Bananas slimming friend or fattening foe?

Did bananas in pyjamas lull us all into a false sense of security as children? Are bananas actually contributing to the battle of the bulge or are they as healthy as the industry would have us believe?

I have seen the banana get a bad wrap in a lot of health magazines of late and it seems a lot of us are confused as to whether bananas are good or bad for us, so I did a little investigation.

According to www.calorieking.com.au - my go to source to check out the good and bad of my food choices – a medium sized banana (170g with the skin on) has 99 calories and contains just .1g of total fat. However, it also contains 21.8 grams of carbohydrates. On the plus side it contains 12% of a recommended daily intake of dietary fibre.

So what does this mean? In comparison a medium sized orange (230g with the skin on) has just 68 calories, contains .2g of fat and 13g of carbohydrates with 16% RDI of dietary fibre. A 170g apple has 83 calories, contains 0 fat and 18g of carbohydrates with 16% RDI of dietary fibre.

So really the outcome is if you are on a strict calorie or carbohydrate controlled diet an apple or orange is better than a banana, but despite its creamy texture bananas really aren’t the source of all evil. Interesting though they actually do have about the same number of calories as a Tim Tam – although naturally the Tim Tam has 25 times the amount of fat… a shame really.

On behalf of the Australian Banana Industry accredited nutritionist Glenn Cardwell says: “Bananas don’t make you fat. In fact, bananas contain virtually no fat. They contain protein, and are packed with a variety of other nutrients including carbohydrate for energy, fibre, vitamin C, and the wonderful B group vitamins such as folate and vitamin B6.

“A ripe banana will have some fruit sugar, but it comes with plenty of fibre and essential nutrients. The sugar in fruit is not unhealthy or fattening because fruit, especially bananas, are one of the most filling foods you can eat.

“Sugar needs to be kept in perspective. Sugar, in sensible amounts, is not bad; it’s an energy source. Many processed foods can be singled out as not good for you because they contain high levels of sugar. But for most people, having small amounts of sugar is not harmful, and naturally occurring sugar in fruit is part of a nutritious diet.”

So that’s that then. No need to shield your children’s eyes from the horror of bananas dancing around in their nightwear. Like most things, bananas are healthy in moderation.

Breaking news: Zara heads down under

You will have to forgive me for using the words 'down under' in a headline, but I am just so darn excited I can't help it. I just heard the exciting news that the boutique that has long turned European women into doyens of modestly-priced style is coming to Australia.

Next year Zara will be hitting our shores and I am keeping my fingers, toes and knees crossed that a store will hit Perth as part of that first rollout.

In case you've never been lucky enough to head to Europe and experience Zara yourself, it is essentially the shop packed with all the latest on trend fashions and must have staple pieces but much, much cheaper.

The funny thing is I came across this glorious news when reading mainstream media articles about Zara being set to 'murder' Australian fashion. Really? Since when is the chance to buy reasonably priced good quality black pants the death of Aussie business? I can't see it myself, I think a bit of healthy competition and a bit more variety on the shopping front can only be a good thing. Read more about the 'death' of Aussie fashion here.

What do you think? Do you think the opening of Zara is the best news you've heard all year or is it the end of Australian fashion as we know it. Comment away people, don't be shy!

* Image from zara.com 

Big high five for toys for sick kids

I wish I had known about this fantastic project when they were still accepting donations, but at least I can give these guys a good pat on the back for their success now. Children at Princess Margaret Hospital will think Christmas has come early on Friday when Hoyts and ToyBox International give them a huge delivery of brand new toys.

Spending most of their time in hospital means that days can get monotonous and tiresome for kids at PMH, many of whom can’t leave their beds to visit activity rooms. To brighten their days, West Australians showed just how generous they are and donated more than 300 toys to the Appeal that ran from June 7 – July 11.

I am not quite sure about the method of presentation though. Renae Wauhop and Lia Tapper, who placed second and third in the Miss Universe Australia Crowning Ceremony in Sydney last month, will be the ones delivering the toys. Is this meant to be an extra gift for all the young lads coped up in hospital?

Sorry, shouldn’t knock anything to do with giving toys to sick kids. As Renae herself says: “These kids spend most of their time in hospital, so if we can put a smile on their faces with some brand new toys, it makes a world of difference.”

