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Fitting health and hydration into your lifestyle

Ex- Army fitness expert and author of several best-selling fitness books, Lucy Wyndham-Read, knows just how important it is to squeeze the most out of every day in order to inspire others with her action packed workouts.

She says: “I’m always looking for great hydration options to suggest to my clients. ZICO’s isotonic properties help the body hydrate, recover and refuel after exercise, making it the perfect postworkout partner. ZICO offers hydration for even the most active of lifestyles.”

Here are Lucy’s top tips for fitting health and hydration into a busy lifestyle:

  • The Half Hour Heart Rate Rule – Whether it’s a short brisk walk or dancing round your room, try and make an effort to raise your heart rate for at least 30 minutes each day. Creating your own playlist with upbeat tunes will keep it fun and uplifting
  • Hand in Hand – Increase your motivation by getting fit with a friend. Why not sign up for a series of classes together? The regular routine will encourage you to keep going and you’ll soon start to see the results of your hard work
  • Variety is Key – Your body will begin to adapt to exercise so in order to burn fat and build muscle, look at changing your fitness routine every six weeks. If you usually hit the gym, why not make a splash in the pool instead? Or switch weight training for yoga?
  • Stay Tuned – Make sure you listen to your body. After exercise, you need to replace vital fluids and materials lost through sweat. To stay hydrated and get the full benefits from your workout, reward your body with an isotonic drink like ZICO and feed your muscles with a healthy, balanced diet. 
  • R & R – Keeping fit and healthy is all about maintaining balance. After a tough workout, it’s crucial to allow your body to rest so don’t forget to take some time to stretch your muscles and relax your mind. 
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Top tips to fight the flab this party season

Getting ready for the party season is a lot of hard work, having the right advice can help you go a long way.

Fiona Kirk is a nutrionist and author of best-selling diet, 2 Weeks in the Fast Lane, and she has her top tips for Little Black Dress success.

• get out for a walk/jog/run first thing in the morning
• eat only fruit and juiced fruit until mid morning
• have a fat/protein-rich snack around 11.30am (hummus and raw vegetables or oatcakes with peanut butter)
• have soup and salad for lunch
• have a fat/protein-rich snack mid afternoon (half an avocado stuffed with crab meat or natural yoghurt with nuts and seeds)
• go for a big selection of stir-fried vegetables with fish, shellfish, chicken or lean red meat in the evening
• have lots of fluids throughout the day

Fiona also shares with us what foods we should be eating before a night out:

Alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream and hits the brain in super-quick time so you have to slow things down if you are going to stay the pace until the wee small hours. Have a meaty stew or curry, a cheese and ham omelette, a bowl of lentil or bean soup or if time is tight, a couple of cold chicken legs, a bag of nuts and some raw vegetables. You don’t need rice, pasta, bread or potatoes unless you are going to dance all night; they will just make you feel sluggish and bloated!

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How to stay healthy this Christmas

Christmas is a time for over-indulgence, we all know, love and accept that.

But have you ever really considered the amount of calories you are in facteating?

The average person in the UK will consume around 6,000 calories on Christmasday alone (versus the guideline daily amount of 2,000 calories for women and 2,500 calories for men).

In addition to this, over the festive period, which seems to kick off earlier and earlier each year, the average person may consume an extra 500 calories per day, equating to a weight gain of around 5lb by the time January the first comes around if you’ve been partying since the end of November.

The British Dietetic Association (BDA) is on hand to highlight some handy tips to ensure the only thing that gets really stuffed this Christmas is the turkey.

Plan ahead.  If you are going to eat out, eat smaller meals beforehand and cut out any other treats.  Open one box of chocolates at a time rather than having five on the go and put unopened boxes away out of sight.

Buffet table surfing.  Don’t hover by the buffet table and if you do indulge, try and visit only once using a smaller dessert sized plate, avoiding the high saturated fat offerings like sausage rolls and quiche, in favour of fruit, skinless chicken and vegetable crudités.

Office politics.  To avoid the office communal chocolate/mince pies etc, take festive fruit like satsumas into work.

Supermarket sweep.  When going to the supermarket, make a list and stick to it.  Avoid those aisles of temptation.  If you want some festive snacks, try plain popcorn, pretzels, and vegetable crudités with a yummy low fat dip.

