The Without A Trace star’s trainer shares the secrets behind Poppy’s super-fit figure.
When it comes to working out, Australian actress Poppy Montgomery, star of TV show Without A Trace, takes fitness very seriously. Playing FBI agent Samantha Spade means she not only has to look good and be physically fit for the role, but she also has to have the energy and stamina for the gruelling schedule and long days spent on set.
To get in top shape, Poppy works out with Hollywood celebrity personal trainer Helene Guzman, who also trains Hilary Swank and Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman, who’s taken part in a number of testing triathlons.
A lot of celebrities call on Helene, renowned for transforming body shapes, to get them ready for a movie role.
Doing it the healthy way
Sydney-born Poppy works closely with her trainer throughout filming for the show.
“Poppy’s extremely dedicated to her fitness regimen, mainly because she has to be,” says Helene.
“She not only has to look like an FBI agent, but she’s always being asked to present awards shows and is invited to a lot of red-carpet events — which also requires her to make sure she maintains her energy levels.”
“To stay thin, a lot of actresses don’t eat well, and they get really tired, which isn’t healthy,” says Helene.
In order to keep in fighting-fit shape, Poppy trains seven days a week for an hour each day, doing cardio and weights.
Helene says: “To change a body type takes about six weeks, working out seven days a week for an hour every day, which is now standard for Poppy.”
“I design a workout for her that simulates what she does on the show — she works out for an hour wearing a 4.5-7kg vest. We do balance exercises for stability, which involve unstable surfaces like a balance board, BOSU ball, or standing with one foot raised off the ground.”
When Poppy has to appear on the red carpet or host an awards show, Helene switches it around and the 33-year-old actress does four days of weights and three days of cardio.
Which workout suits?
“Because Poppy wears a lot of strapless, sleeveless gowns and dresses, we focus a lot more on her upper body, so her arms and back look really good,” Helene says.
“In this case, we use body weight for training, which means we use her own body’s weight for the resistance. This involves bench dips for triceps with one leg off the ground, or single-leg lifts, which work the butt. I’ll get her to lie on her back with one leg raised, while lifting her body up, using the opposite leg. We do 20-25 repetitions per exercise.”
“We also do a series of stretches, abdominal exercises and side crunches which work the obliques, helping with posture and making her feel long and lean.”
Helene also has Poppy do interval and endurance training to improve stamina.
“Interval training involves doing three to five weight-training exercises, with a cardio workout — like jumping on the treadmill for three to five minutes — between each one.
“Endurance training is when you do intervals of cardio bursts within a circuit of three or more exercises, like bicep curls, push-ups, and single-leg squats, then running on the treadmill for three to five minutes.”
Ditch the fad diets
When it comes to eating, Helene is not a believer in the Zone, South Beach Diet or any other diet, as the results are short-term.
“I get my clients to eat balanced meals,” Helene says.
“When Poppy is shooting, she eats a balanced meal every three hours. Whether it’s a snack or a meal, it must have carbohydrates, proteins and fat. There’s no use having just one food group, like an apple, a bowl of pasta or cheese as a snack because it doesn’t provide enough energy or satisfy hunger.”
“These foods are great for natural energy, and aren’t artificial like high-sugar foods and caffeine.
“A lot of actresses are afraid of fat, but it’s okay when it’s fat like avocados, olive oil and peanut butter. I recommend eating protein in all meals,” the celebrity trainer advises.
Helene also recommends staying away from salty foods because, like Poppy, many women retain a lot of water in their bodies.
“Poppy can go out and eat sushi, which can be very high in sodium, then carry 1.3kg of excess water the following day. If she doesn’t eat high-sodium foods, the excess pounds will drop off after a couple of days.”
While Helene uses a healthy food delivery service called Sunfare — hugely popular with stars like J.Lo — for her star clients when they’re on set, she gives the following food tips for you to try at home.
Try to stay away from really salty foods.
Keep hydrated. If you don’t like drinking plain water, try plain water with sugarless fruit flavours.
A healthy breakfast option is oatmeal, a bit of egg-white and peanut butter.
For lunch, try a salad with protein and vegetables, avocado and oil.
Suggested snacks include half a small apple with some natural peanut butter and a slice of turkey, or some hummus with chicken, or a small amount of cheese with a few almonds plus a slice of turkey.
