Health Notes, April 27th 2008, by Sarah Stacey

Slim thighs forever!

Imagine the scene: Marcia Kilgore, beauty expert, entrepreneur, former personal trainer and fully paid-up member of the live wire club, is sitting in a meeting about cellulite (which affects over 90 per cent of women).  She’s ‘very very bored…. someone was droning on about the problem – inaccurately! – so I started daydreaming about what might really  work.’  The revolutionary result, which took two years to research and develop with leading scientists, isn’t a costly salon treatment, a sticky lotion, or even a stringent diet - it’s a pair of flipflops. 

I promise you I haven’t gone soft in the head (or feet).   Fitflops, as they’re called, may be one of the greatest, most cost-effective boons ever for cellulite sufferers (and other problems, more below).   They have what Marcia describes as a ‘built in gym’  encased in their (leg-flattering) platform soles, so they make you exercise the different muscles from your bottom to your feet while you walk.  ‘When muscle mass  increases, it fights fat mass; then your metabolic rate increases so you burn off more calories and reduce cellulite, which is essentially tiny pockets of fat’ says Marcia.  At the same time, your ‘slow twitch’ muscles – the ones used in long distance running – get stronger and longer.  (Marathon runners’ legs tend to be long and lean, whereas sprinters are shorter and bulkier.)  So the result is… a trimmer bum, sleeker legs and a general tone-up from top to toe. One friend who’s been trialling them round the house for 30 minutes a day - the recommended starting time - invites everyone to feel her noticeably firmer and more shapely thighs.  (There are many more testimonies on the Fitflops website, thefitflop.com.)

The secret is what’s technically called ‘a multi-density, micro-wobbleboard midsole’.  Explains Marcia: ‘ the Fitflop uses three different densities of foam - hard, middling and soft. The thickest is on the heel, which you hit first when you walk.  You’re forced very quickly into the soft mid-section where your foot wobbles a tiny bit – though you don’t feel it as such.  Because this destabilises you, the muscles have to work harder as they push you on to the toe.  Here, the middling soft foam makes your calf muscles work to push you into the next step.’ 

For an independent evaluation of Fitflops, Marcia recruited Dr Philip Graham-Smith, director of sport at the University of Salford and consultant biomechanist for UK Athletics Jump Squads.  Using gait analysis equipment and electromyography, Dr Graham-Smith found the Fitflops performed effectively.  ‘They’re really good.  I was sceptical but after testing them, we could see the calf, hamstring and gluteal muscles were activated for significantly longer than usual, giving your legs a workout.’  They’re comfortable too, he adds: ‘my wife loves them and can feel the little burn in the back of her legs.’

Fitflops can also help some foot and ankle problems.  Long jumper Jade Johnson tried them when she suffered from plantar fasciitis, the painful foot condition which affects the muscles of the arches.  ‘I was impressed.  The physio gave me foot exercises to do in the sand to strengthen the bottom of my feet but I found I got the same effect from wearing Fitflops for 20 minutes daily.  They were really helpful in getting my feet working and painfree quickly.’  (I’m wearing mine now for a twisted ankle and they’re helping that too.)

There’s a range of gorgeous styles including the Electra in white-gold sequin finish (£45) – which looks so glam with brown legs.  To order, and see the whole range (from £35 for women, £40 for men), visit Victoria Health, www.victoriahealth.com - Fitflops are on the home page, and remember you get free postage for online orders and your special 5% discount.

Healing honey

Since I wrote about the potential benefits of LifeMel honey (July 29th, 2007) for people with cancer, there has been a huge and positive response from readers.   Beverley Bottomley’s white blood cell count had dropped to 1.53 during Taxol chemotherapy and she had to miss two sessions:  ‘After taking the honey for ten days, my count had increased to 1.67.  After another week without chemo, tests showed 5.75.  My oncologist and nurses are interested to say the least.’  Research is ongoing.  And a bonus: the volume of sales means the price can be reduced to £32.50 including p&p for online orders for a 113g jar (which lasts ten days or more), until the autumn 2008.  From Victoria Health, www.victoriahealth.com

Go Sip!

My new treat is Sip, a range of all-natural (no artificial additives), deliciously flavoured mineral waters  - I like mango best.  Sip is sourced and bottled in Britain so its carbon footprint is light.  And their new LicketySip flavoured ice lollies (blackcurrant, mango and lemon) are yummy, too.  Sip, £1.29 for 500ml, from supermarkets nationwide, LicketySip, £1.40, or £3.99 for four; www.sipdrink.com.

Website of the week: www.babyjabs.com

With the controversy over the MMR and other childhood vaccinations, here’s welcome news of a London clinic (Babyjabs), offering individualised immunisation programmes.  Set up by GP Dr Richard Halvorsen, author of The Truth about Vaccines,  all vaccines offered are free of mercury and, where possible, aluminium.