Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2020 i Top Sante

Summer should be in full swing by the time you read this, so we’ve got lots of great fitness, food and beauty products in this issue to help you make the most of your days. But while most of us love the summer, for some, the heat isn’t always so welcome. Plenty of women approaching or having reached menopause find that summer can exacerbate hot flushes. And with perimenopause starting anywhere in our forties, and symptoms sometimes lasting right up to our late 50s, that’s an awful lot of women being affected. It’s no wonder menopause has become one of the hottest (no pun intentended) women’s health topics. Our special 15-page menopause section (p41) contains a plethora of tips and advice for navigating this natural yet sometimes difficult phase of…

3 of the best... supplements 1 Inessa Advanced Multivitamin (£27.99, inessawellness.com) is the new boss of one-a-day multivits, containing an impressive 2000iu vitamin D3, plus 30mg zinc, both for strong immunity. Plus it contains 100mg CoQ10 for cardiovascular health and energy production, as well as highly absorbable forms of vitamin K, folate and B vitamins, as well as lutein for eye health. 2 Vegetology Opti3 Omega 3 (from £16.95, vegetology.com) is a vegan omega-3 supplement to support skin and brain health. The healthy oils come not from fish, as with most omega-3 supplements, but from algae. 3 Aeterna Gold (from £18, highernature.com) is a new range of supplements and skincare containing four anti-ageing powerhouses: collagen, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and astaxanthin, all designed to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Vionic…

ALTHOUGH THE UK is largely back to normal in terms of the majority of shops and public places being open again, two months spent in lockdown, with all the curtailments to our activities and movements it entailed, has led to some experiencing what’s called ‘re-entry anxiety’. This is a form of stress associated with the fear of being unable, or not wanting, to re-adapt to previously established routines and environments. It’s a common phenomenon for individuals facing changes to routine but now it’s far more widespread, thanks to lockdown affecting the habits and patterns of millions of us. Going back to an environment where new rules will apply and previous conventions no longer seem to work or feel relevant can exacerbate feelings of isolation and loneliness. This feeling of ‘not…

Calm body, calm mind The lead up to menopause can see magnesium levels drop, and yet this mighty mineral is crucial for more than 300 actions in your body. ‘Magnesium not only helps you feel calm and sleep well, it also supports healthy blood pressure,’ says dietician Lola Biggs. Good food sources include dark chocolate, nuts, seeds, legumes and beans. TRY THIS Together Health Marine Magnesium (£6.99 for 30, togetherhealth.co.uk) is an ocean-based formula from natural marine salts. TopSanté PROMOTION Reducing sweats Sage has a long history of use for treating menopausal flushes and sweats. A.Vogel Menoforce Sage Tablets (from £13.99, boots.com and hollandandbarrett.com) are a traditional herbal medicinal product used for the relief of excessive sweating associated with menopausal flushes, including night sweats. Made using the extract of organically-grown…

Biovène Barcelona Shampoo Bar (£5.99 each, lovelula.com) is packed full of essential oils and come in biodegradable, plastic-free packaging. Earthkind Shampoo Bar For Frequent Use (£6.95, hollandandbarrett.com) is natural, sustainable and plastic free. The coconut-derived formula is designed not to strip away natural oils. Rescue My. Hair Pollution Patrol Shampoo Bar (£13.95, my-haircare.com) is enriched with oat protein. The environmentally-friendly packaging it’s wrapped in acts as a holder between uses.…

“We believe every woman has the ability to maximise her health and beauty at any age, regardless of health history. With a balanced diet, effective exercise and a positive mindset, you can stay younger for longer, inside and out. We’ll bring you the latest information on wellbeing, fitness, food and beauty, empowering you to make informed choices now and for your future health. What’s gone before can’t be undone or redone, so let’s leave it in the past and focus on what can be changed today! We’re here to help you, one small step at a time.”…

ARE YOU THINKING of taking a coronavirus test? If so, you might be wondering whether you need a swab test or a blood test. Or perhaps you’ve seen reports of unreliable results? Coronavirus testing can be a confusing subject. But fast and accurate disease detection is essential for containing and stamping out the virus. That’s because quickly identifying pockets of infection means the virus can be squashed at a local level before it has the chance to spread more widely. If you think you have symptoms, it’s best to do a swab test, which uses a small fibre-tipped stick. According to the NHS, Covid-19 symptoms include a high temperature, a new and continuous cough, and the loss of smell or taste. A swab test tells you whether or not you…