My best friend Sara and I had been friends for years. We went to high school and university together and shared all our secrets with each other. My friend was always falling in and out of love with guys. So I thought nothing of it when she met Ed and said that she had fallen head over heels for him and almost immediately confessed her undying love for him. It wasn’t the first time she thought her boyfriend was the “one” so it didn’t surprise me. However, not long after they met, Sara started making big plans with Ed to move to Cairns for his work. They were to move in together — the whole kit and caboodle. This is when I realised she was serious and deeply involved with Ed.
Months later, all was going well for the two. They had planned the big move and had even booked a little pre-holiday getaway before they committed themselves to their new lives. All was packed and paid for. Sara couldn’t stop talking about her and Ed and how everything was going so well. They had opened a joint cheque account and would soon be off on their little holiday. Two days before their holiday Sara and I went for coffee and Ed phoned her. It was getting quite sickening to listen to the pair of them carry on like a lovesick couple in the puppy love stage … but I was happy for her. Sara was ecstatic and beaming.
The next day Sara phoned me in hysterics and tears. Ed had broken up with her and said that he was moving to Cairns on his own. I was as shocked as she was. Everything seemed to be fine the day before and now he was telling her that he wasn’t ready and that he needed to sort out his life before making big commitments. The non-refundable holiday was cancelled and my friend was to be homeless in two days since she had given up her rental property for the move. To make matters worse, she lost most of her savings that were in her joint account with Ed, which had dwindled dramatically over the last week they were together — moving fees, she was told. I tried to console Sara the best way I could but it was utterly hopeless. She was broken and steeped in severe depression.
Three weeks later, while I was at work, a colleague came in with some great news — she and her long-term boyfriend that had been on a break for the last eight months, due to his constant travel for work, had gotten back together. Naturally, we were all happy for her. But there was more. They had decided that they no longer wanted to be apart — they decided to get engaged and there on her wedding finger was an enormous rock of a ring. Everyone cooed and awed at the news and the sparkler of a ring blinding us all. But still there was more. Steph had also decided to take an even bigger step and agreed to move to Cairns with him. Instantly, my ears pricked up. I asked her what her partner’s name was, to which she replied, “Ed”!
I couldn’t believe my ears. All this time Ed had been going behind Sara’s back, making alternative plans with his ex Steph to move with her, marry her and start a new life with her. Meanwhile, he had been repeating the same lovey-dovey words to my best friend but never, ever had any intention of going through with any of it. To make matters worse, all the money Sara had lost in this charade of a relationship went on Steph’s stunning ring. I must have turned pale white because everyone started asking me if I was okay. I laughed it off and told them I must have been getting a cold. I went to sit down and started mulling over what I had just heard.
To this day I haven’t told Sara. She would never forgive me if she found out I knew. She kept in contact with Ed in hopes of rekindling their lost love. Every time she spoke of him I felt sick in the stomach. I don’t know why he lead her astray so badly. Maybe for the money … or maybe he was truly confused. Either way, I didn’t think the truth would help heal or better the situation. I suppose I was selfish for not sharing what I knew and making the decision to hide the truth, but it was what I thought was best for my friend at the time. She was just starting to heal and for me to tell her of the wicked betrayal of her love — I was afraid I would lose the spirit in my friend again. Good friends may share everything, but I believe sometimes concealing a secret may be the best thing a best friend can do. I believe that, anyway!
Picture posed by models.
Ever since menopause I just keep gaining weight, even though I eat far less than I used to. It’s so depressing; none of my clothes fit me any more.
During menopause, levels of the naturally occurring hormone oestrogen drop, slowing down the metabolism. And it’s the metabolism that determines the rate at which we burn our fuel (food). It’s a bit like the car that chews up petrol compared to the car that burns on an oily rag. The one that chews up petrol is usually pretty fast while the slow one can go for ages but without much speed. Like the car, a slow metabolism means you don’t need to eat much to run!
It may seem like a cruel trick of nature — the double whammy: weight gain and wrinkles.
But is it a cruel trick or did nature intend it that way for a reason?
I believe everything in nature happens for a reason, so here’s the theory and a solution to ease the pain.
With age and oestrogen loss, we also run the risk of losing calcium and consequently bone strength. A little extra padding around the body is nature’s way of protecting the bones in the event of a fall.
Small comfort? Try this one. Remember those wrinkles? A little extra padding will also help plump out those wrinkles in a way that no cream, regardless of cost, can achieve.
Now, I’m not suggesting that it’s okay to eat so much to pad out to the state of obesity, but I am suggesting you be realistic about what’s healthy and what’s not. There is a reason why Australian standards of healthy weight range increase with age.
