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Hollywood elite honour Oprah

Some of Hollywood’s big names — including Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Madonna, Beyoncé and Tom Hanks — have all taken part in one of Oprah Winfrey‘s final shows to bid her farewell from her talk-show host role.

The ‘Surprise Oprah!’ show, recorded in front of 13,000 audience members in Chicago, saw Tom Hanks act as master of ceremonies and invite a number of well-known celebrities onto the stage to each surprise the 57-year-old with a message of appreciation.

“Millions of people are inspired by Oprah,” Madonna said. “I am one of those people … She has balls and a wealth of compassion, and I have learned so much from her.”

Tom Hanks ran the surprise show for Oprah.

Beyonce

Madonna

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise

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How healthy is your pelvic floor?

Pelvic floor exercises

When was the last time you thought about your pelvic floor? Unless you’ve had a problem “down there”, it’s more than likely the answer is “not recently”, if ever.

The pelvic floor is the group of muscles that support your pelvis. They form the foundation for all movement, balance, stability and flexibility by protecting the lumbar spine during physical activity.

The strength of your pelvic floor significantly effects how comfortable you are with exercise, continence, coughing, lifting, tampons, sexual intimacy and much more.

Mary O’Dwyer, a women’s health physiotherapist, explains some benefits of a healthy pelvic floor.

“A healthy pelvic floor has good sensation and orgasmic capacity, and orgasm itself is an intense strength work-out for pelvic floor muscles.” she says.

“Our pelvic floor muscles maintain vaginal muscle tone and sensation, so orgasm continues to be powerful even as we age. During pregnancy, pelvic floor exercises could actually help to shorten the second stage of labour in some women.

“Results from one study show intensive pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy seems to facilitate rather than obstruct labour, and could prevent a prolonged second stage in some women.”

Problem: A weak pelvic floor. “When the pelvic floor muscles are weak,” Mary says, “due to chronic coughing, heavy lifting, poor posture, bowel straining, neurological disease or birth damage, the muscles lack tone and fail to lift and hold during activity. These women will definitely benefit from strengthening exercises.”

Problem: A too tight pelvic floor. “When pelvic floor muscles are too tight due to fear, stress, chronic tension or excessive exercise,” Mary says, “they also fail to control the bladder and bowel and are associated with pelvic and sexual pain. So if women with tight pelvic floor muscles do strength exercises, they will develop painful muscle spasms.” These women will benefit from relaxing stretching exercise such as hatha yoga.

Problem: Uncoordinated pelvic floor/abdominal muscles. “Other women [especially those with poor bladder control] use strong upper abdominal muscles during activity instead of lifting the pelvic floor early,” Mary says. “Some women suck in their waist, which reinforces this pattern. Automatically tightening the upper abdominal muscles first increases intra-abdominal pressure, which the pelvic floor muscles may fail to control.

“Women with uncoordinated pelvic floor or abdominal muscles benefit from specific training to find and use the pelvic core/core action instead of the upper abdominals, [such as Pilates].”

  • regularly growing tall through the crown of your head to switch on floor and core muscles;

  • put a support in the lower back to keep the lower back inward curve;

  • stand up every 20 to 30 minutes or walk over to a colleague’s desk;

  • draw circles with your bottom while sitting down; and

  • leave the car at home and walk to the bus or train.

How do yoga and Pilates help?

Yoga and Pilates involve slow movement with aligned posture. Holding poses builds endurance and strength in core muscles so it’s easier to sit and stand tall for longer.

  1. Stand and imagine you are holding a pencil in your vagina. Soften both knees and draw circles and numbers with your “pencil”.
  1. Lift your pelvic floor before you cough, sneeze or lift.

Related video: Poise Pilates – The Clams

The Clams has been designed to help work the abdominal muscles as well as the pelvic floor to build better core stability.

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How to achieve better work-life balance

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Manage family, health and career

With 30 percent of us saying that work affects our social lives, it’s no wonder so many of us what to achieve a better balance in our life. Here nutritionist and exercise physiologist Caitlin Reid shows you how.

Work-life balance is quickly becoming one of the most wanted things in life. However, having the ability to effectively manage our paid work with personal development, community interests, family commitments and health remains elusive for many.

