Women's Health

All-new flu fighters

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:06:20 -0800

Raise your body’s natural defences with this eating plan, and stop almost any sickness before it starts

Nobody plans to get ill. On the contrary, your efforts to avoid it sometimes seem borderline OCD: don’t sneeze into your hands, always cook your chicken to exactly 170°C, hose down every germ-carrying preschooler in sight with soap and water. ...

Six people you should know

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:45:16 -0800

They might not seem all that powerful, but they may save your arse

A package held at the post office because you weren’t there between 11.44 and 11.45 to collect it, a three-month waiting list for the osteopath, foils that look more zebra than Sarah-Jessica’s ’dos. Frustrating? Yep. Facts of life? Not necessarily. If you suck up to the right people, setbacks like these will disappear faster than Britney Spears’ first marriage. ...

Got a minute?

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:20:22 -0800

Score points for healthy behaviour with these 60-second fixes. By Laurie McLaughlin and Kathleen Pennepacker.

Add up all the things you’re supposed to do every day to stay healthy (the sleeping, the sweating, the vegie steaming, the Sudoku solving) and it can feel like a full-time job. ...

Should he stay or should he go?

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:42:48 -0800

How to tell in three minutes whether the next guy you meet is worth more of your time… or not

One hundred and eighty seconds. That’s all you need to determine how a relationship will progress, according to a recent study by University of Minnesota Duluth, US. Chemistry kicks in even before you speak with someone, which should help you distinguish the decent guy from the dodgy one across a crowded bar, gym or fruit and veg shop. ...

Yoga decoder

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:10:40 -0800

If your Sanskrit’s rusty, check this glossary of common yoga lingo. By Nicole Goodwin.

Ashtanga
Literally means “eight limbs”, but you’ll only need four.This style traditionally uses six series of strong poses, linked together with the breath in a flowing sequence. Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow are big fans. It improves circulation and calms the mind. ...

Occupational health

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:52:55 -0800

How to keep your desk from becoming a bacteria breeding ground – without going over the top

You swear by the office bathroom drill: wash hands, dry hands, use paper towel to open door, manoeuvre elbow and leg to move door, and return – hands untouched by germ threats – to your desktop. Where, on average, about 135,231 germs per square centimetre await you – or 400 times more than the toilet seat you were so worried about. ...

Dumb the pain

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:58:27 -0800

Three tricks to thinking less and feeling better

Childbirth. Menstrual cramps. Brazilian wax. You’d think Eve would have solved the problem of pain right after giving the apple to Adam. Instead, studies show that men handle pain better because they focus only on its physical effects. “For women, pain is not just a sensory experience,” says Dr Ed Keogh, a psychologist and leading pain researcher at the University of Bath in the UK. ...

Smooth Operator

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:37:22 -0800

Use these moves to dodge bedroom bloopers

No matter how many times you’ve danced the naked Highland fling, switching from one sex position to another can be a delicate operation – and nothing kills the mood like an elbow to the groin. So we asked Dr Yvonne Fulbright, author of Touch Me There! ($20.61, play4me.com.au) to pass on a few slick tips. ...

Spin control

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:13:28 -0800

Eyeball those alarmist news stories with healthy pinch of salt

Ever received that email that’s done the rounds in the past few years about aluminium in deodorant causing breast cancer? Turns out it’s as bogus as Eva Longoria’s sex tape. There is no quality evidence that shows the use of antiperspirant deodorants is associated with or causes breast cancer, says BreastHealth. ...

Hail Caesar

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:34:41 -0800

WH’s clever chef Teresa Cutter gives the Caesar salad a healthy twist… It’s fit for a king

Made-over Caesar salad
Serves 2

Salad

1 baby cos lettuce, washed, dried, separated
100g ...