One day, shortly after I had ended my seven-year marriage, my best friend sent a group e-mail and I noticed that her brother’s e-mail address was on there.
Her brother and I had been attracted to each other since the age of 15 and flirted outrageously whenever we saw each other. I decided to send a “reply all” e-mail back to the group and sure enough, he responded in about two seconds, saying hi and how he had heard about my divorce.
We quickly made plans to go to an art gallery and shyly flirted throughout the day. I got an e-mail on the Monday at work telling me how he’d had such a terrific time and would like to cook me dinner.
I went over to his place and there was no dinner that night! Instead we ended up in bed. This kept happening over about a six-month period and every time we considered telling his sister/my best friend, we chickened out. On top of that, her husband had been diagnosed with cancer and we didn’t think it was the right time.
Well, her husband passed away and at the funeral we couldn’t share our grief with each other and pretended we didn’t know each other.
It got to the point where I couldn’t take it any more and wanted to tell her. He didn’t!
I booked a ticket to go overseas to get away from everything and actually deal with the fact that my marriage had ended and that the new “love of my life” didn’t want to come out of the closet with our relationship. We had spent close to eight months hiding out in his apartment; not going out or, if we did, walking to the shops — five metres apart.
The night before I left to go overseas, I went to my girlfriend’s house for dinner. We both got quite drunk and I blurted out the truth about my clandestine relationship with her brother.
She was absolutely devastated and felt betrayed — not only by her best friend but by her closest sibling. We had consumed about three bottles of wine and she threw me out of the house hysterically, not being able to believe that the two people closest to her had betrayed her in such a way.
When I came back from my holiday we tried to remain friends, but it was never the same.
I hear through mutual friends that she moved to Adelaide and is remarried with two children.
I think about our friendship occasionally, which had spanned almost two decades, and regret not telling her earlier.
Picture posed by models.
America’s richest woman can’t stop giving away her fortune. We look at the demons driving TV queen Oprah Winfrey.
On Boxing Day, 2005, Oprah and her longtime boyfriend, Stedman Graham, had just taken off in her private Gulfstream jet from the airport in Santa Barbara, California, near her 17-hectare estate in Montecito, when something went very wrong. The windshield cracked, and the pilot hurriedly turned the plane around for an emergency landing.
At first, it was thought the damage was due to a collision with birds, but it turned out to be fairly normal “glass fatigue”.
No way would Oprah be undone by a mere windshield! After all, “fatigue” is one word that never seems to be part of Oprah’s vocabulary. She is positively indefatigable – and proved it in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when 240kmh winds swept through New Orleans and the Gulf Coast killing more than 1200 people, displacing a million others and causing $265billion damage.
The world’s most famous talk-show host was sitting in her home in Chicago when she heard reports outlining the awesome power of approaching Hurricane Katrina. “I’m hearing Category Five, catastrophic, biblical proportions,” she recalled. “I even heard one announcer say, ‘If you don’t evacuate, then God be with you.’ I mean, that was pretty scary to me, and I was nowhere near the hurricane.”
“I watched, and I felt helpless, and I wanted to do something, so I picked up the phone and I called some of my friends and said, “Let’s go down there and see what we can do.”
When Oprah Winfrey calls, people listen. They listen when she talks about poverty and neglect. They listen when she talks about child abuse. They listen when she talks about emotional healing and “living one’s best life”. Or about celebrity marriage breakdowns, engagements, babies – even books they should read.
Inspirational, candid and generous, Oprah Winfrey has the ear of millions the world over. Don’t miss the February 2006 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly to find out about the TV queen’s ambitions, her art of giving and the sleepless nights caused by her new family … of puppies.
Now that it’s back to school and the end of summer holidays, it’s a good time to look at your New Year’s resolutions for the year ahead. If like millions of people worldwide one of your resolves is to get into shape, you might be tempted by the quick fix promises of some of the latest diet fads. This month we evaluate the latest celebrity diets.
Who would have predicted that eggs, once shunned by those with raised cholesterol levels, have now received the Heart Foundation Tick? What a back flip I hear you say? Well this egg flip does seem like a big turnaround, but it’s based on the latest scientific research on eggs and heart health. So whether you like yours scrambled, poached, sunnyside up or with toast fingers, let’s take a look at the cholesterol confusion and key nutrition benefits you get from eggs.