As a teenager I’d had terrible migraines. They began in puberty and were linked to my monthly cycle, though would frequently strike at other times. Often they were so severe I would end up in hospital on a drip. I followed all the advice from my GP: cutting out cheese, chocolate and orange juice, ensuring I didn’t let my blood sugar levels get too low. I was put on a variety of contraceptive pills to see if that would help. Sadly it made them worse. Beta-blockers, a cocktail of high-strength painkillers and anti-sickness medicines were all required to keep things manageable. But I hated being reliant on medicines that had a number of side effects. I had my first brief interlude with Ayurveda in 2003. I was studying at King’s…

1 Simply spend more time with your friends who are healthy. Consider what you want to achieve, whether it’s eating healthier food, exercising more or drinking less alcohol, for example. 2 Be more conscious of your own behaviour when you’re with friends who are less healthy. If you’re going into a situation where you know you’ll be tempted, going to a barbecue at the home of a friend who tends to overindulge, for example, think through and plan how you will ideally respond beforehand. Visualisation is a very powerful tool in helping you follow through with certain behaviours. 3 Find people within your broader community who fulfil the type of approach you’re trying to achieve. If for example, you want to get fit but all your friends are quite sedentary,…

Within 24 hours of announcing on Loose Women that I was having a hysterectomy, 10,000 women contacted the show. I couldn’t answer them all, so decided to write a book, which my agent, at the time, strongly advised against, saying it was career suicide. Minds like his needed changing, so I wrote a guidebook for women, called Confessions of a Menopausal Woman, which talked about the menopause as natural and normal. People still stop me in the street offering thanks, including men who say, “You’ve given me back my wife!” Every menopausal woman has a different experience. Some barely notice it, for others it’s a bump in the road and they find help, perhaps through hormone replacement therapy or a change in diet. For some, it ruins their life. If…

WHEN oestrogen and progesterone levels plummet this results in a variety of symptoms that can impact your sleep. These include hot flushes, anxiety and depression. Some women consequently report waking up worrying during the night, or find themselves in sweat-drenched bedsheets. When writing my book Nodding Off: The Science of Sleep (£10.99, Bloomsbury Sigma) I included a case study of woman who described her sleep during this stage of life. She told me she felt more anxious than usual and found that her sleep had become more and more disturbed. She was waking up feeling intense heat around her face and neck and felt trapped in the burning furnace of her body. Nothing would cool it. Even in the coldest of nights she was throwing off all the covers and…

1 BOARD Hardboards are best for my expeditions because they’re more streamlined through the water and sturdier for long distances. But lots of people prefer inflatable boards because they’re much easier to store, and many paddle well. 2 CLOTHING My paddling clothing is all from Palm Equipment (palmequipmenteurope.com). It’s durable and fantastic quality for keeping me warm, waterproof and safe. 3 GETTING DRY My dryrobe (from £130, dryrobe.com) comes with me on all expeditions so I can wrap up warm and get changed in comfort. It’s been a real lifesaver when I’ve been cold and exhausted.…

ULTIMATE SUPERFOOD SALAD Serves 2 Preparation time: 10 mins Cooking time: 20 mins ■ Sweet potato 100g, roasted ■ Sea salt and black pepper ■ Quinoa 100g ■ Broccoli head 1, cut into small florets ■ Pomegranate 1 ■ Olive oil 75ml ■ Chilli flakes 1 pinch ■ Lime 1, juiced ■ Coriander 25g, chopped ■ Alfalfa sprouts or mixed sprouts, 1 small punnet ■ Watercress 85g ■ Ripe avocado 1 ■ Mixed nuts 25g, toasted 1 Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6, then chop the sweet potatoes into inch cubes with the skin on. Place in a roasting tray, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 15-20 mins. 2 Cook the quinoa in salted boiling water according the packet instructions. Place the broccoli in…

BROCCOLI contains the phytochemical Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C), which increases oestrogen metabolism. Try roasting it in the oven with garlic, olive oil and lemon juice – the garlic is high in phytoestrogens too. SOY, including miso, edamame, tempeh and fermented tofu, are rich in isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogen, and are thought to be one of the reasons for a low incidence of menopausal symptoms among Japanese women. You can buy frozen edamame beans in most supermarkets and they make a great change from frozen peas. AVOCADOS are rich in healthy monounsaturated fats. As a change from avotoast, try making a beautifully creamy smoothie by blending avocado, banana, a little milk and a touch of cinnamon. Delicious!…

