHandful of coriander leaves
1. First, wash your hands (you’ve had
plenty of practice). Combine the
turkey, breadcrumbs, half the garlic
and plenty of seasoning in a large
bowl. Now get your hands involved:

12 8

grab a chunk and roll it into a meatball
(about 20g each, if you’re measuring).
2. Heat a splash of oil in a large frying
pan over a medium-high heat.
Add the meatballs and fry, turning
regularly until golden and just cooked
through – this will take about 15 mins.
Then add the remaining garlic, teriyaki
sauce, honey and sesame seeds and
let it bubble until the sauce has
reduced and the meatballs are coated.
3. Meanwhile, cook the soba noodles
in boiling salted water, according
to the packet instructions, adding
the sugar snaps and carrot for the
final minute. (Your noodles should be
tender, but not too soft.) Drain, rinse
briefly under cold water, drain again.
4. Add the noodle mixture to the
meatball frying pan and toss to coat.
Stir in the lime juice, sprinkle with
coriander and serve with the extra
lime wedges for squeezing over.
That definitely ought to soba you up.

1. Heat oil in a large pan and fry the onion
and celery for 10 mins, until softened.
Meanwhile, discard the seeds from the
pumpkin and chop into 2.5cm pieces.
2. Add the pumpkin to the pan and fry
for 5 mins. Meanwhile, cover the lentils with
cold water and wash well. Drain, and repeat.
Add lentils to the pan and stir in the curry
paste. Cook for 1 min, then add the stock.
Bring to the boil; simmer for 20 to 30 mins,
until the lentils and pumpkin are tender.
3. To make the naans, mix the flour, nigella
seeds, coriander, 1 tsp fine salt and plenty of
ground black pepper in a large bowl. Add the
yoghurt and milk; mix to make a fairly sticky
dough. Lightly dust a work surface with flour.
Break off a quarter of the dough and pat
into a rough 12.5cm-long kidney-shaped
naan. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a
medium heat. Add the naans and cook for
8 to 10 mins, turning once, until golden and
cooked through. Set aside on a wire rack.
5. Carefully blend the soup until smooth and
check the seasoning. Divide between the
bowls, garnish with yoghurt and coriander.
Serve with the naans. Soup-er food, that.

RECIPES BY AMY HOPKINS, PHOTOGR APHY: ROBBERT KOENE.
FOOD ST YLING: BRITA DU PLESSIS

FOR THE NAANS
X200g self-raising flour, plus extra to dust
X 1 tbs nigella seeds
X 1½ tbs ground coriander
X 100g natural yoghurt, extra to garnish
X75ml milk
X 4 tbs vegetable oil

MIXED BEAN
FALAFEL WITH
HERBY COUSCOUS
AND SWEET
POTATO HUMMUS
Sweet potatoes’ fibre and complex
carbs reduce crashes, while beans
are a tasty source of energising
folic acid, iron and magnesium.

SERVES 4 2649KJ (681 CALS) 98G CARBS
18G PROTEIN 21G FAT VEGETARIAN
FOR THE HUMMUS
X350g sweet potato, scrubbed and cut
into small chunks
X1 tbs olive oil
X1 garlic clove, crushed
X3 tbs tahini
XJuice of 1 lemon
FOR THE FALAFEL
X400g tin of mixed beans,
drained and rinsed
X ½ green chilli, deseeded
and finely chopped
X 1 red onion, roughly chopped
X 3 garlic cloves, crushed
X 2 tsp ground cumin
X 1 egg
X 125g self-raising flour
XSmall handful each of parsley and
coriander, roughly chopped
X3 tbs olive oil, plus extra to grease
FOR THE HERBY COUSCOUS
X150g couscous
X 150ml hot vegetable stock
XSmall handful each of parsley and
coriander, roughly chopped
X75g dried sour cherries or sultanas,
roughly chopped
XJuice of 1 lemon
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a large
roasting tin, mix the sweet potato with
½ tbs oil and plenty of seasoning. Cook
for 20 mins, until softened. Then set aside
until you need it. (Leave the oven on.)
2. Meanwhile, make the falafel. Whizz
all the ingredients apart from the oil with
plenty of seasoning in a food processor until
fairly smooth. Chill for 30 mins to firm up.
3. Heat 3 tbs oil in a large frying pan over a
medium-high heat. Drop in walnut-sized balls
of falafel mix from 2 greased spoons. Fry for
about 8 mins, turning occasionally, until dark
brown. Transfer to a baking tray lined with
baking paper and cook in the oven for 15 mins.
4. Put the couscous into a large heatproof
bowl and pour in the hot stock. Cover the
bowl and leave for 5 mins. Fluff the couscous
up with a fork and stir through the herbs,
dried fruit, lemon juice and some seasoning.
5. Finally, whizz the cooled sweet potatoes,
remaining ½ tbs oil, garlic, tahini, lemon
juice and 100ml of water in a food processor
until smooth and check the seasoning.
Divide the couscous between the bowls
and top with the falafel and hummus. wh

SE PTE M BER 2021 wo me ns heal th.com .au 12 9

fitfluential

39ŭ/ŤR(Ŝ+ŤV0

Anna
Lahey
Remember when collagen used to
be synonymous with lip fillers? Well,
Aussie Anna Lahey changed all that
back in 2014 when she launched
Vida Glow. Now, her company is a
global leader in ingestible beauty.
Here’s how the 32-year-old does it
By Lizza Gebilagin

Don’t be afraid
to be the first
“Within weeks of taking
a collagen supplement
I discovered while I was
travelling [in Japan],
I saw a change in the
plumpness of my skin,
my nails strengthened,
and my hair thickened
so much my hairdresser
noticed the difference.
At the time, there really
wasn’t a product like it
on the Australian market.
I started researching
and discovered scientific
evidence supporting
the benefits of collagen
supplementation. [Along
with] my personal results
that was all the belief
I needed to get going,
and start sourcing the
highest quality marine
collagen to launch Vida
Glow. As a company,
we always say, ‘Don’t
be afraid to be the first;
welcome the challenges.’”

Focus on mental
health every day
“Some days I spend five
minutes on my mental
health, some days it’s 30
minutes. I’ll go for a walk
and listen to a podcast,
or I’ll read. I’m currently
reading How To Do The
Work by Nicola LaPera.

I’ll also carve time to
work out at home. I’ve
always found exercise
to be extremely helpful
for my mental clarity.”

A strong network
is so important
“I’m so lucky to have the
support of my parents
and my sister who help
me with the kids. I also
have a group of my old
school friends who have
been on this journey with
me from day one. They
sampled my first product
and, seven years later,
came to Vida Glow’s
global launch event.”

Always do the
hard thing first
“I learnt the best way to
tackle a to-do list is to
start with the hardest
task or the task that you
least want to do. Once
you have that out of your
way, the rest is easy.”

Give life a go
“If my 70-year-old self
had advice for me now,
it would be, ‘This is the
time of your life. Don’t
be afraid to take risks
and don’t be afraid to
have a go – even if you
don’t know what the
end result will be’.” wh

130 wo men sh ea lt h .co m .a u S EP TEM B E R 2 021

Harness the Power &
Beauty of Light