WELLBEING
BY JULIE ALPINE
A new kind of New Year
Don’t call it a resolution, try a January pick-me-up instead
New Year’s resolutions can’t technically be expected to begin on New Year’s Day,” moans Bridget in Bridget Jones’s Diary, rationalising her way through more cigarettes and Dairy Milks.
Sound familiar? Ms Jones isn’t the only one to be plagued by doubt over her New Year’s resolutions – or to break them before January has even begun. Most of us know that the best way to lose weight, for instance, is slowly and sensibly. Nevertheless, sales of foul-tasting detox diet drinks soar at this time of year, when, impatient to un-do the damage done by our festive overindulgence, we convince ourselves that fasting will be fun. Gym memberships are enthusiastically paid for – and just as quickly abandoned. Cigarettes are thrown in the bin with no forward planning about how we’ll cope when the cravings kick in, then fished out again when they do… And so it goes on. This year, for the sake of your self-esteem, make a resolution not to try to fix all of your bad habits in the space of a few weeks (straight after the biggest annual eating and drinking fest known to the western world). Why not brighten up this traditionally austere time of the year by treating your body to one of the following post-holiday pick-me-ups – any of which will put more of a spring in your step than a crash diet ever could?
1 | SMOOTHER SKIN
The ageing process is accelerated by stress and a demanding lifestyle, which is why – following several weeks of Christmas shopping, cooking and socialising – now is the perfect time to have a high-performance skin treatment. According to clinical trials, the new Pro-Collagen Quartz Lift Facial from Elemis reduces the number of wrinkles by up to 94% and improves skin firmness by up to 57% after just one 60-minute treatment. A rich cocktail of minerals, including quartz, rhodochrosite, malachite and tourmaline, works in conjunction with the anti-ageing marine algae extract Padina pavonica to improve skin suppleness, firmness and elasticity. £65. www.elemis.com
2 | WHITER TEETH
The Zoom! teeth whitening system is as speedy as the name suggests, promising a brighter, whiter smile in under an hour. The procedure involves having a special gel applied to your teeth and a blue laser light shone on them for 45 minutes. While Zoom claims to safely whiten teeth by eight shades, you may prefer to stop at a more natural-looking five or six. New York-based dentist Debra Glassman, who counts Jessica Simpson among her patients, has reported a new trend for people worrying about their teeth looking ‘too white’ rather than ‘not white enough’. Available at private dental clinics including London’s Denchic dental spa for around £350. www.denchic.com
3 | A BETTER BOD
Get a New Year’s buzz with a difference… Power-Plates high-speed, low-impact vibration training means that you can work out your whole body in speedy 25-minute classes and then get on with your day – you won’t even need a shower. Holding poses such as lunges, squats and crunches on a vibrating platform means that your body has to work harder to keep you stabilised: your muscles contract and relax 30-50 times a second. “It’s nothing like a normal gym,” says Nahid de Belgeonne who, after trying a few sessions on a Power-Plate was so impressed with the results (“My bum lifted in a week and I dropped a dress size in six weeks”), decided to open her own dedicated chain of studios in London. “With only five Power-Plates in each studio, it’s very sociable. It’s not at all intimidating or corporate.” Total body workout classes start every half an hour from 7.30am Monday to Friday, and from 10am on Saturday. Trial session free; £20 for a single session thereafter; £150 for a course of 10. www.goodvibesfitness.co.uk
4 | VIRTUAL SURGERY
A face-lift without going under the knife? Niptuckmyphoto, a new online service set up by photographer Amy Freeman, means that the retouching and airbrushing enjoyed by top models and actresses is now available to mere mortals. Josie Robinson, the company’s manager says: “We promise to conceal all the tell-tale signs of a late night, bad skin or just old age!” Services on offer include spot removal, wrinkle removal, tummy tuck/ reduction, nose job, teeth whitening, red-eye reduction, colour balancing and improvement of nude shots to make them more flattering. Simply register with niptuckmyphoto.com and upload your image, along with your choice of procedure. The skilled E-surgeons then do their work and return the improved pic, electronically, within seven working days. Prices start at £10. www.niptuckmyphoto.com
Still looking for a New Year’s resolution you can keep? See our Jet2holidays.com feature on page 60 for more ideas.
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