ELLE’s Guide to a Healthy January

Do you struggle to lose weight through dieting, or find that no matter how long you tread that mill you just don’t drop a pound? Well, the Nordiska DNA Diet could help you decipher your best route to weight loss. Touted as the ‘smart diet’, you simply send a DNA sample (a painless cheek swab) to its lab for genome analysis. Unique differences in our genetic make-up, known as Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms or SNPs, determine all sorts of things from hair colour to athletic performance.  Sadly many of us don’t have the same SNPs as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, but what your personal results will reveal is the type of diet and exercise regime that will really work for you: Healthy Balanced, GI Smart, Carb Smart (with 40% of food from carbs) or Fat Smart (a low fat plan). You will also discover the exercise level that suits you best – light, moderate or intense - and whether your body will respond better to endurance (long distance running) or sprint/power (activities that require bursts of speed, or things like weight lifting). A real eye-opener.

The Nordiska DNA Diet is £150 for the DNA test and the results, plus 12 free online consultations with myGenomics’ trained nutritional experts. mygenomics.co.uk

If you tend to feel a bit sluggish come January but don’t want to embark on a full-on Detox regime, then these new Cosmetofruit Chile Elixirs could be the answer. Harking from Chile, the berries that make up the basis of the Total Body Booster, £50, are 40% more potent in antioxidants than equivalents grown elsewhere. This is thanks to the rich soils and aggressive weather conditions found between the Andes Mountains and the Humboldt Current (a cold, low- saline current that runs along the coast of Chile). As well as these ‘super berries’, the Total Body Booster Elixir contains Green Coffee Extract to reduce water retention, Spiruline Seaweed and Algae to fight harmful free-radicals, and Biotin (a protein that’s great for hair and nails) combined with Andes Water (famed for its ‘exceptional’ healing qualities). A tiny 4ml per day (taken orally) is enough to give you a much-needed boost, repairing damaged tissue within the body, regulating your metabolism and encouraging the drainage of fluids.
Cosmetofruit Chile Elixirs Total Body Booster, £50 for a 3-month supply, at Space NK

This isn’t just another diet book. The author, Lee Holmes, who also writes for Miranda Kerr’s Kora Organics blog, was suffering from a non-specific autoimmune disease that would only – according to doctors – be remedied with a lifetime of immunosuppressants, steroids and anti-inflammatories. ‘I knew there had to be something else I could do…I began to wonder whether my illness was diet related,’ she says. Turns out it was and now a fit, healthy and medicine-free Lee is sharing her secrets. This book is the culmination of years of research and is packed with foods that heal your body (many of us suffer with chronic inflammation and don’t even know ). The recipes cut out wheat, cow’s milk, soy, processed foods, sugar, table salt and caffeine – all ingredients that can have an adverse effect on even the hardiest of bodies. Far from rabbit food however, the book is bursting with healthy, hearty meals – garlic, lemon and rosemary chicken; yummy-looking desserts –banana & coconut cookies; drinks – tropical blueberry smoothie; and even sauce recipes – aioli and Caesar dressing. This is a must-read for anyone who is more focused on regaining energy and boosting health than dropping the pounds (although we’re sure that would be a welcome and very likely side effect).

Supercharged Food launches 5 Jan, £14.99. You can read more about the Supercharged lifestyle at superchargedfood.com

APPI (Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates Institute) isn’t just a form of Pilates that helps improve posture, streamline the body and strengthen the core; the APPI method rehabilitates too and is used by the Cirque du Soleil, English National Ballet, Premier League footballers and the NHS. Masterminded by Elisa and Glenn Withers in 1999, this form of Pilates will help you to iron out any of those niggling aches and pains (in ELLE’s case lower back pain from sitting at a desk all day). The new ‘Back to Life with APPI Pilates’ book, £16.99, includes clear instructions for a daily warm-up, a series of exercises and a cool down that, if carried out daily, will give you a more harmonious and streamlined body in six weeks. What’s more, it can be done in the comfort of your own home, so no trudging to the gym on a dark morning. If you haven’t tried Pilates before, or feel a book isn’t for you, APPI also offers an Essentials Pilates Pack which, for £55.99, includes three DVDs, a mat and APPI socks (no, we’re not sure what they are either).

appihealthgroup.com

This needs to be tried to be believed. FULLfast is an appetite suppressing spray that you spritz under your tongue five times per day (30 minutes before meals and when you tend to snack). The main ingredient is an amino acid called 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), which drives the production of serotonin in the body. It’s the serotonin that makes you feel full and relaxed (well, there’s nothing more stressful than feeling hungry). Spritzing regularly keeps serotonin levels boosted, so this is the ideal diet aid if you tend to over-eat or snack absentmindedly. 
FULLfast, £23.95 for one month supply. fullfastonline.co.uk

Set to be as big as TRX, Beaming is a new exercise accessory that Virgin Active has incorporated into its elevated training class, Beamfit™. Founded by US-based fitness entrepreneur David Mesirow, Beamfit™ is a barefoot, core-based class, covering four main areas: Balance, Engaging your core, Aligning your spine, and Movement (BEAM). The beam is 5ft long, 6” wide and 2” high and working out on such a small surface makes you unstable, forcing you to improve balance and posture while working out – a must for desk-bound types. The classes, which are a little like a combination between Pilates (but upright) and aerobics, will also help to reduce stress, increase lean muscle and reduce body fat, as well as improving flexibility.
Beaming™ is currently available at selected Virgin Active clubs and will be rolling out further throughout 2012. Visit virginactive.co.uk to find your nearest class.