Love at first bite

On Amazon Twilight fans can now buy Love at First Bite an 'unofficial' Twilight cookbook. I am not quite sure what to say about this one... don't they know vampires don't eat?

Here's the blurb from Amazon: "Brimming with mouthwatering recipes, brace yourselves, and bring your very best table manners, and appetites. Don't forget your forks. Beautiful Bella Swan will be serving up some scrumptious delights to satisfy even the pickiest, puritan "vegetarian" vampires.

"Intertwined in the pages of Love At First Bite, The Unofficial Twilight Cookbook, you will find Bell's Lasagna, Harry's Famous Fish Fry, Mushroom Raviolis, Red Velvet Cake, Blushing Bella Punch, and much more."

Oh dear. It's even been written by Gina 'Meyers'. It seems this book has definitely found a market though as Amazon is now showing this item as sold out. If you do want to order you can do so here or here. What do you think - has this taken the Twilight craze just a little bit too far?

Paula Joye launches Life Styled

If like me you’re a bit of a glossy addict, I won’t have to tell you who Paula Joye is and I won’t have to tell you twice to check out her new website.

For the rest of you (shame) Paula Joye has been a significant name in the glossy magazine market with ACP for around the last 15 years. Most recently the editor of national women’s title Madison, Paula has now left ACP and gone out on her own with online offering Life Styled. I think it is a given that ex-magazine editors (myself included) can't just give up working on magazines even if we no longer have one to work on...

It is still in its very early days, but her newsletters are well worth a look. I have received about three so far and each has been full of great fashion and beauty news as well as tips and advice from her years as an editor and beauty editor as well as tips from celebrities, models, fashionistas, stylists and make-up gurus she has met along the way. 

At the moment it is just the regular newsletter, but Paula assures readers in her latest update there will be a website up and running soon. If you haven’t already, head to www.lifestyled.com.au to sign up, it's worth the effort.

A six-figure publishing deal at 18

I've always loved writing about a good success story and there's no doubt 18-year-old Melbourne-based author Alexandra Adornetto qualifies. With the release of her new book Halo, she has secured a lucrative three book deal in the US, sold the rights to her book in over 15 European countries, and is set to begin a national book tour of America in September.


Did I mention she's just 18? Alexandra first came to public attention at the ripe old age of 15 when her first book, The Shadow Thief, was published. Did I mention this was a book she wrote when she was 13?  This is now Alexandra's fourth published novel and she has two more in the works to follow up Halo.

Here's a bit from Alexandra about her incredible experiences:

"Before I went to New York to meet with publishers, I was constantly reminded of how difficult it is to get published in the USA, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. My agent called my hotel the morning after our meeting and told me that Feiwel and Friends were offering a national publicity campaign and a national tour, which is rare for unestablished authors.

"I was so grateful that they saw enough potential in Halo to organise something like that. It still hasn’t sunk in that I’m travelling all around America in a couple of months.

"The idea for Halo came about quite suddenly. I hadn’t intended to move into YA [young adult fiction] and was working on a science-fiction novel for younger readers when I had this idea about a novel written in the voice of an angel adjusting to life on earth. I thought it would be interesting to have the heroine as the supernatural creature and the male protagonist as the human boy in contrast to the current trend. I ran the idea past my publisher, Lisa Berryman, thinking she would dismiss it entirely. I was very surprised when an email popped up in my inbox that read: “Drop everything! We’re running with this idea!”

"After that, I became totally engrossed in the Halo project. I enjoy writing for readers my own age and Halo was the perfect transition. In Halo I was able to include all the emotions and experiences that come with being an adolescent and a lot of the conversations and the relationships are based on my own real-life experiences.

"Right now, I am putting my energies into next two installments in the series, Hades and Heaven, so readers are not disappointed."

Although so thrilled for Alexandra for her incredible success I have to admit, I am jealous. Yup, I am. What do you think? Have you ever met an 18-year-old who has inspired you with their success?

Vampire spoof movie on its way

I guess it was only a matter of tine before someone decided to take a potshot and the growing vampire phenomenon. Here is the trailer of upcoming film release Vampires Suck - think Scary Movie for the current vampire film genre.