Clearing the cholesterol confusion
The negative publicity around eggs in the 80s and 90s was enough to even turn big, breaky eating farmers off their morning fry up. Eggs were known to be rich in dietary cholesterol, which was mistakenly thought to cause a rise in blood cholesterol once eaten. Recent research however has confirmed that eating eggs has very little, if any, effect on blood cholesterol. The real culprit is the amount of saturated fat in your diet, coming from sources including streaky bacon and sausages. One large study of 128,000 men and women found that even people with high cholesterol levels may be able to eat eggs regularly. So eggs now have the Tick approval and a new message that even one a day is ok!
Protein power
Eggs contain ten essential vitamins and minerals and provide the highest quality protein of any food, which means they closely match human requirements for essential amino acids. A serve of 2 eggs provides around 12g of protein or a quarter of an adult’s daily requirements. Eggs especially make a compact protein pack for young kids and the elderly, who can have small appetites.
Vitamin A and D
One egg contains 10% of an adult’s daily vitamin A requirements, an essential vitamin needed for healthy skin, eyes and a strong immune system. Plus eggs are one of the few foods rich in vitamin D. Dietary sources of vitamin D are vital for children and anyone who misses out on getting enough sun exposure, like dark skinned and veiled population subgroups.
Vitamins and minerals are required for health and are essential for optimal physical performance. But should athletes or weekend warriors pop vitamin and mineral supplements to help get that winning edge?
While research shows that deficiencies of certain vitamins can impair athletes’ performances, there is no strong evidence to suggest that more is better. Provided your diet is nutritionally balanced, additional vitamins and mineral supplements are generally unnecessary.
Athletes at risk of developing vitamin deficiencies include those who are pregnant, those taking certain medications, for example, the oral contraceptive pill, and those on low-energy (kilojoule) diets. Rather than relying on supplements, ‘at risk’ athletes should follow the ‘food first’ principle and aim to improve the balance in their diet.
Poor mineral status is also known to affect athletic performance. Most minerals occur in a wide variety of foods and are essential for nerve transmission, muscle contraction, fluid and electrolyte balance, energy production pathways, and bone, muscle, skin and blood structure.
Check out our guide to some common at risk nutrients:
Athletes at risk Endurance athletes, post-pubertal women, vegetarian athletes, those on restricted energy diets and those following fad diets Effects of deficiency Lethargy, tiredness, decrease in performance Food sources Easily absorbed from liver, kidney and red meats. Not easily absorbed from green leafy vegetables, fortified breads and breakfast cereals, and legumes but vitamin C-rich food, eaten in conjunction with these foods, will enhance iron absorption.
Athletes at risk Young females restricting their energy intake, female athletes who have stopped menstruating, and those with increased needs, for example, breast feeding
Effects of deficiency Reduced bone density, and increased risk of osteoporosis later in life
Food sources Dairy products – milk, cheese and yogurt. Fortified soy drinks, fish with edible bones, nuts and seeds and green leafy vegetables.
Athletes at risk Similar to those at risk of iron deficiency, as many foods that are good sources of iron are also good sources of zinc.
Effects of deficiency Fatigue, reduced immunity, lack of taste sensation, slow healing of wounds, failure to grow, hair loss, dry skin.
Food sources Oysters, red meat, liver, seafood and legumes. Wholegrain products and fortified breads and cereals. Nuts and seeds. Note, zinc from plant sources is better absorbed when eaten with animal protein (such as dairy products).
Women are brought up to believe that anger isn’t OK, and they tend to smile on the outside while seething on the inside. In fact, getting angry every so often is normal and healthy. These 4 ideas will help you vent more constructively:
Take a break
Anger lowers inhibitions and leads us to blurt out things we later regret. In the heat of the moment, do something to clear your head: Go for a walk, slowly sip some iced water, or lock yourself in the bathroom for 5 minutes of deep breathing.
Get physical
Vigorous exercise is a great way to discharge aggressive feelings, whether it’s taking a boxercise class, or belting a ball at the golf range. Even thumping a pillow helps release negative emotions.
Make a noise
Sit and hum, crash saucepan lids together, or put on music and sing along. Long sighs, outraged screams, and deep groans all release emotional tension and help you relax by creating feel-good endorphins in your brain.
Appoint an anger buddy
Find someone trustworthy you can call or email to blow off steam. Make a pact that you can each share your most intimate thoughts without feeling judged or having the other person ‘fix’ or attempt to explain your feelings.
