Designed to flush the digestive system and fight stress, a yoga program left me energized, but not cleansed.

I should have been imagining a babbling brook or repeating my dedication to endangered leatherback turtles. Instead, as I struggled to twist my body into a position more complicated than a reef knot, all I could think about was how my internal organs were going to thank me for all the love I was giving them.

Because nothing says New Year like a detox, I spent four days last week wringing out my insides, purifying my breath and finding new energy during a “detox flow” yoga class at 889 Yonge, a yoga and wellness centre in Toronto.

Read the rest of this entry »

• 0 Comments

Madonna and controversy have never been parted long. Once it was her body of work that sparked both criticism and praise. In these less shockable, but no less critical days, it’s her body itself that draws comment.

Last year, the 52-year-old completed a year-long world tour. She played 85 shows in 32 countries, performing with the energy of a woman two decades her junior. Her fans watched with awe; her critics with grudging envy.

And each night in the wings, one petite blonde enjoyed the show, basking in the knowledge that she was the woman who built Madonna. Or, more accurately, the woman who rebuilt her.

Tracy Anderson is the most successful celebrity trainer around. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson and Shakira are just some of her many devoted clients. But it is not a job description with which Tracy is entirely comfortable.

Read the rest of this entry »

• 0 Comments

Forget the all-or-nothing diet New Year’s resolutions: Research suggests that gradual changes are the ones that stick.

It’s resolution time again and for many of us losing weight, eating better and exercising more top the list. Now comes the hard part – keeping those promises throughout the year.

While it’s not hard to stick to your resolutions for the first month, research shows that many people lose steam by February and half break their commitment by June.

The problem: unrealistic expectations. Too often people commit to making too many changes at once, something that’s incredibly hard to do considering habits seem to be hardwired in our brain.

Read the rest of this entry »

• 0 Comments

When dining out, it’s an impossible guessing game to know how many calories, how much fat, or how much sodium comes with your order. Most people don’t know, or grossly underestimate, what they’re consuming.

Who would think that Boston Pizza’s regular-sized Greek salad has 1,040 calories and 1,960 milligrams of sodium? That’s half your daily calorie requirement and more than a day’s worth of salt. Compared to other items on the menu, it sounds fairly healthy.
Read the rest of this entry »

• 0 Comments

The girl dubbed ‘Britain’s fattest teenager’ now regrets having the surgery that led her to lose 22 stone.

Malissa Jones was just 17 years old and weighed in at 34 stone when she became the youngest Briton to have a gastric bypass.

Two years on and Malissa now claims the weight loss has left her miserable and she now wishes she never had the £10,000 NHS operation.

‘I know it sounds ungrateful, but I preferred my body when I was fat,’ the 19-year-old said.

Read the rest of this entry »

• 0 Comments

Almost 80,000 patients diagnosed with cancer each year could have avoided the disease by adopting a healthier lifestyle, figures show.

They reveal that 39 per cent of cases of the 12 major cancers are preventable through better diet, drinking and exercise habits.

Record levels of drinking – which have risen more sharply in the UK than in any other developed country – and obesity mean the UK has one of the highest levels of preventable cancers.

But less than half of people realise that a lack of exercise can cause the disease, and a third are unaware of the dangers of diet or body fat.

Read the rest of this entry »

• 0 Comments

The simple act of doing some exercise convinces people they look better – even if it has actually made no difference.

Researchers discovered we believe we look healthier after working out despite the fact it may not have been enough to make us any fitter.

And we don’t necessarily feel any better about ourselves when we do more exercise and do look fitter, say psychologists.

Professor Heather Hausenblas, who carried out the research, reveals that ‘the simple act of exercise and not fitness itself can convince you that you look better’.

Read the rest of this entry »

• 0 Comments

Stevia has a no-calorie zip that’s popping up in natural health products, but the risks have left a bitter taste.

Forget sugar. And aspartame. And sucralose. Although it’s not yet authorized for use as an additive in food, a low-calorie, all-natural sweetener is making its way into Canadian products, with environmentally-themed marketing strategies that could change the way consumers view alternatives to sugar.

Read the rest of this entry »

• 1 Comment

Calorie-laden iced coffee drinks are putting people at increased risk of obesity and cancer, an expert has warned.

Women could be consuming more than a quarter of their daily calories with just one drink.

Dr Rachel Thompson, science programme manager for the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), analysed the calories at three leading high street chains: Starbucks, Caffe Nero and Costa Coffee.

Most iced coffee drinks contained over 200 calories, with some measuring in at around 450.

Read the rest of this entry »

• 0 Comments

Confession time. I am a fattist. I find obese people unappealing in almost every regard. They are physically unattractive, they lead unhealthy lives, they take up too much space on public transport, and (most of all) they are a strain not only on their clothing but on NHS resources.

The secret of their size? Their outsized appetites are matched by a lack of self-control and even less self-respect.

There, I’ve said it. Just as I have said it many times in my column for this paper. And each time I do so, it’s greeted by the same howls of outrage.

Who from? From fat people, of course. Because they say they can’t help it – it’s society’s fault, the government’s neglect, the curse of a fat gene or heavy bones.

Read the rest of this entry »

• 0 Comments