world in action

MATERNAL AFFAIRS

If you're not going to let a little thing like pregnancy stop you working out, you'll be grateful to know that you can dump that one-size smock in favour of a new range of maternity exercise clothing. Fit For Two garments have been designed to provide support and additional stretch for that ever-expanding shape. There are cycle shorts, leggings, unitards and leotards made in plain or printed Lycra; prices start at pounds 19.99. For a free brochure, call Fit For Two on 0181-906 8421.

HEALTHY PERSON SINGULAR

To paraphrase John Lennon, a non-smoking single woman is something to be - at least according to the latest research: a recent British Medical Journal survey found that, of those smokers who suffer a heart attack in their thirties or forties, the likelihood of tobacco being its cause is 80 per cent; meanwhile, researchers at Duke University in America have found, not-terribly-shockingly, that married women tend to have higher blood pressure than single women, and are also more likely to have heartburn ...

PAPAYA'S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG

Forget Delia and her cranberries - papaya is the new fruit du jour, at least according to Necta, who are deluging supermarket shelves with freshly- cut chunks of the stuff "to enliven the dark evenings with a touch of the tropics". Its taste is apparently a dizzying mixture of peaches, lemons and strawberries, and the other good news is that it's the healthiest thing you can eat since ... ooh, whatever the last healthiest thing was; it contains only 29 calories per 100g, and it's full of terribly exotic vitamins and minerals. You'll find it in most major supermarkets this month, at pounds 1.49 for 200g.

CHEMICAL REACTION

Phytochemicals are the latest thing among nutritionists - being active compounds in food that prevent disease, such as indoles in cabbages and allicin in garlic and spring onions. In a series of tests, the Institute for Optimum Nutrition has found that one serving of cabbage a week can cut the risk of colon cancer by 60 per cent, while a daily dose of garlic or spring onions reduces the chance of stomach cancer by 40 per cent. The ION has produced a booklet, The Living Food Revolution, including a daily phytochemical-rich eating plan. It's available from the ION at Blades Court, Deodar Road, London SW15 2NU for pounds 2 including postage.

FLAT CHANCE

Fat To Flat - How To Stay Slim For Good is Janet Thomson's guide to sustainable weight loss through diet, exercise, education, and sheer willpower. Thomson, who was Rosemary Conley's fitness consultant, says her aim is to end the cycle of losing then regaining weight. The book is published next month by Thorson's at pounds 4.99.

CYCLE ILLOGICAL

It sounds like a joke, and perhaps it is; the newest form of yoga to hit New York gyms is known as Cyked (as in "psyched"), and consists of succumbing to a rapt trance while exercise-biking by candlelight. Is this what they mean by the cycle of enlightenment?

CRAZEE COURSES

Not only are gyms getting more kid-friendly - many now organise supervised "children's corners" while mum and dad disport themselves elsewhere - some are even co-opting them into the action. Lingfield Health Club in London runs regular Monday night sessions for 3-5-year-olds called "Crazee Kids", a mixture of movement, dance and drama, run by Lisa Carson. "It's important that kids be dragged away from the video and taught how to move their bodies," she enthuses. "It gives them confidence and puts them at ease." And, grateful parents might add, after a session with Lisa they're too tired to be any trouble once they've staggered home. If you'd like your little charmer to join the Crazee gang, you can contact Lisa on 0181 444 5333.