New Year, New You
Make those resolutions a resounding success with Time Out's expert guide.
Resolutions are no modern day invention to backtrack on our gluttonous and selfish behaviour. As far back as Babylonian and Roman times, humanity has been attempting to put wrongs to right with set goals for the New Year. While the posts may have shifted, the problems our ancestors battled with remain. Time Out caught up with some resolution experts to help you reform.
Food glorious food
Australia is under attack from an obesity epidemic. Kebabs do have a certain allure after a night out, but with data from the most recent National Health Survey (www.abs.gov.au) revealing that 32 per cent of Aussies are overweight, it's time to make that change.Anna Niec, nutritionist and founder of Nutrition4Health, says our bad habits are causing chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. She pinpoints over-indulging in alcohol, stress snacking on high-energy food and not eating regularly as the main problems. Niec urges a genuine commitment to adjusting eating habits. Work out your average daily calorie consumption and find ways to reduce it. Cut out sugary goodies and increase protein intake and weight loss will occur. Boost the intake of spicy foods containing capsaicin and to start sipping on green tea - which have a transient effect on metabolic rate. "A dietician or an accredited nutritionist can offer practical solutions that will be easy to implement into your lifestyle - it's really about getting the balance of foods right." For more information visit www.nutrition4health.com.au or call (02 9223 9055), Suite 104/74 Pitt Street.
Up in smoke
The side effects of tobacco kill more than 19,000 Australians per year, far above the combined death toll from road accidents, alcohol, drugs, homicide, HIV, diabetes, breast and skin cancer - and it's self-inflicted. Over 3 million of us do it and almost as many attempt to quit at the start of a new year. Natalie Clays, an Allen Carr Easyway therapist, is quick to dismiss the commonly held notion that you really have to want to quit to succeed. "It's a misconception - all you need is an open mind," she says.
While nicotine replacement therapies, NRT and scare tactics have their place in quitting, Clays believes the real reason we find it so hard is that most methods don't deal with the real issue; why smokers actually smoke. "Allen Carr's method looks at why we pick up the habit and why you were tricked into thinking smoking benefited your life." If you aren't one of the 8 million smokers to have already bought the book, make it your first mission for 2008. The confident troop even offer a money back guarantee that if you fail to stop. Mention Time Out when booking a session and receive a $50 discount. Visit www.allencarr.com.au for more information.
Saving face
Australians spend more money on skin care per capita than any other nation but our dermatologists warn that despite the hefty investment, the majority of us are going about it the wrong way. Emma Hobson from Dermalogica believes a big failing is a tendency to overuse scrubs, causing over-exfoliated dehydrated skin. For better results Hobson advises sticking with gentle products that lift off surface dead skin and leave a smooth appearance without redness. "Look out for hydroxy acids, rice bran and digestive enzymes when you're shopping," she says. Last but not least, don't dismiss facials as a money waster. According to the staff at the institute, splashing out every 4 to 6 weeks will give your complexion a renewed radiance. For more advice, call The International Dermal Institute on 1800 658 118.
Feeling green
It's no secret that our way of life is having a devastating effect on the planet. We're a striving green population but there is still a long way to go. Judy Rizes, founder of Manly Environment Centre, has been working towards a greener Australia for the last 17 years and is proud of Sydneysiders' efforts. "We have lots of volunteers and are always on the look out for more - every little thing we do lessens our carbon footprint." The goal she'd like us to set for 2008 is to reuse rather than recycle. Much more energy efficient than recycling, reusing means maintaining an item in its original form for the same purpose. Rizes urges those keen to find out more to visit the Centre for themselves where over 5000 publications on all things green are at your fingertips. Manly Environment Centre, 41 Belgrave Street, Manly (www.mec.org.au 02 9976 2842)