Bright Pink for Women's Health!

September 28th 2012 is Bright Pink Lipstick Day. Not just because I say so...because 22 year old Krystal Barter established charity, Pink Hope, in 2009 when she discovered she was genetically likely to have the breast cancer gene that both her mother and grandmother had. At 25, she had a preventative double mastectomy.

What does wearing bright pink lippy on the 28th achieve? It raises awareness - it acts as a reminder that women need to be vigilant in checking for any signs and symptoms for ovarian and breast cancers. Women need to ask their parents about family history of cancer too.

Revlon have joined forced with Pink Hope to get the message out there - so make it fun: take a photo of you and your friends in bright pink lippy and post it to the Pink Hope Facebook page or Revlon Australia (#brightpinklipstickday).

Find out more about Pink Hope and the Self Checks and Symptoms to be aware of.

Click to find out about hosting an event

The Wall

I hate to brag...oh ok, it's not so bad. I got voted Kew Recreation Centre's Instructor of 2012! That's a lot to live up to...I think I can keep it up for another couple of months. Here's the wall of winners this year. Let me have my moment - I don't see myself on the Emmy stage any time soon :)

Kew 2012 Awards

The trophy!

Tone your glutes, wear neon runners!

Leg moves

I have managed to cull my magazine hoarding habit to about 20. Looking back through some past issues I found some awesome leg and glute exercises! And as you know, strong glutes are essential to good posture, protecting your hips and back, and enabling you to run like a demon.

So, I scanned some leg moves I love and you don't need a gym. You could add dumbbells to the calf carver and total leg toner if you desire. My suggestion? Turn it into a circuit so that you're doing all four moves until fatigue, alternating from doing 12 of one move to 12 of the next and so on...

Also, I have been spotting some super bright sneakers around Melbourne and snapping them! I have been convinced white isn't always right. So...for your inspiration...

Fuschia Nike Free

Neon yellow Nike Free

Turquoise New Balance

Pink Asics

Curls curls curls!

Katy Perry rockin curls

Madamoiselle has a new toy...and it is super fun, so I suggest you either get one or allow me to share it with you. It's a hair curling wand - and it's magic (wand, magic...god, sorry). Plug it in, turn it on, and you're good to go. My weapon of choice is the Hair 2 Day X3 - it looks so chic. Too bad it's a little big to be carrying around as a fashion accessory. Ah well. I went to Sam Overton from TIGI for the expert tips on creating and keeping curls. I've been using it to make beachy waves - I'm all ready for sunny weather, whether Melbourne brings it or not!

Hair2Day X3

Sam also tells me the X3 is made with a tourmaline barrel that excretes natural oils while you're using it so even if you murder your hair, like I do, it doesn't do any damage. 

• Pick up random sized sections of dry hair and wrap around the barrel, hold between 10 - 20 seconds to ensure even heat penetration then release
• Continue around the head, twisting the sections in different directions and making some curls bigger than others for a less "forced" look
• Lightly spray hair with a medium-strength hold spray
• Once hair has cooled down, flip head and shake to loosen up curls
• Make sure you turn off the curling wand and allow to cool before you store it away

Beachy waves

Just want to add the Hair 2 Day tools are Australian - extra brownie points for supporting local business :)

Fitzroy - land of crazy hair colour

Fitzroy Hair

Shout out to the ladies and gents of Fitzroy who are rocking some awesome hair colours and styles! How could I avoid going manic-panic-purple at the ends when I get inspired by gals like Emma from Breakfast Thieves and Mizuno from...well, Fitzroy :)

Vitamin C - kick the supplements, go to market!

Strawberries

Vitamin C pills are a common staple of the family home and YET, their effectiveness is questionable as research shows that supplements are not absorbed nearly as effectively as vitamin C in food. My weapon of choice? Parsley. Seriously. I put it on everything. I even chop it up and use it as a base for side-salads! Thankfully, I have a neighbour with a crazy amount of continental parsley and she adopts me as a lawnmower or sorts.



Why Vitamin C?

• maintains healthy body tissues
• supports immune system
• aids absorbtion of iron (a squeeze of lemon juice on your steak or downing an iron tablet with orange juice!)