Working nine to five may have been a hit for Dolly Parton, but for many of us today, working nine to five just doesn’t seem to cut it. We may start earlier, work back late or skip lunch, all in the name of getting our work done. Even when we’re finished in the office, technology such as smartphones and laptops make us contactable 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Too much work and not enough play means we miss personal milestones, neglect our health, lose the ability to relax and fail to contribute to the community. While it may be difficult to strike a balance between work, home, community and personal time, neglecting just one of these areas can threaten the vitality of all. To achieve better balance in your life, follow these tips.

Decide what is most important to you. Is it your health, family or career? When you have determined your priorities, keep a log and assess how much time each week you spend on each of these areas. You should see a correlation between the two. If there isn’t, chances are you’re devoting too much time to activities that matter the least to you. Outsource or stop these tasks.

At the end of each day, set your priorities for the following day and designate a strict time frame for each area of your life. This may sound over the top, but with the fast-paced lifestyle we all lead, managing your time is a must.

Create a distinction between work and home life by going for a walk, reading a book or having a bath when you get home from work. Avoid being available 24 hours a day by switching off all electronic media when arriving home. Use this time to improve relationships with family and friends or recharge with some alone time.

Saying “no” can be hard for many, however it is perfectly fine to do so, particularly when a task may be creating you unnecessary stress or taking up so much time you haven’t any time left to sleep. By losing the things you take on out of guilt, you’ll make more time for the activities that really mean the most to you.

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Top 10 tips for perfect digestive health

Are you suffering from poor digestion, headaches, allergies, fatigue and mood swings? Follow these ten step for digestive health and you’ll notice the benefit on your waistline.

Top 10 tips for perfect digestive health

Are you suffering from poor digestion, headaches, allergies, fatigue and mood swings? Follow these ten step for digestive health and you’ll notice the benefit on your waistline.

A balanced diet, that is high in both soluble and insoluble fibre, helps to keep food moving through your digestive tract. Besides lowering cholesterol, a high fibre diet also feeds the healthy bacteria and helps them to flourish. Vegetables, fruit and whole grains are all good sources of insoluble fibre, while oats and pulses like beans and lentils are rich in soluble fibre. Consuming a diet that is high in fibre and rich in whole grains, vegetables, legumes and fruits can improve your digestive health. In addition, it can help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight.

Fatty, deep-fried foods tend to slow down the digestive process. For optimal health, avoid sweets, fatty foods and processed foods as these may have an adverse effect on your body’s microflora. Instead, reach for brightly coloured vegetables and fruits as they are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

How you eat may be as important as what you eat. We’ve all done it: grabbed a bite on the road, eaten too fast and ended up with bloating and indigestion. When food isn’t chewed thoroughly the amylase enzymes from the saliva don’t come in contact with the food for long enough to begin the digestive process – often causing gas or indigestion. Instead, take the time to slowly savor the flavour of food. Aim for 30 to 40 chews for every mouthful you take. Remember what your mum told you: Eat slowly and chew properly.

Probiotics are the healthy bacteria naturally present in your digestive tract. These good bacteria help keep the body healthy by facilitating the digestion of undigested food in the stomach, alleviating indigestion and bloating. But stress, bad eating habits and antibiotics, can all kill the beneficial bacteria in our body. It is important to restore the body’s balance by eating food which contains probiotics.

Water is necessary for the body to operate properly. Drinking enough water helps ensure the nutrients in food are digested and absorbed. Try to work in eight glasses a day, or more if it’s hot or you’re working hard. Not only will it alleviate bloating, it’s a great excuse to get up from your desk and walk around the office.

Smoking, caffeine and alcohol can all interfere with the functioning of your digestive system. Remember excess of any such food has a drastically bad effect on your health of digestive system thus on the whole body.

Aim to sit down for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks around the same time each day. And don’t eat a heavy, rich meal within three hours of bedtime. When you go to sleep, your digestive system slows down too, so eating a big meal before bed means your digestive system has to work through the night, which can disrupt your sleep.

Regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight, which is good for your health. Exercise also helps keep foods moving through your digestive system. Make it a point to work regular exercise into your schedule.

Stress is something that is quite difficult to avoid in today’s society. When we suffer from stress, our digestive system is one of the first parts of our body to react. Find stress-reducing activities that you enjoy and practice them on a regular basis. Some activities include meditation, craft, sport or even puzzles.

The amount of sleep we get can affect our digestive health. Much like the rest of our body, our digestive system needs time to rest. Going to bed and getting up at regular hours each day can help our digestive system work more effectively and improve the regularity of our bowel habits.

NEXT Top 10 ways to beat the flu

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Top 10 ways to beat the flu

Keep yourself well with these 10 tips for the cold and flu season.