GUT HEALTH EXPERT Marilia Chamon is a nutritional therapist and is a the founder of Gutfulness Nutrition (gutfulnessnutrition.com). Q Are there any specific probiotic strains that are best for beating diarrhoea? A I would recommend taking L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. rhamnosus, L. reuteri, L. plantarum and the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii, which have all shown some level of evidence in assisting with diarrhoea, be it antibiotic-associated or due to an infection such as gastroenteritis or food poisoning. However, it is important to highlight that chronic diarrhoea is a symptom that has an underlying cause to it. It can occur because of a functional gut disorder such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), because of food intolerances or because of more serious conditions such Inflammatory Bowel Disorder (IBD). Working with a health…

I started yoga in 2005 when I did 100 consecutive days of shivananda at a centre in London. I had just left the music business and I needed to recalibrate after 25 years of hard and fast living! I developed a strong jivamukti practice but, in 2008, I had my first kundalini experience and from then on kundalini yoga totally changed my life. It allowed me to really meet myself. I really experience life now; I feel and I understand myself better than I ever imagined I could. I love the slowness of opening up the sacrum, drawing the spiral with my heart and the flood of serotonin I receive as I lay back afterwards and feel the bliss in my body and soul! I’m also a Reiki master teacher,…

EARLY DINNER FOR WINNERS! Summer months can make later evening meals seem enticing, but try to resist their lure to keep your weight and blood sugar stable. Research from the Endocrine Society has demonstrated that late dinners can affect your glucose tolerance and reduce the amount of fat you burn. Those tested ate supper at either 6pm or 10pm, and the later eaters had higher blood sugar even when eating the same foods. WANT TO LIVE A LONGER, HEALTHIER LIFE? Who doesn’t? The two key factors that determine your longevity are having an active social network, and not smoking, according to a study from New Zealand. Making and maintaining friendships is one of the best decisions you can make for your health. Researchers say that visiting friends, volunteering or even…

The Platinum Healing Ultimate Virtual Juice Detox, Yoga and Healing Retreat WHAT IS IT A virtual juice detox, yoga and healing retreat over five days. HOW IT WORKS This home retreat offers the choice of 19 live yoga classes for complete beginners to advanced practitioners, which are also recorded so you can do them at a time convenient to you. There are also fitness and coaching workshops, educational talks, and Q&As with nutritional therapists, counsellors, a hypnotherapist, and a fitness trainer. You can also opt for one-to-one sessions in multiple modalities, from hypnotherapy to NLP. At the start of the retreat you receive the Platinum Home Detox Box, nutritional supplements to support gut and liver health, as well as a dry skin body brush and ayurvedic tongue cleanser, and a…

SEEK HELP FROM HERBS Soy and red clover provide plant oestrogens that help reduce bouts of overheating. Sage is also thought to assist by curbing excessive sweating. Black cohosh could benefit you by balancing your hormones, but it isn’t recommended if you have liver problems. Agnus castus stabilises hormones too, and many women find it treats mood swings, anxiety and tension. St John’s wort may cut the number and severity of flushes and night sweats and improve low mood. If you are on any medication, check with your GP before taking this herb, as it can react with some drugs. FOCUS ON HEALTHY FATS Not all fats are bad news – in fact, we need to include the right ones in our diet to support our body’s functions and stay…

COMING UP ROSES Feel floral as you workout with the new Virtual Racing UK leggings (£30, virtualracinguk.co.uk). They’re made using a four way stretch fabric and have a tapered cut to provide a ‘second skin’ feel. Putting your feet first… Enertor’s new PX1 Running Insoles (£29.99, enertor.com) use shock absorbing technology protect the feet and body from impact. Ninety-one per cent of foot pain sufferers reported an improvement in their discomfort, while 75 per cent reported that the insoles healed their plantar fasciitis. Worn and endorsed by the legend, Usain Bolt, no less! THE POCKET PT With many races still postponed or cancelled, look to personal training app Auro (from £11.99 a month, App Store) for motivation. It features audio workouts from expert trainers, along with in-depth training plans. It’s…

Hormones can be problematic midlife. This month, Sam Rice explains which foods are best for hormone harmony. Find Sam on Instagram @midlifekitchen and at stealthhealthblog.com. OF ALL THE CHANGES OUR BODIES UNDERGO during midlife, the decline in oestrogen is perhaps the most profound. This can begin as soon as our late thirties. It affects not only body fat distribution – it tends to accumulate around the middle – but can also lead to poor sleep, lower energy, mood swings and hot flushes. Our hormonal, or endocrine, system is highly complex and there is no one food or supplement that can directly affect it, so it’s best to eat a varied diet. However, there are certain foods that support hormone production and function... PHYTOESTROGENS These are plant chemicals that act like…