Vitamin C foods

I admit, these are American guidelines, but the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin C for adult men is 90mg and for women, 75mg. There is research suggesting supplements are not effectively absorbed, but with so many delicious ways to hit your RDA through diet, lose the expensive pills and add some of these to your daily meals:

continental parsley

• parsley
• red pepper
• oranges
• broccoli
• strawberries
• kiwi fruit

The Great Outdoors

I had a great morning - walking in the sunshine and some sun salutations in the park with the smart and entertaining Vetti. Melbourne is a bit stingy with sunshine, but she came good today. If you're usually an indoors exerciser, why not pick a day to challenge yourself and take it outside? Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorbtion and muscle growth. Plus it makes you feel good, breathing in air that you're not sharing with an open-plan office. Next time you're at the park or even at the beach, think about how you could use what's around you to make your own workout...

Walking lunges

Walking lunges - just 10 paces thrown in here and there and you've made your average walk into a major glute-toning workout. Easy. Make sure you're not lunging forward. Your front knee is directly in line with your ankle as you lunge down. Keep looking ahead to avoid toppling over!

Bench step ups

Step ups - never will you fear a park bench so much as after you've done this! Go for 20 alternating at a brisk enough pace that you're not waiting between switching legs. And FULL foot on the bench when you step up - of course.

Bench push-ups

Bench push-ups - the higher, the easier. But this is a great point to challenge yourself with some shoulder-width-grip tricep push-ups.

Two steps at a time

Take two steps at a time up a staircase. Glute burn. You'll know what I mean...

Beauty and style doesn't fade with age

Iris Apfel

Generation Q

Generation Q has arrived! No, it's not some new demographic you need to roll your eyes at. This is a style - a fashion and beauty mini-revolution. As you know, I am addicted to cult Brit-brand Illamasqua and if you haven't ALSO heard, they have radically slashed prices of their products in Australia after a people-power campaign. The release of Generation Q is nicely timed with the release of a book by Ari Seth Cohen that celebrates New York's most stylish "grand dames" or..."ladies of a certain age". His blog, Advanced Style, proves that you don't need to put a purple wash through your locks and wear a lilac jogging suit into your senior years. He did a gorgeous feature on Iris Apfel (zany writer, designer, muse and fashion icon, RIP!) recently - highly recommended for all ages. My advice? Ignore the number and embrace the colours and fabrics and patterns you love! My personal fave from Generation Q? Lippie in Underworld (iridescent purple - yum)! Find Illamasqua on FB and come share your style tips for any age with me at Core Integrity With Cat!

Help! Carb craving and coffee withdrawal!

I have been set a challenge! And I don't need to sweat to complete it. Love. So here it is: "let me know if you come across any good idea for snacks that are not chips but satisfy carb cravings, I'm cutting down on coffee (little bit) and my hands keep reaching for chips"

Here goes my advice.

Roasted chickpeas

Grated ginger

• Excellent that you are cutting down on coffee! Me too. It gets easier. Your appetite doesn't suddenly go up and down like a rollercoaster after a few weeks.
• Stay hydrated. If water isn't fun enough - grate some ginger, pour boiled water over and leave to cool...add to water bottle. Easy! Or, try cucumber, lemon, lime...
• Omega 3 fatty acid supplements have been shown to reduce carb cravings - if you don't want to take capsules (fish oil/flaxseed oil), make sure you're adding avocado to your lunch, eat a handful of raw walnuts mid-afternoon and NOT the salted kind!
• In Safeway, I have spotted snack-sized bags of roasted chickpeas. Low calories, healthy and YUM. Did I say yum? Seriously. Get on that train.
• Don't buy the chips. Just don't. Avoid that whole grocery aisle if you need to. Do not fall for the ridiculous protein bar thing - high calories, disgusting flavours that mimic chocolate - be adventurous! Wasabi peas? I once added wasabi paste to a vodka shot. That'll clear your sinuses super fast. Anyway...

Here's a recipe for roasted chickpeas that is super fast and easy (involves garlic and paprika: you KNOW it's good)

Avocado sandwich

Turkey and avocado sandwich, you know how to make one!

Stability for a Sprightly Spring

Too many S words? Sorry! Oops. Did it again. Anyway, here is a fit ball workout from Women's Health Magazine online. A brilliant source of workouts that are searchable and printable. Please, set up near a mirror if you don't have a friend who can check out your form during these exercises. If your belly is sagging, you are going to STRAIN your spine. Now that is two S words together that you never want to combine.
* These exercises CAN be done with a foam roller or medicine ball. Talk to a trainer!

1. Draw your belly muscles inwards and upwards towards your navel - think abs of steel
2. Hold
3. Breathe in through the nose
4. As you exhale with control through the lips, draw your belly in a little tighter
5. Only hold as long as your technique is spot-on. Don't pretend.