Tag Archives: weight

FucoCai Review

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I don’t really believe in diet pills and have never taken any but I am a big fan of natural remedies. So when I got some FucoCai to review I put my skepticism aside and decided to give it a go.

New Zealand superfoods specialists, Lifestream, have launched FucoCai for weight management. Billed as a ‘new super supplement to help make achieving the perfect, bulge-free bikini body that little bit easier’.

Lifestream call FucoCai ‘a unique blend of two botanicals that are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants vital to help protect the body against free radical damage caused by modern living. Additionally, together with a healthy diet and lifestyle, Lifestream FucoCai can help to support weight management’

So I started taking them. After a week I notice a difference to my skin. Many people tell me I am ‘glowing’. The tone of my skin improves, I feel I have more energy and some scars seem less prominent. I exercise while taking the pills by doing the Tracey Anderson method, but only three times a week for an hour (you are supposed to so 2 hours 6 days a week).

I do notice a difference while taking the pills. In fact I lost eight pounds in total. Would I have lost this weight anyway? I actually don’t think so. I put weight on when I was doing a film and found the last stone quite difficult to get rid of. I am also an apple, which means when I put weight on it goes to my stomach, so that is where I could not get rid of the weight, and most of it was gone by the time the pills ran out. And the last was gone thanks to my Zaggora hotpants. So how do they work?

They are packed with the plant carotenoid Fucoxanthin and naturally rich in iodine, a nutrient thought to be effective in normalising thyroid function and energy-yielding metabolism*. Lifestream FucoCai has been specifically formulated to help users achieve a healthy weight, and contains:

Laminaria Japonica (kombu) – a seaweed native to Japan, Kombu contains the active mineral Fucoxanthin which studies suggest could help support weight management** boost the metabolism and may help to support balanced blood sugar levels. In water, kombu also forms a thick gel enabling it to function as a bulking agent to enhance bowel regularity

Acai berries – organically grown in Brazil, the super berry Acai boasts antioxidant capabilities greater than that of other berries such as cranberry, raspberry and blueberry. Naturally rich in flavonoids and polyphenols and bursting with vitamins and minerals, acai is particularly useful for those putting their bodies through the rigours of a new health and fitness regime.

Fucoxanthin is thought to be one of the most exciting natural compounds discovered to date in the fight against obesity. The carotenoid gained notoriety when a group of Japanese marine biologists discovered that it could help white fat cells mimic the thermogenic behaviour of brown fat cells, ultimately resulting in a safe increase in metabolic rate and fat burning in the use ***.

Since then, studies have identified Fucoxanthin as a critical adjunct in enabling a controlled diet and increased level of physical activity to produce meaningful fat loss, even in ageing humans who as a result of reduced metabolic rate can find weight management a challenge.

Formulated without artificial additives, preservatives, colours or flavours, Lifestream FucoCai is vegan, and free from gluten, dairy, yeast, nuts and other allergens.

Lifestream FucoCai is available from all good health food stores, and online at www.grumpygorilla.co.uk, and costs £24.75 (RRP) for 90 vegetarian capsules (one month’s supply). For further information, visit www.healthyfoodbrands.co.uk.

Body image concerns now start as young as 6

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Body image concerns now start as young as 6

Half of UK teenagers have body image and weight concerns, starting from as early as the age of six, according to a new study.

A survey by weight management company LighterLife has revealed that over 60% of British women are conscious of their weight before the age of 21 (61.2 per cent), with a shocking 15 per cent saying they first put their body under scrutiny when they were at primary school age, or even younger.

The study shows how body image and unhealthy behaviour around food is on the rise, impacting children as young as six. The key stages of this insecurity playing out are in our teenage years (33 per cent) and then again as a young adult just starting out in a career (19 per cent).

And it’s not just women, the study showed that 43% of men become concerned about their weight and body image under the age of 21, and 1 in 10 under the age of 12.

Mandy Cassidy, Psychological Director for LighterLife commented: “It is a concern that we are seeing a rise in young people worrying unnecessarily about their body image. Many experts will agree that having a positive attitude toward your own body is the best way to maintain a healthy relationship food”.

England has one of the highest rates of obesity in Europe, with more than 60 per cent of adults and a third of 10 and 11 years overweight or obese. Those numbers are predicted to rise to over 50 per cent of adults and 25 per cent of children by 2050 if no action is taken. Mandy Cassidy continued:

“If body images issues like this occur at an early age, inevitably this will play out in adulthood and change the way a person behaves around food, which although is assumed to lead to under eating, can also lead to overeating.

“We know that addressing overeating and weight gain is not just about willpower or eating less and the earlier we can all encourage and support healthy approach to body image and weight the better. There is also a cycle – if parents are eating well and have a good relationship with food and body image they can impact positively on the family and encourage children to be more comfortable with who they are”.

 

When did you first start being conscious of your weight?

Females

Males

Very young – under 6

2.30%

2.40%

At primary school – 6 – 12

12.77%

8.82%

As a teenager – 13 – 18

32.63%

20.54%

Between 18 – 21

13.47%

11.62%

In my working life – over 21

18.56%

32.06%

Since becoming a parent

12.48%

8.12%

I have always been conscious

3.79%

8.82%

Since retiring

3.99%

7.62%

Bridesmaids Review: Is The Tide Turning For Women In Film?

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Women in films used to be sassy, brilliant, full of quips, But somewhere along the way, we lost it all. Rosalind Russell was replaced with Shannon Elizabeth (The actress in American Pie, who was there to be a sex object and show her breasts), and Katherine Hepburn, replaced by, oh, all those actresses in those dire 1980’s films, too many to name, who were there solely to take their clothes off.

Some people think the film Bridesmaids is ‘ground-breaking’. It is, because Bridesmaids just became a Box Office hit, taking a smidge below $150 million – so far. It was a mainstream comedy written by women, starring women, about women, which won in the only way Hollywood recognises, by making money.

Helen Mirren once said that Hollywood wasn’t sexist, it just made films that people wanted to see. Young men go to the cinema more often and go to see films they liked. Women will only see more films with women if they go out and see them. Vote with your purses!

Bridesmaids is funny, it has wowed critics and audiences alike and it breaks even more boundaries, the actresses are (shock, horror!) not all 21 and a size zero. Some of them are in their 30s and are beautifully curvy. There is nothing wrong with being thin (I have been discriminated against for being thin, so I know it works both ways), I am just sick of my friends thinking they are fat when they are not.

Zoe Williams said this film was more feminist that Thelma and Louise and urged everyone to go and see it.  I am doing the same. Salon’s Mary Elizabeth Williams went even further, saying the film is ‘your first black president of female-driven comedies’.

It is ironic that as women have progressed, on screen we’ve only gone backwards. As an actress, I know more than most about what people cast and what they want. Women have to be between a size 8-12. Size 12 being a grey area, it hurts an actress to be more than a size 10. I was told by one casting director than anything above a size 10 meant ‘character actor’.

Some people have attacked Bridesmaids for not being ‘feminine’. Do they ever attack men for not being ‘gentlemen’?  I think not. Women have to be celebrated, we have to have our stories told and not just as naked, skinny, 21-year-olds. I will soon be making my own movie about women and their lives, and I thank Bridesmaids for clearing the way.

1.Bridesmaids
2.Production year: 2011
3.Country: USA
4.Cert (UK): 15
5.Runtime: 125 mins
6.Directors: Paul Feig
7.Cast: Chris O’Dowd, Ellie Kemper, Jill Clayburgh, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Matt Lucas, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Terry Crews, Wendi McLendon-Covey