Big bird.  Turkey is a great source of protein and a low fat meat.  Most of the fat that is present in a cooked turkey will be found in the skin.  Why not take the skin off before you tuck in?

Perfect portions.  About a third of your dinner plate should be vegetables, such as unbuttered Brussels sprouts, peas and carrots.  Cook for the shortest length of time possible in the smallest amount of water necessary to keep all the nutrients in.  Use the veg water for gravy and any leftover veg for a delicious soup  These make a great contribution to your 5-a-day and they also help fill you up to stop the urge to snack between meals.

Healthy options.  If you want to go that extra step, try dry roasting potatoes on a non-stick baking sheet or use an oil spray instead of smothering them in goose fat.  You can also make your gravy using vegetable stock instead of meat juices, accompanied by a fruit-based stuffing with bread sauce made with low fat milk.

Bottoms down.  Those who like to indulge in a drink or two, tend to drink more over the Christmas period.  Alcohol is very energy dense (7kcal/g versus 4kcal/g for protein or carbs and 9kcal/g for fat).  Avoid sweet cocktails and creamy liquers.  Try alternating your drink with a glass of water or other calorie free drinks and if you do enjoy a short with a mixer, stock up on low calorie mixers and unsweetened fruit juices and beware the home measures.

Pie-eyed.  The average mice pie contains about 250 calories and that’s before it’s covered in cream or brandy butter.  Remove the lid to cut calories.  Christmas is also the time of year when most houses have boxes and boxes of chocolates and biscuits to hand.   While we all like to enjoy the odd treat now and then, balance this with some healthy options, such as satsumas piled high in a bowl, dried fruit, figs and nuts.

Sian Porter, consultant dietitian and spokesperson for the BDA, commented:

“Christmas should be a time for festive fun and special food.  You shouldn’t feel guilty about treats now and then, you just need to make sure that they are treats and not the whole sum of your food intake. Stock up on some healthy alternatives too for some balance.

“This time of year, it is so easy to unwittingly consume a lot more calories than normal.  Make plans to get yourself and the family active – dancing, shoppingand post-meal walks all will help to burn off some calories.

“Have a Very Happy and Healthy Christmas.”

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How to do…pink & silver slanted-tip manicure

 

If you’re looking for a bold, bright and simple nail art to wear for a night out or special occassion, then we have the perfect look for you.

 

Bright shades of nail varnish are a brilliant way for you to inject a shot of colour to your look.

 

If you’re rocking an LBD or simply not a fan of the patterns and prints that are popular in this season’s fashion, then warm, tonal makeup choices and some sparkle on the nail can offer personality and individualism to any look.

 

This manicure could not be more simple to do and is incredibly effective.

 

You will need:

 

1 bold base colour of your choice such as 60 Seconds Funtime Fuschia, by Rimmel.

 

1 Silver or any other metallic colour, I used I Love Lasting Finish Your Majesty, by Rimmel

How to do...nail art   

 

So…

 

1. To start with you want to make sure that the nail is clean and free from any lasting polish you may have on the nail.

 

2. Take the pink base colour and make a slanted strip just over half way up the nail. Go from the bottom left to top right on the left hand and bottom right to top left on the right.

 

3. Colour in the tip of the nail section you have marked on both hands.

 

4. Paint on a section coat for lasting wear and to make it stand out a little more.

 

5. Wait until this is completely dry before starting on the silver.

 

6. With the silver, paint a slanted line at the bottom of the coloured tip in the same direction of the pink.

 

7. Do this in a quite a quick movement as it shouldn’t be a solid line of colour. You’re looking for more of a lightening bolt, stroke of colour effect. This adds definition to the nail tip.

 

8. It doesn’t matter if you can see the pink through the silver, it simply adds to the effect.

 

9. Touch up the silver at the corners of the nail if necessary and then wait to dry.

 

10. At this point, you can add further detail with thin brushed nail varnishes or stickers if you like for added detail or simply paint a clear top coat on for shine and lasting finish.

 

And there you have it…

 

Quick tips:

 

Don’t be afraid to make a mistake or worry that the line is not straight when putting on the base coat as you will be going over it with the metallic colour.

 

Although it doesn’t matter too much if you have a metallic colour for the quick line finish, it does work better than a bold colour. You get a better effect with the pink showing through underneath.

Jen.xox

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Women attempting to give their man a makeover

They say a leopard will never change his spots, but women will certainly have a go of it.