Find out more on the website www.vampiressuckmovie.com. The movie will be releasing in Perth on August 28.

Net-a-porter turns ten

I discovered Net-a-porter a few years ago at the recommendation of an art director and ever since it has become my favourite destination for window shopping (and the occasional splurge). This is one of the few high end designer fashion sites I have found that will ship to Australia and it is packed with absolutely lust-worthy items.

This site has certainly become a huge financial success and is this week celebrating its 10 birthday. The other reason I am choosing to mention it now is that if you haven't checked out the site before now is a great time to log on as they are having one of their fantastic sales where you can buy the latest designer gear for anywhere between 20 and about 60% off the normal price and I am talking great brands like Christian Louboutin (my personal favourite), Chloe, Jimmy Choo, DKNY, Burberry, etc.

Check out the sale here. Also watch their great 10 year anniversary video here.

Are you LinkedIn?

There are so many social networking platforms to choose from these days MySpace, Facebook, Twitter – where do you even start and how do you decide who you choose to connect with?

My latest foray into social networking is LinkedIn and I have to say I am quite captivated by the idea. I think LinkedIn is a great partner to Facebook for anyone who works in a profession.

Facebook is the site for you to connect to your friends, complain about your life and general keep in touch with people. LinkedIn is the business companion for all those of us who have business connections we want to keep active but who we don’t necessarily want to see that photo of us at a Pimps & Prostitutes fancy dress party.

LinkedIn is a great way to stay connected to people you’ve worked with throughout your career – after all who knows when they may be in a position to help you out in the future – or even clients and suppliers you have worked with. I find there are a lot of Perth people using this system, particularly in the media and PR industry.

Although you might get off to a slow start, persevere as I am finding the more I develop connections online, the more useful the site becomes. It now regularly suggests contacts I may know (quite accurately actually) and suggests a whole heap of relevant info, groups and connections for my industry.

I am yet to receive a multi-million dollar job offer from a New York fashion magazine on the strength of my online connections, but I can still live in hope. If you haven’t yet checked it out, take a look now at www.linkedin.com and get connected.

New eye liner for the wish list

Although I appear to have a genetic inability to apply a liquid eye liner of any sort, I still think this new gel eyeliner from ModelCo has to go onto my beauty wish list. It's gel based and comes with its own brush and it's a reasonably priced $32.

A kimono for your feet

How adorable are these shoes? They are from a new collection from designer Amanda Fox of Dames & Divas and every pair is completely one of a kind (or is that two of a kind?). Each pair is made using organic cotton denim with vintage silk kimono fabrics from Japan.

Amanda says she likes to think of her pieces as “wearable art” and says these shoes were inspired by Japanese culture. “I’ve always had a fascination with the Japanese culture and geishas,” she says. “Each silk kimono is at least 30 years old and comes with its own history. My customers wonder about the fabric and its past life - it has a mysterious attraction.”

The collection includes a range of styles including wedges, peep toe heels, kitten heels and ballet flats and prices vary from $119.95 to $219.95. You can only buy them online at www.damesanddivas.com.au

I heart Lindsey Kelk

I occasionally enjoy the guilty pleasure of reading some mainstream chick-lit I am particularly partial to anything that involves someone who works at a magazine. I wonder why?

If you’re looking to expand your chic lit collection, check out the ‘I heart’ books by Lindsey Kelk. I bought her second book I heart Hollywood (not realising it was the second book) at an airport when I was dying for something light, easy and in English to read on the long haul flight between Milan and New York. This definitely fit the bill, it was funny, enjoyable and showed a few insights into magazine work in the US.

The ‘I heart’ series follows magazine journalist Angela Clark who moved to New York from the UK after having her heart broken. As an Australian who has visited both Los Angeles and New York, I found her outsiders perspective of these towns hilarious as I had so many similar thoughts and experiences there myself.

Lindsey’s next book I heart Paris releases in Perth on August 1. On one final note, what’s not to love about an author who is described in her bio with the line: “Lindsey likes to wear shoes, shop for shoes and judge the shoes of others.” Classic.

