Dancing in the street

By Rebecca Almond

Those who know me will agree when I tell you I’m not at all “street”. So when I was invited to sample the new urban dance exercise class at Fitness First, I was conscious my moves would be more hip-pop than hip-hop.  

Now I’m not one to shuffle around my handbag when I hit the dance floor – 16 years’ of ballet training instilled a modicum of rhythm in my body – but this genre of dance is way beyond my comfort zone. Still, the allure of burning up to 400 calories in a one-hour ‘fun-filled workout’ led me to pack my gym kit and prepare to take centre stage…

Diversity Street Dance promises to help you achieve traditional exercise goals through high-energy street dance moves, offering a workout that boosts cardio fitness, muscle strength, balance and flexibility. And, as the class name suggests, the routines are choreographed by the winning dance troupe of Britain’s Got Talent 2009, Diversity.

“This class is for absolutely anyone,” says Diversity’s leader and man with the moves, Ashley Banjo. “We hope the class will attract more people to street dance – the idea is people have fun, gain an insight into a different style of dance and get fit.”

So, warm up done, positions taken – and my eyes sheepishly averted from the surrounding wall of mirrors – the instructor takes the class through the routine. The steps are easy to grasp, combining a series of jumps, body rolls and powerful moves both upright and on the floor. And when we’re ready to put everything to music and the beats start booming, I’m quick to realise Ashley’s get-fit pledge has grounds. Two takes of the routine and I’ve worked up a sweat and am gasping for water – but all worries of looking like a fool have been danced away.

This class is hugely energetic, but not in a humdrum, must-keep-pounding-the-treadmill sense. There’s something about dance that turns your mind away from achieving your exercise goal and focuses it instead on mastering the moves and having fun – regardless of whether your interpretation of the routine is as polished as the instructor’s.

If you have two left feet, this class probably isn’t for you as the choreography is fast, varied and high impact in places. But don’t let age hold you back – my session was filled with men and women of varying generations. ‘There should be something for everyone,’ says Ashley.

A class that burns calories and builds strength but doesn’t feel like an exercise class? I’m sold. In fact, street dance is likely to become a regular feature of my stay-fit regime. So come on Mr Banjo, I’m waiting for your call – I quite fancy myself as the 12th member of Diversity…

Diversity Street Dance is available at selected Fitness First clubs nationwide. For more information and to find your nearest class, visit fitnessfirst.co.uk/Diversity

How do you measure up?

By Tracy Kelly

It worries me that only a third of people in the UK know that having a large waist increases their chances of getting type 2 diabetes. But just how many of us actually know what a ‘large waist’ even means?

 

Well, it’s 31in (80cm) for women and over 37in (94cm) for men – and, believe me, that isn’t actually that big.

I couldn’t remember what my waist measurement was so I decided to practise what I preach and, after a lot of searching round the house, finally found my tape measure. Not many people know how to accurately measure their waist. But it’s really not that difficult. Just find the bottom rib and your hip - your waist is in middle of these two points.  Take the measurement (at this point) when you breathe out and your stomach is relaxed. Be honest with yourself, which means not pulling the tape measure too tight in an attempt to shave off a few centimetres!

 

Measuring my waist was actually quick and easy and now I know what my waist size actually is. I challenge you to do the same.

 

Why, you may ask. Because if you don’t know something is a problem, you can’t do anything about it. If your waist is large, you can significantly reduce your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer by losing weight and making simple lifestyle changes. Go on, find the tape measure lurking at the back of your drawers and give it a go.

Other things that increase your risk of type 2 diabetes include being over 40 years old; being from a South Asian or black ethnic background; having a strong family history (brother, sister or parent) with diabetes, having polycystic ovaries, gestational diabetes or having given birth to a baby over 10lb. 

Of course, if you already have type 2 diabetes, getting to grips with your weight could really help you when it comes to managing the condition and keeping you healthy in the future, too.

HFG expert Tracy is a clinical advisor for Diabetes UK.

To find out if you’re at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, visit Diabetes UK. 