New research has revealed that seven out of ten women have ‘done a Liz Hurley’ and given their man a makeover to improve his image.

Researchers found millions of women have copied Hurley’s remoulding of lover Shane Warne by altering their man’s hair, weight, lifestyle or eating habits.

Others have made dress sense their first priority, encouraging him to ditch scruffy jeans and tatty shirts for smarter, more presentable clobber.

Shedding unsightly beards or growing trendy stubble are also common issues which women address within weeks of meeting a new partner.

The trend emerged amid a study carried out by Wilkinson’s Sword to launch the  Movember charity fundraising event to raise awareness of men’s health problems.

Spokesman Jason Shankey, Wilkinson Sword’s Grooming Expert said: ”This research shows there is definitely a ‘Shane Warne effect’ sweeping through the country at the moment.

”The positive effect Liz Hurley has had on Shane Warne’s overall appearance is remarkable.

”And it seems women of the UK want to recreate similar results on their own men.

”A growing number of men are asking for shaving advice as their wives and girlfriends have requested they’re clean shaven.”

The study found nearly one third of women felt they had their boyfriend or husband ‘under their thumb’, with 60 per cent claiming they ‘knew best’ about style and image.

One quarter of those questioned said it had taken them just two weeks to start moulding their new partner in to their perfect man.

Second only to changing the way he dresses, altering his shaving habits to clip facial hair more regularly was the most common change.

Around 51 per cent said of those who had changed their man’s diet said their other half now ate more healthily.

Thirty-two per cent said they encouraged their other half to save money rather than be in the overdraft by payday and 25 per cent said they got them to talk more and open up about their thoughts and feelings.

Of the 2,000 women surveyed, 40 per cent said they felt it was a woman’s job to ‘makeover’ their man.

Worryingly, one third said they did it subtly, another third were ‘sneaky’ about it while the rest made it clear to their partner changes needed to be made.

Jason Shankey added: ”Getting involved in Movember is the perfect way for men to claim back their masculinity and grow a manly moustache.

”I’m sure women can forgive a month of facial hair on their partner for such a good cause as men’s health.

”And when December rolls around they can celebrate by shaving it all off to reveal the super smooth, clean shaven look they prefer.”

Top 20 things women change about their men:

1. Dress sense

2. Shaving habits

3. Hairstyle

4. Nose and ear hair issues

5. Shoe choice

6. Aftershave

7. Plucking eyebrows

8. Improving hygiene

9. Get rid of his beard/moustache

10. Cleanse and moisturise daily

11. Diet

12. Financial responsibility

13. Talking about their feelings

14. Drinking less

15. Watching more chick flicks

16. Call mum more frequently

17. Put the toilet seat down

18. Stop swearing

19. Share the remote control

20. Learn to cook

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Diet Diary : Diet Chef

When I thought about losing weight, I started to wonder if it was possible for me to lose weight without having to cook ridiculously healthy meals for one. that’s the thing with me you see, I live alone so I resent buying loads of fruit and veg because I never eat it all before it goes out of date, and I don’t live anywhere with a good local market.

My ‘regular’ diet has always consisted of pasta with some kind of sauce and meat for tea, and I think it’s the carbs that have resulted in my ballooning up to 10 and a half stone. I want to lose weight, but I don’t want to waste a load of money on ingredients for ‘healthy recipes’ in supermarkets when I might not use, or even like a lot of them.

I know you can criticise me for that, but when you don’t get paid a hell of a lot, money is precious and when it’s so much easier to buy a bag of pasta and some tomatoes, I’d choose that over 5 portions of fruit and veg any day.

Luckily for me, Diet Chef agreed to let me trial their product to prove that by spending the same amount of money a regular person would on a monthly shop, I could have all my meals (and snacks) posted to me – all I had to do was heat them up and add any pieces of fruit or veg if I wanted to.

So, after picking pretty much one of everything on their menu, I started on the mission of weight loss, and I cannot actually believe that in two weeks. I have managed to shift just under half a stone! I honestly didn’t think a diet where I still ate full breakfast, lunch and dinner (plus a tasty snack)  would shift the pounds, but it totally did. In fact, I’m hoping their chef will give me the recipe for their Salmon Bake because it was out of this world!