At work, keep tissues near your desk, and at home have a box in every room.

“So if someone is going to sneeze, they can do it in a tissue, not over you,” says Professor Robert Booy, pediatrician and flu expert from the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney.

This can prevent twice as many colds as washing hands once only, a study by Columbia University found. “If you wave your hands under the tap for 10 seconds, then yes, once won’t do much,” agrees Professor Booy. “But if you do it properly the first time – that is 15 seconds in hot or cold water – and then dry thoroughly, once is probably still sufficient. Wash before eating, and after using the toilet.”

Sleeping for less than seven hours a night increases the risk of catching a cold threefold, according to a study in the Archives Of Internal Medicine. Researchers theorise that lack of sleep impairs the immune system’s flu-fighting ability.

Next time you go to rub your eyes, use your knuckles. They’re much cleaner than your fingertips.

Blackmores naturopath Pam Stone says vitamins A, C and E, plus zinc, may help boost your immunity, along with the herb andrographis (available as a supplement at health food shops). Take citrus drinks with honey, and “eat kiwifruit, which is loaded with vitamin C,” Pam says.

“Try garlic roasted in the oven, drizzled with olive oil, then spread soft on toast – it’s a delicious flu-fighting treat,” says naturopath Pam Stone. Astralagus tea, a popular Chinese remedy, may help bust a cold, too.

Steam inhalation is a good idea for coughs, especially for kids as there is no clear evidence cough medications work for children. “Cough medicines are no longer recommended for children under six, and should be used with caution for those under 12,” says Professor Booy.

Taking a probiotic supplement can make all the difference between getting a cold or not. A study published in US journal Pediatrics found that, over the course of six months, there were fewer fevers, coughs and colds in the group that took probiotics than in the control group. Probiotics can be found in yoghurts, so look for mentions of live and active cultures on the label.

While it’s a virus that causes the common cold, cold temperatures can make you more vulnerable to a virus, found the Cardiff Common Cold Centre.

A study of 90 people who doused their feet for 20 minutes in buckets of chilly water found they got five times as many colds as those who kept their tootsies warm

Sauna lovers had far fewer colds, a study over six months found. Inhale steam from a bowl of hot water (tent a towel over your head and the bowl to create a mini sauna) at the first sign of sniffles.

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Blueprint for a healthy lunch box

Blueprint for a healthy lunch box

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Across Australia, children’s waistlines are steadily expanding as intake of fast food and soft drinks because increasingly normal.

With a host of unhealthy options available at almost every school canteen, here are some guidelines to help you ensure your children are eating a balanced diet.

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A healthy lunch box should include most of the following components each day:

Bread

To keep kids interested, try a variety of bread types, such as sliced wholemeal or rye bread to use with sandwich fillings, pita bread for roll-ups, pita pockets to “stuff” with sandwich “goodies” and bread rolls to make into “submarines”.

Higher-fibre breads such as wholemeal and wholegrain are preferable, or you could look for the white breads with added fibre.

Spread bread lightly with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated margarine or try smooth ricotta cheese, hummus, peanut butter or avocado.

Salad vegetables

Fill breads with a variety of salad ingredients including many different colours. Try grated carrot, sliced cucumber, tomato, beetroot or mushrooms and leafy greens.

If your child is not so keen on these foods, introduce them gradually and build up over time. Raw salad vegetables are particularly healthy and some should be provided each day.

Avoid salad ingredients that make bread soggy. Adults don’t like soggy sandwiches and neither do children!

Protein filling

For protein, essential minerals (such as iron and calcium) and fibre include fillings such as baked beans or soy beans in tomato sauce and falafel balls (made from chick peas). Also, try a slice of cheddar, cottage cheese, boiled egg, peanut or other nut butters.

Meat or fish fillings, while providing a good source of protein and iron, contain no fibre. If using meat fillings, look for lean varieties.

Fruit

Both fresh and tinned fruit are good choices, but fresh fruit is preferable. Offer old favourites such as bananas, small apples or pears and mandarins on a regular basis.

Gradually introduce new varieties of fruits, such as papayas (paw paws) or tangerines. Look for fruit that is in season as this is usually cheaper.

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Drink

Water is the best drink for children. If they refuse to drink from the water fountain, send it in a special theme water bottle (that has been placed in the freezer overnight) to create more interest.