How to acheive your goals

How many times have you set yourself a goal — be it to make your first million, land that longed-for promotion, lose weight or find your soul mate — only to find that a couple of months down the track you’ve lost heart and abandoned all hope of achieving it?

How do billionaire businesspeople, world-famous performers and elite athletes perform at such consistently high levels? And how can you get a piece of the action?

The new book Bullseye! by Blake Beattie aims to show you how to define success in your own terms, match your goals to these values and achieve them in an optimum timeframe.

It sounds good to me, I am always fascinated by the stories of successful people and how they achieved their goals. Blake's book also covers how to break the bad habits you thought insurmountable, override your stubborn subconscious and show you how to harness the three most critical resources you have at your disposal — time, money and energy — to map out clear and achievable steps to success.

Really time, money and energy? Hopefully he can also tell me why I never seem to have any of those three things, certainly not in enough abundance to do anything useful!

Blake Beattie is a popular consultant and speaker, and founder of International Pay it Forward Day www.payitforwardday.com.

Rhino horn: part 2

Apparently Elle Macpherson has now come out and said her comments about consuming rhino horn was just 'banter'. I should have known because advocating the use of a product involving the cruel slaughter of endangered creatures is thigh-slapping funny. In case you missed it, that's sarcasm people!

Elle has confirmed she does not use rhino horn and has stated that she does not believe in promoting the use of products derived from endangered animals. Read more here.

What do you guys think? Should we give her the benefit of the doubt?

Shame on you Elle Macpherson!

It's not very often I get my rant on, but this is going to be one of those times. I just heard on the news that Elle Macpherson confessed in an interview with The Times Online that she uses powdered rhino horn. Yes, you read that right powdered rhino horn.

For a woman who has a reputation for being forward thinking and something of an environmental support, that is a shocking claim. Not only is the trade of rhino products illegal around the world, it is morally reprehensible to support the slaughter of an endangered animal.

I can just imagine women around the world are going to be googling like mad to find out how they can lay their hands on this product so they too can achieve - The Body.

Read more about it here.  If it is true, what health benefits could Elle be getting (and scientifically no benefits have ever been proven) that would make it worth such an enormous moral price?

I do know next time I am shopping for underwear, I won't be buying anything from Elle's range - just in case. Don't stay silent on this topic, I'd like to know what our Perth readers think.

What on earth is the Dukan Diet?

Aitkens was all the craze and so was the South Beach Diet, but now it seems we’re all wanting to know about the Dukan Diet. According to Google Trends, it is one of the fatest growing web searches here in Western Australia.

It always disturbs me when a diet 'trend' begins to gain traction. People begin to climb on board the bandwagon without any clue on what the diet is or if it will suit their lifestyle or their physique.  I personally feel ‘diets’ are dangerous and lead to yo-yo weight loss/gain.

I believe the key to successful weight loss and maintenance is not to follow a diet, but to find a system of healthy eating that you can live with for the rest of your life that balances your needs, your lifestyle and your goal weight. I am proud to say using this method I (slowly) lost 12 kilos.

The Dukan diet first came to my attention when my husband asked me about it as several colleagues were following this system. When I was asked again just a few days later what I knew about it by a friend, I thought it was time to know more.

It turns out the Dukan diet is based on the teachings of Pierre Dukan and focuses on ‘losing weight naturally. The premise seems to be that French people don't get fat so this diet is really revealing the secrets to how French people really eat...

Here’s the skinny (sorry, bad taste) straight from www.dukandiet.co.uk - so don't hold me accountable for the grammar or spelling:

Losing weight when there is an abundance of food around you is not natural, is difficult and often unsuccessful. The Dukan method recommends losing weight naturally, with a return to the foods that founded the human species, those eaten by primitive man, the hunter-gatherers, proteins and vegetables, 100 foods including 72 from the animal world and 28 from the plant world. This offer also features the magic words: "AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE".

Slimming advice for losing weight naturally

One of the major advantages of our slimming method is its strong integrated support structure. If you follow our slimming advices to the letter, you will lose weight regularly.


A method for losing and stabilizing your weight in 4 phases

4 phases which occupy the dieter from day one so that they never again feel like abandoning the diet.

4 phases, from the strongest, most supported and effective, to the most open and stabilizing. 

