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Feel good with Fibre – Women’s Health and Fitness Magazine Vol 14 No.3

Not only can a healthy dose of fibre reduce the risk of certain cancers, but it can also keep you fuller for longer.

Also known as roughage, fibre is an important part of any diet.  Fibre is made up of a number of complex carbohydrates that cannot be digested by the body.  Due to its resistance to the body’s digestive enzymes, only a small amount of fibre is digested in the stomach or intestines.  Nonetheless, fibre delivers several health benefits.

There are two types of fibre: insoluble and soluble, with neither containing any calories, vitamins and minerals.

The insoluble stuff
Insoluble fibres promote intestinal health, bowel regularity and can benefit blood cholesterol levels and diabetes.  There fibres are able to absorb many times their own weight in water which allows for softer, bulkier stools that may prevent constipation and haemorrhoids.  Diets high insoluble fibre reduce the risk of colon cancer by speeding the rate at which stool passes through the bowel and keeping the digestive tract clean.

Where to find it
Insoluble fibres make up the structural parts of a plant’s cell walls.  The best sources of insoluble fibres are wheat bran, corn bran, rice bran, wholegrain cereals and breads, dried beans and peas, nuts, seeds and the skins of fruits and vegetables.

The soluble stuff
Soluble fibres form a gel when mixed with liquid, slowing the emptying of the stomach.  This creates a feeling of fullness which can help if you’re watching your weight.  In addition, soluble fibre helps to stabilise blood sugar levels by slowing the rate at which sugars are absorbed into he bloodstream.  Some soluble fibres have the ability to lower blood cholesterol levels by binding bile acids – made from cholesterol to emulsify dietary fats – and excreting them.

Where to find it
Good sources of soluble fibre can be found in a wide variety of foods including apples, oats, guar gum, dried beans and green vegetables.

Is your diet fibre-full?
Most of us do not consume enough fibre, with the majority eating less than 20 grams per day.  Adults should aim to have between 25-35 grams of fibre daily.  However a word of caution: if you’re increasing your fibre intake from a relatively low level, do it gradually.  A sudden increase in fibre may produce wind, bloating and stomach cramps which will obviously create some discomfort.
If much or your diet consists of healthy complex carbohydrates, you should easily fulfil the recommended daily quota of fibre.  All plant foods contain fibre obviously some more than others.  Good sources of fibre include fruit, vegetables, wholegrain rice and pasta, wholemeal bread, many breakfast cereals, nuts, seeds and bran.

5 simples ways to boost your fibre

  • Top your cereal with dates, figs and prunes
  • Add beans and pulses to vegetable soups
  • Next time you’re having a BBG complement the meat with chargrilled vegetables
  • Sweeten natural yoghurt with raspberries, apples or pears
  • Eat the skin (within reason) of fruit and veg
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Express Exercise

By: Jess Stewart - Women's Health & Fitness Magazine
Still dreaming about your ultimate bikini body? Think you’re too busy to train? Think again. There’s no need to spend hours in the gym, just spend the time you have wisely. Research suggests a good 10-minute workout can burn more calories and build more muscle, than an hour cruising at the gym. Jess Stewart offers you 14 express workouts that will comfortably slip into the busiest of schedules.

10 MINUTE POWER WORKOUTS

1. Skip to complete body toning

  • One minute skipping
  • 10 squats
  • 10 push-ups
  • 10 crunches

dynamic lunge.jpg
 Repeat four to five times

2. Thigh buster   

  • 24 dynamic lunges
  • 24 squats
  • 12 power lunges: Jump in and out of the lunge position
  • 12 power squats: Jump in and out of the squat position

 Perform three to four sets

3. Cardio and weights

  • Two minutes running on-the-spot
  • One minute of squats with shoulder press: Use a weight or medicine ball if you have one, otherwise any five to ten kilo weight will work
  • Two minutes of jumping jacks (star jumps)
  • 15 tricep dips
  • 15 push-ups on a bench or table
  • Two minutes of fast pace, lateral jumps: Side-to-side over an imaginary line
  • Desk pull-ups: Sit beneath a dining room table, grabbing the outside with an underhand grip, using your arms, pull you body up and toward the table
  • One minute of the abdominal cycle: Fast paced diagonal situps, where the alternate elbow and knee touch

ab cycle.jpg

4. Intense cardio

  • One minute of step jumps: Use a low step to jump up and down from
  • One minute of butt-kickers: Running on-the-spot, with heels tapping your butt with each move
  • One minute of upper cuts
  • One minute of alternate arm punches
  • One minute of cross jumps: Jump in an imaginary cross, forwards, backwards and to either side, return to the centre after each jump


5. All over body weights

  • 10 narrow push-ups
  • One minute (on each side) bridge with underarm tuck
  • 20 sumo (wide leg) squats
  • 10 wide push-ups
  • 20 static lunges on each leg