Im not going to go into great raptures about what I did and didn’t eat, but I can tell you that their breakfast Granola and Porridge is really filling and gets you up for the day with a few slices of apple mixed in. my favourite had to be the pink Apple and Cinnamon Granola, but I could eat Cinnamon with anything….


For lunch I stuck to the soups because I don’t like milkshakes, and whilst you might think “A packet of soup for lunch? that’s never going to fill me up,” you’d be surprised how much it does. The tomato-based soups such as the Minestrone, Smoked Bacon & Bean Soup and Tomato and Spicy Beef were better than the home made soups our local bakery offers at lunchtime, and I didn’t even need a crusty roll with it. I did make the mistake of trying some Butternut Squash soup though, and I probably should have tried butternut squash before I ventured into eating it in soup form…. Lets just say, it’s an acquired taste.


Then there’s the all important snacks… I used to have one of mine every day at 3pm (my afternoon dip) and there were so many to choose from, I never got sick of one or the other. My favourite snack had to be the Salt & Vinegar popcorn because it was such a massive bag, it kept me going all through the afternoon, but their various GI Biscuits and Oat Bites were also great, sadly though, the same cannot be said for the Snack Bars… I feel awful for saying this as Diet Chef is really good, but the snack bars are like eating the inside of a car engine. Really, really, not good. So steer clear and stock up on the gigantic bags of popcorn.


Finally we come to the Dinner menu, I wanted one of everything when I signed up, but I stuck to the things I knew I loved, pasta, chicken and salmon. And I have zero complaints about any of the main meals. They’re a really good size and they taste better than anything I’ve ever cooked (to be honest though, I’m a rubbish cook) – you HAVE to give the Salmon & Vegetable Bake, Mixed Bean Pasta Salad and Beef Meatballs a whirl because they are just super duper. However, if you’re not a fan of anything spicy, I’d avoid the Chickpea Tagine…. I ended up eating a cheese sandwich on the ‘Tangine day’ after it blew my head off after a few forkfulls!


So in all, aside from hiring my own personal chef to make me healthy meals, on demand AND do the supermarket run, I think Diet Chef has been in January diet saviour…. Especially since I have been laid up with a bad back and unable to go to the gym, so if you can lose half a stone by sitting on your ass, watching Jeremy Kyle all day and eating delicious food, I think you’d be mad to miss out!

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Bad Sex: Is Honesty Always the Best Policy?

Hollywood always makes sex look amazing. It’s all candlelight, slushy music, writhing sweaty bodies and moan of pleasure but in reality things can be a lot different.

Take my ex boyfriend Harry for example. We met at the gym and after a few months of me trying my hardest to look attractive while almost passing out after just 10 minutes on the treadmill he finally asked me on a date. Harry was a typical gym-lover. He was 6ft 2, nicely tanned, with plenty of bulging muscles!

You see muscles aren’t usually my thing. I much prefer my men a bit rough around the edges-however I’m thinking more Andrew Flintoff than Rick Waller. Anyway the idea of Harry’s bulging biceps wrapping around me and the thought of holding onto those huge strong shoulders was far too much to resist and my usual taste went out of the window.

Three dates later and me and Harry had barely passed first base and it was driving me nuts. Don’t get me wrong I’m not one of those girl’s who dishes it out after one coffee date- it takes more than a skinny latte and a muffin to get into my knickers- but I just couldn’t help but lust after Harry. I don’t know if it was his rippling muscles showing through his shirt or his cheeky little grin but something told me that sex with him was going to be nothing short of mind blowing.

Anyway a week into our new ‘friendship’ and things finally started to heat up. We’d just enjoyed a nice romantic meal before meeting up with some of his friends at a swanky club where we both got a little tipsy and had a right good giggle. He’d invited me back to his apartment and we were soon in the middle of a rather steamy snogging session on his couch.

I felt a rush of excitement as finally he made a move and ran his hand up my leg and under my dress. His hands were big and his grip strong as he grabbed hold of my waist and pulled me on top of him .Before long he was hard and pushing inside me. I’d fantasised about this moment for weeks while sweating it out on the treadmill so to finally be experiencing the real thing felt amazing. He gripped my bum hard while he bounced me up and down on his cock and kissed my neck. I could feel the waves of pleasure starting to build inside me already and then it happened……I heard the all too familiar groans of pleasure as Harry gripped me harder and then loosened his grip and lay back on the couch….he had come already! 30 seconds has to be a record!