4 phases to be carried out successively in order to reach the ideal weight target: lose weight naturally, rapidly and stabilize for good 

.

1 – A brief and headlong ATTACK phase with immediate results. During this phase, the diet is made up of 72 high-protein foods.


2 - A CRUISING phase leading to the ideal weight. During this phase, the diet alternates Pure Protein days (PP phases) and Proteins accompanied with 28 recommended Vegetables (PL phases).
3 - A CONSOLIDATION phase of 10 days per kg lost which prepares for the return to a balanced diet. Monitored freedom with a target of establishing this freshly conquered and still vulnerable ideal weight. This phase sees the gradual return of pleasurable foods with two festive meals.
4 - A definitive stabilization phase based on 3 simple, concrete, easy but non-negotiable measures. This phase is both the easiest and most essential in our slimming method because 95% of people who follow a diet put back on the weight they have lost.

By the way, if you want it in layman's terms the first 'attack' phase has you eating only protein for the first week. The second phase means you can introduce vegetables every second day. If you manage to survive these two stages you can then start to introduce odd other items back into your diet. If you make it to the final stage you can basically eat what you like as long as you have one protein only day. Sounds impossibly challenging, expensive and needlessly complicated to me!

What do you guys think? Are you an advocate of the Dukan Diet? Is there a diet you've used that worked well for you or was a complete disaster?

Toy Story 3 tops box office

Toy Story 3 delivered an outstanding box office result of $7, 405,797 for the opening weekend, making it number one at the Australian box office.



The Walt Disney Company Australia managing director John Cracknell says: “Disney – Pixar are about great storytelling and innovation and Toy Story 3’s outstanding opening weekend box office result is testament to the incredible affinity that Australian families and kids have for these characters. Toy Story 3 is a spectacular movie going experience, incorporating the latest in 3D technology and a storyline that has it destined to become another Pixar classic."

Perth welcomes its first Apple store

Last week thousands of techno-files crowded in to the new Apple store on Hay Street. If you haven’t yet checked it out, it is definitely worth a visit. The first thing that struck me (other than the hordes of customers) was the fact there were no tills.

Each sales person can process your order where they stand from what is essentially an iPod/iPhone and send your receipt to you by email. Very clever technology.

Just be careful if you are planning to make a big purchase though, I discovered my Macbook Pro was substantially cheaper just around the corner at Dick Smith (although this special offer has now ended). I found the staff weren’t really willing to talk about price matching their competitors.

The Apple Store is located at 790 Hay Street Perth and if you go here http://www.apple.com/au/retail/perthcity/ you can even book yourself a one on one appointment or an onsite appointment.

What will they think of next?

Just when I thought every possible product had been invented along comes - wait for it - the latest in thirst-quencher technology!

The Contigo drink bottle, unlike other normal drink bottles (or reused Mt Franklin bottles like most of use), this new-fangled invention are guaranteed to be 100% leak proof and spill proof and keeps hot drinks hot for 12 hours and cold drinks cold for four. Not sure who guarantees it exactly, but it sounds exciting.

If you are keen to rush out and lay your hands on one they come in a bunch of different colours and you can find a local stockist by calling 02 8884 6000.

So what cool gadgets/products have you discovered lately?

Food and wine and cooking, oh my!

If you love great food and good wine (and really who doesn’t) make sure you check out the Good, Food & Wine Show on at the Perth Convention Centre this weekend.

This is the event’s third year and there are heaps of things to do, see, buy and most importantly taste! I will be there on Sunday myself with a glass of cab sav in hand as I work my way around the 150 stalls.

And if you’re a celebrity stalker like me, you can watch live cooking demonstrations from a virtual plethora of celebrity TV chefs (if a group of crows is a murder, what’s a group of chefs a coronary?). George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan, Matt Moran, Manu Feildel, Dominique Rizzo and Tobie Puttock will all make appearances, which should excite even the most jaded reality-show lover.

It’s open Friday from 10am to 4.30pm and again for an After Dark session from 6pm-9.30pm. Or check it out Saturday between 10-6pm or Sunday 10-5pm. Adult tickets are $30, kids (6-16) $22. Children younger than five are free.

Make sure you wear your stretchy pants!