Milk and calcium-fortified soy drinks provide ways of introducing extra calcium. Fruit juices supply additional vitamins such as vitamin C, but they lack the fibre found in the whole fruit. They should be offered in moderation; if used in large amounts, dilute by half with water.

This information is provided by the Sanitarium Nutrition Service.

Your say: How do you get your children to eat healthy lunches?

Video: Healthy lunchbox fillers that won’t break the bank

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A guide to Asian greens

A guide to Asian greens

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The use of Asian vegetables in everyday cooking is becoming increasingly popular, adding great flavours, colours and textures to many of your favourite dishes — but how do you know which ones to use?

This guide looks at some of the most common Asian vegetables and explains why you should add them to your shopping list.

Ehn choy (ing choy, Chinese spinach, Chinese amaranth)

A leafy green vegetable (sometimes with red veins) usually sold with its roots attached.

Nutritionally, it is a good source of vitamin C, betacarotene, folic acid, calcium, iron and dietary fibre.

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Bok Choy (baak choi)

Within this group there are two varieties, baby bok choy (Shanghai bok choy, pack choy) and standard bok choy. This vegetable is a type of cabbage, in which both the leaf and stem is eaten.

Nutritionally, it is a good source of vitamin C and contributes small quantities of iron, calcium, various vitamins and dietary fibre.

Choy sum (Chinese flowering cabbage)

This cabbage has yellow flowers and looks like a slimmer version of bok choy. All sections of the vegetable can be cooked and it can be used as a substitute for broccoli.

Nutritionally, it is a good source of vitamin C, betacarotene and provides some iron. It also contains dietary fibre.

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Wombok (napa cabbage, Peking cabbage, Chinese cabbage, wong nga pak)

It is a large, cylindrical-shaped, tightly packed Chinese cabbage that looks similar to cos lettuce. It has a mild yet distinct flavour and is available throughout the year, with March being the month of abundance.

Nutritionally, it is an excellent source of vitamin C, a good source of iron and a moderate source of calcium, vitamin A and potassium.

This information is provided by the Sanitarium Nutrition Service.

Your say: What is your favourite way to cook Asian greens?

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Healthy menu ideas for every day of the week

Healthy menu ideas for every day of the week

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The following meal ideas have been designed to include a variety of foods that are easy to prepare and easy to eat.

The meal suggestions and recipes focus on a range of plant foods and are meat-free. The addition of lean meats, chicken or fish is an optional extra for those who wish to include them.

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Breakfast options

  • Wholegrain cereal with soy or dairy milk, topped with tinned or fresh fruit

  • Porridge with fruit (fresh or dried), nuts (crushed or ground) or unprocessed bran

  • Poached eggs, with grilled tomatoes and mushrooms on wholemeal toast or bread

  • Wholemeal English muffins topped with baked beans and grated reduced-fat cheese

  • Wholemeal toast or bread with margarine and jam

  • Crumpets with a little margarine and yeast spread

  • Pancakes, topped with yoghurt and fresh fruit

Main meal options

  • Macaroni with tomato/vegetable sauce, sprinkled with reduced-fat cheese and crushed almonds

  • Large baked potato filled with canned bean mix, tomato, lettuce and topped with a dollop of natural yoghurt

  • Savoury lentils served on a bed of rice and cooked vegetables (eg: green bean, carrots or corn).

  • Vegetable omelette sprinkled with sesame seeds and served with wholemeal bread

  • Mini pizza made by using pocket bread topped with tomato paste, onion, mushrooms, crushed pineapple, capsicum and sprinkle with reduced-fat cheese

Light meal options

  • Peanut minestrone soup with a wholemeal bread

  • Focaccia filled with salad and reduced-fat cheese

  • Wholemeal bread topped with tinned asparagus and cottage cheese

  • Canned spaghetti on toast, sprinkled with reduced-fat cheese

  • Scrambled eggs on wholemeal English muffins with sliced tomato

  • Canned creamed corn on toast, sprinkled with parsley

  • Tomato soup with added kidney beans, served with wholemeal bread or toast.

Dessert options

  • Baked vanilla custard

  • Rice pudding served with custard or fruit

  • Tinned fruit with reduced-fat ice-cream

  • Stewed apples with low-fat fruit yoghurt

  • Reduced-fat custard served with tinned fruit, such as sliced peaches

  • Stewed rhubarb served with smooth ricotta cheese

  • Ripe, fresh fruit, eg: bananas, oranges, apricots, rockmelon or pears

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Snack options

  • Slice of apple and raisin loaf

  • Dried fruits, eg: figs, apricots, sultanas, raisins and prunes

  • Low-fat fruit yoghurt with crushed almonds

  • Wholemeal fruit scone with jam

  • Wholemeal raisin toast with margarine

  • Smoothie made with soy milk or milk, fruit and honey

  • Wholemeal sandwich made with peanut butter.