As I left Harry’s flat the next day I had talked myself into taking the previous night’s disappointment as a one off. First time sex is always a bit of a let down. We’d been quite drunk and perhaps I had hyped it all up a bit much. Next time we’ll take it slower and everything will be fine…..I was wrong!

A week, and 8 more sessions, later…yes I was counting!…. and things were no better. I’d tried every trick in the book to slow things down. Massage, a slow seductive strip, those condoms with mild anaesthetic in and I’d even brought a cock ring into the equation- which I must add was discarded after a few minutes because it was ‘too restricting’ for him. Anyway I was starting to get seriously frustrated and I knew the best way to deal with this is by being honest.

“You need to just tell him straight,” said my work mate Amy one day, “Honesty is the best policy. If he doesn’t know he isn’t pleasuring you then how can he change that.”She made a very good point so the next night I decided to have a word with Hasty Harry.

After I cooked him an exotic meal of microwave lasagne and chips we retired to the living room to watch some tele. It wasn’t long before we started kissing and I could sense Harry was in the mood for some loving.

“Harry, “ I said as he started unbuttoning my dress, “Do you mind if we take it slow tonight?”

“Why?, “ he replied as he continued what he was doing. This threw me completely.

“Errm just because I enjoy it more when we take our time,” I continued, trying to be as sensitive as possible.

“Well I like it hard and fast, “ Harry replied, “It just doesn’t feel good if we go too slow.”

I was amazed that he was dismissing my requests without a thought.

“Well I’d like us to give it a try,” I tried again, “It is quite important that I enjoy it too.”

That’s when Harry really flipped…..

“Well if you saying you don’t enjoy sex with me then you know what you can do,” he shouted as he brushed me aside and stood up. I was gobsmacked by his reaction. “I don’t have to take this shit from you. You think you’re all that but your not even a good shag yourself. Your just some slag I picked up at the gym” he ranted.

I couldn’t believe how he had turned just because he thought I was questioning his bedroom skills. He’d gone from this nice caring, sexy, gym god to an angry, ranting idiot. Obviously I didn’t give him chance to hang about and insult me further and before you could say ‘premature ejaculation’ he was out of the door.

Now don’t get me wrong- I’m not totally heartless and I do understand that premature ejaculation can affect a lot of men at some point in their lives and I know it isn’t their fault but it was Harry’s unwillingness to acknowledge it and consider the effect it was having on my sexual enjoyment that really annoyed me.

I was prepared to work through the problem together and help him to get over it but instead he just wanted to shout at me and insult me.

So honesty didn’t work this time- but what’s the alternative- a life of not enjoying sex??

This was almost the case for my friend Sarah. She was totally head over heels in love with her childhood sweetheart Mike. They had been together since high school and really were the perfect couple. They shared the same music tastes, same friends, same sense of humour and even finished each others sentences….quite sickening really!

Anyway they had been together for about ten years when Sarah revealed a shocking secret to us during one girly DVD night at my house.

“I’ve never had an orgasm,” she confessed.

“What do you mean?” I asked in shock, “You and Mike have been having sex since you were about 15.”

“Yes, but I’ve never ever come..well at least I don’t think I have,” she said.

“Trust me you know when you have hunny,” piped up our friend Jayne.

“It’s not like I don’t enjoy it,” explained Sarah, “But I just never seem to get to that ultimate moment so I always end up just faking it because I think Mike must be getting bored of waiting”

After much more explanation and some rather comical demonstrations of the best positions from myself and Jayne, Sarah was determined she was going to have an orgasm whether Mike liked it or not. So she decided the best thing to do was sit him down and let him in on her secret. Yes he was a little surprised at first and a tad hurt that she hadn’t mentioned this before. He’d gone through years thinking he was a love god with a totally satisfied girlfriend and suddenly he felt like he’d let her down.

But after a long heart to heart and lots of cuddles and reassurance they were ready to get down to some serious orgasm making. Fast forward 2 weeks and Sarah’s had more orgasms than she could have imagined and they are both totally happy and even more in love with each other.

Great sex is all about trust and you can’t have trust without honestly. It all sounds very sensible and moralistic but if there is something bothering you about your partner or their sexual technique honesty really is the best policy. Nine times out of ten you both want the other person to enjoy sex so you really want to know if they are not. And if you do encounter a completely irrational, paranoid, doughnut like Harry then you honestly are much better off without him.

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