Get ahead for breakfast

By Melanie Leyshon

You’re either a morning person or you’re not. I’m a late riser. For me, 7.30am is early – if I’m up before 6am it’s because I’m off to the airport.

This leaves me no time for breakfast prep in the morning, which is why I’m so enthusiastic about my simple oats discovery: Bircher muesli. It’s not new, of course – Swiss physician Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner invented it as a nutritional pick-me-up for his sanatorium patients in the 1900s. You can buy a ready-made pot of Bircher muesli from Pret A Manger or Eat, but a quick calculation of cost + time + effort shows making your own batch at home is a no-brainer. 

Oats are wholegrains so make up an important part of a healthy diet; they’re a great source of soluble fibre and are effective in lowering cholesterol. But instead of stirring oats and milk together in a pan in the morning to make porridge, simply leave them to soak overnight. Then when you get up in the morning, it’s a quick assembly job that can be done with your eyes shut – and that suits me perfectly. 

I'm using a basic recipe from cereal company Rude Health. You soak 100g oats in 150–200ml brown rice milk overnight, which serves 2 hungry people. The next day, stir 150ml natural yogurt into the oaty base, then add your choice of toppings. When I first started making this recipe, I added a sprinkling of cinnamon and 1tbsp grated apple per serving. Now I'm experimenting with berries, bananas, rhubarb purée – you can see where I’m going with this – working my way around the fruit bowl and allotment and using up whatever’s in season. But you don’t have to stop at fruit – a sprinkling of chopped nuts or seeds, or a spoonful of Manuka honey go down a treat, too.

HFG nutrition consultant Juliette Kellow worked out the nutrition count per portion of my apple and cinnamon version: 320kcal, 10g protein, 5.1g fibre, 330mg calcium and 2.2mg iron. It's 5 min prep and 20 min longer in bed, which adds up to a nice and easy, wholesome start to the day.

Rude Health’s new range of dairy-free organic drinks are available in oat, brown rice and almond flavours, which are nicely sweet but with no added sugar. Buy them at Waitrose from 24 June. 

Give kids 5-a-day… in a chocolate drink?

By Andrew Wilson

You want your child to get all the nutrition they need, but they simply refuse to eat any fruit or veg. Encouraging children to eat a wide variety of foods can be a battleground and one faced by many parents at mealtimes.

So could the launch of new chocolate-flavoured drink Kidz 5 A Day help tackle the issue? The drink promises to give children all the vitamins and minerals they need for healthy growth – and kids love it!

While there is limited nutritional information about this product available on the Kidz 5 A Day website, the ingredients are essentially fruit and veg, which provide vitamins, minerals and phyto-nutrients. However, there is added cocoa (presumably to give it it’s chocolate flavour) and sea salt. 

Achocolate drink with extras might seem like a great option, but don't be tempted to rely on it as a replacement for fruit and vegetablesas such sweet-flavoured tactics may lead to bigger problems later. 

Regularly giving children drinks that taste of chocolate, for example, will encourage them to eat and drink more chocolate, which is not conducive to good eating habits. And trying to break these habits later in life can be very difficult.

However, forcing a child to eat fruit and vegetables may cause them to eat less of these healthy snacks, strengthening their preference for the unhealthy options you are trying to limit.

But don’t be disheartened – when a child is hungry, they will eat. If a new food is rejected the first time, offer it again later. The more often a child is offered something new to eat rather than told to eat it, the more likely they are to accept it. This could take several attempts – eight to 10 times – so patience is definitely required, but it will teach your child to choose healthy options. And remember, children will be more likely to try and enjoy new foods if they see their parents eating them.

Chocolate flavours aside, it is important for children to drink plenty throughout the day to prevent dehydration and tiredness. Water and milk are the most suitable options; pure unsweetened fruit juice, well diluted (one part juice to eight parts water), can be offered at mealtimes, but are not recommended between meals. Meanwhile, ordinary and ‘diet’ varieties of squashes, juices and fizzy drinks are best avoided, but if they are consumed, keep them to main meals only as they can erode the surface of the teeth.

Andrew Wilson is a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association.