HAIR LOSS
Shedding more strands
than usual? Lack of
protein might be to
blame. According to
nutritionist Cassandra
Barns, your locks are
the fi rst things to
su er when your
nutrient intake is low.LONGLASTING
INJURIES
Protein helps your
body heal, so if you’re
taking longer to
recover than usual, try
adding protein-rich
foods (such as nuts,
eggs and lean meat)
to the menu.MOOD SWINGS
“Protein is broken
down into amino acids,
which make the
feel-good hormone
serotonin,” says Barns.
Fail to nosh on enough
protein, and you might
be in a neg mood more
often than not.POOR IMMUNITY
Your body uses protein
to protect itself from
germs and to create
bacteria-fi ghting
antibodies. “If you’re
coming down with
more colds than usual,
low protein intake may
be why,” says Barns.PUFFY ANKLES
Protein regulates fl uid
in your blood vessels,
Barns says: “When
protein drops below
a certain level, fl uid
isn’t drawn back into
the blood vessels (from
the tissues), which
causes swelling.”Protein punch
Five signs you need more of this body-boosting nutrientCulture club
BOOKMARK IT
@rachaelsgoodeats
This Instagram foodie will have you
drooling over peanut butter-fi lled
chocolate hearts and crying into
sweet potato wa es. De-lish.ADD TO SHELF
The Healthy Convert by
Nicole Marie (Hardie Grant, $24.99)
More than four million Aussies su er from
some kind of food intolerance, so if you’re
one of them (or you just can’t say no to
cake), add this book to your culinary kit.PRESS PLAY
Jenny Mustard
Subscribe to this Swedish blogger’s
YouTube channel and get all the deets
on how to stop shopping, save money,
boost your productivity and style your
home like a minimalist.TREAT YOUR EARS
Side Hustle School (free,
iTunes & Spotify)
Wouldn’t it be great if your hobby could
make you rich? Follow author Chris
Guillebeau’s advice and it could.Draw it out
Want to boost your wellbeing
without working up a sweat? Take
up sketching. Or maybe start writing
that book you’ve been thinking about
for months. Heck, do anything that
allows you to fl ex your creative
muscles. According to New Zealand
researchers, when people take part in
a creative activity (which could be
anything from playing an instrument
to crocheting), their levels of joy,
happiness, excitement and
enthusiasm go up the following day.
As you’re so content, you’re more
likely to be creative the day after that,
too, and because of this, the pros say
you’ll probs fi nd yourself in the best
kind of spiral – a happiness spiral.
BRB, learning how to cross-stitch.20 womensfitness.com.au womensfitnessaustralia @womensfitnessmag @womensfitnessauLiveFIT
WORDSJAYMIE HOOPERADDITIONALWORDSSOPHIE FISHERPHOTOGRAPHYGETTY IMAGES; THINKSTOCK*MEDIBANK.COM.AUHEALTHBRIEFMORE¡THAN¡¢¡MILLION¡AUSSIES¡IRON¡DEFICIENT