 Make each exercise last one minute, before moving onto the next

20 MINUTE EXPRESS WORKOUTS 

1. Stairs

  • Two minutes of stair running
  • One minute bridge
  • 20 sit-ups

 Repeat five times

2. Running sprints

  • Alternate intervals (one to three minutes) of your usual running speed with a sprint running speed: Your sprint pace should be two speeds faster than your usual pace (i.e. if you usually run at pace 10 on the treadmill, your sprint pace will be 12)

 
3. Bike intervals
Divide 30 minutes into eight and 12 second blocks, then sprint for eight seconds and rest for twelve.  Don't be taken back by the arithmetic, it's simple.  Start each sprint at the beginning of each minute and the times will run as such:

  • 0:00-0:08 Sprint: As fast as you can go
  • 0:08-0:20 12-second recovery: Cycle at a lower intensity
  • 0:20-0:28 Sprint
  • 0:28-0:40 12-second recovery
  • 0:40-0:48 Sprint
  • 0:48-1:00 12-second recovery

Get ready to begin the next cycle, which will run in the same time intervals.

 4. Run and Lunge

  •  Five minute run
  • 40 walking lunges: 20 each leg

 Repeat as many times as possible in 20 minutes

 5. Skip, hop and jump

skipping.jpg

  • One minute skipping: Jumping with both feet together
  • One minute skipping on left foot
  • One minute skipping on right foot
  • One minute of bell jumps: Place the skipping rope on the floor and jump backwards and forwards over it
  • Repeat three minutes of skipping
  • One minute of ski jumps: This time jump left to right over the rope

 Repeat as many times as you can in 20 minutes

30 MINUTE COMPLETE WORKOUTS

1. Outdoor full body circuit

  • Five minute warm up jog: Do as many laps around a park or oval as required
  • Two minutes of bench step-ups: As fast as you can alternating legs each step
  • 12-15 bench dips
  • 12-15 on the monkey bars or pull-ups
  • 30 second abdominal hold
  • 40 walking lunges: 20 steps in one direction, then turn around and lunge back
  • 12-15 bench push-ups

 Repeat as many times as possible, including the five minute run between sets

2. Gym full body circuit
push up.jpg

  • Five minutes on the bike
  • 20 power squats: As fast as you can
  • Five minute rower sprint
  • 20 push-ups: Starting on your toes, dropping to your knees if needed
  • Six minute treadmill sprint
  • Stomach super-sets: 15 full sit-ups followed by 15 small crunches

 

3. Push/pull leg cardio

  • Four minute sprint on your choice of cardio: Cross-trainer, treadmill, bike, etc
  • 10 chest presses or push-ups
  • 10 tricep dips
  • 10 bicep curls: With a bar or dumbbells

Repeat two to three sets of all of the weights: Take no more than six minutes in total.

  • Five minutes sprint on cardio machine of choice
  • 20 squats
  • 20 lunges
  • 20 situps

Again, aim for two to three sets in six minutes

  • Four minute sprint on machine of choice
  • 12-15 lat pull-down or seated row
  • 30 second abdominal bridge

Aim for two to three sets of these resistance training exercises

4. All over body cardio and weights

  • 250 skips
  • 12-15 squats to calf raises: Do this by extending the upwards phase of the squat and rolling up onto the balls of your feet into a calf raise
  • 250 running step-ups: use a small step, no higher than one foot
  • 10 moving planks: Begin by holding an abdominal bridge for 20 seconds.  Push off your elbows onto your hands into a push-up position.  Stay off the floor on your toes.  Then return to the push-up position and repeat
  • 20 burpies: Start in a squatted position on the ground.  First, push off from the arms, stretching out your legs behind you.  Then, quickly jump back into the starting position and immediately jump up, stretching your arms above your head.  When you land, go directly back into the squat position and repeat.
  • 20 crunches: With hands behind your head and feet off the floor

 Repeat as many times as possible in 30 minutes: Keep rest intervals short and push yourself to the limits.  It doesn't have to be a long workout, just an intense one.
Squat.jpg

Websites

We LIKE!

Websites:

Women’s Health Magazine: http://nz.lifestyle.yahoo.com/ womens-health
Workouts, healthy recipes and interesting lifestyle articles.

Healthy Food Guide: http://www.healthyfood.co.nz
Heaps of healthy recipes and simple answers to important questions on food and health.

Women’s Health and Fitness Magazine: http://www.womenshealthandfitness.com.au
Workouts, healthy recipes and interesting lifestyle articles.

Sparkpeople: http://www.sparkpeople.com
A free website offering personalised eating plans and exercise programs as well as calorie and exercise trackers.  

StrawberryNet: http://www.beautynet.co.nz
A great website for purchasing all your beauty products at discounted prices, tried and tested by the girls at Sculpt!

Map My Run: http://www.mapmyrun.com
Need to walk or run a specific distance? This site will help you plan the perfect route.