This information is provided by the Sanitarium Nutrition Service.

Your say: Do you have any quick, simple mid-week recipes you rely on when you’re busy?

Video: The truth about low-fat foods

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10 ways to update your hair without breaking the bank

Ten ways to update your hair without breaking the bank

Your makeup is beautiful, your outfit is stunning and your shoes look incredible — it’s a shame about the hair! Bad hair can ruin a killer outfit so we’ve found 10 clever ways to update your hair in 10 minutes.

1. Cut a fringe

A fringe is an easy way to update your style with minimal time and effort. If you’re feeling confident you can cut it yourself, but we recommend going to a hairdresser — it will only take 10 minutes and won’t cost much.

2. Get some texture

There are dozens of mousses, gels, putty and sprays that can dramatically change the look of your hair by adding a bit of texture. Puffy, one-dimensional hair can age your face and your look, so add some product and rough it up.

3. Try an up-do

If, like Kate Middleton, you are practically allergic to wearing your hair up, a sweeping up-do could makeover your whole look. Try braids, a loose bun or a sexy chignon.

4. Fight the frizz

If your locks are frizzy and unruly, it doesn’t matter how expertly you style them — you will still look dowdy and unpolished. Visit your local hairdresser for advice on the right product to make your tresses silky, smooth and sleek.

5. Go for a ponytail

Ponytails used to be the style for when you don’t have time to style, but this has changed in the past few years. A slick ponytail is now bang on trend and can make you look modern and sexy instantly.

6. To dye for

Changing the colour of your hair instantly updates your style. Avoid the time and expense of a trip to the hairdresser and do it yourself. Pick up some dye from your local chemist, but stick within a couple of shades of your current hair colour to avoid a hair disaster.

7. Ride the wave

The age of poker-straight tresses is all but over. If you want to refresh your look, add some sexy waves, a la Kate Middleton. This look can be hard to achieve at home, but with some practice, you’ll be wielding your blow-dryer and round brush like a pro.

8. Add some volume

Limp, lifeless locks are not sexy. Use a volumising shampoo and conditioner and stay away from the hair straightener. Instead, blow-dry your locks out into a voluminous mane.

9. Lift roots

Another way to add volume to flat hair is lifting the roots. After washing, put mousse through your roots and blow-dry your hair upside down.

10. Play with a band

Headbands aren’t restricted to school playgrounds any more. Adding a funky band can refresh your look, and hide a multitude of hair sins, including bad regrowth, dirty hair and locks in desperate need of a cut.

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Should mother be banned from injecting daughter, 8, with Botox?

Should mother be banned from injecting daughter, 8, with Botox?

A US woman provoked outrage across the world last week when she admitted to injecting her eight-year-old daughter with Botox on national television.

Kerry Campbell was unrepentant in the interview, claiming her daughter Britney had asked for the anti-wrinkle injections to boost her confidence in child beauty pageants.

”It’s a tough world in the pageant world, I’m telling you,” Campbell told Good Morning America. ”The kids are harsh.”

Child welfare authorities have launched an investigation into Campbell’s conduct. San Francisco Human Services Agency executive director Trent Rhorer gave a TV interview over the weekend confirming he is keen to talk to Campbell and Britney.

”It’s pretty unusual for a mum to be injecting an eight-year-old with Botox and certainly is grounds for an investigation,” he said.

Campbell said Botox was common in the child beauty pageant circuit. She insisted Britney asked for the injections and only “cried a little” when they was being administered.

Australian cosmetic surgeon Dr Ingrid Tall, director of Cosmetic Image Clinics, said she was ‘appalled’ by Campbell’s behaviour. She said the case showed how the world of beauty pageants had spiralled out of control.

“Children need to be children and not treated as commodities,” Dr Tall said.

“These child beauty pageants create a huge amount of pressure to perform and injecting a child with Botox as an anti-wrinkle solution is taking things to extremes.

“Children should be having fun and playing, not strutting around in beauty pageants in high heels with make up on and having Botox injections.”

Your say: Do you think Kerry Campbell should be banned from injecting her eight-year-old daughter with Botox?

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