While browsing through In Style magazine last week I came across an advert that really caught my attention. The subheading of the ad was “Curb your cravings, boost your energy, improve your outlook: take control”, naturally I was intrigued and read on.
The formulas known as Scentology are produced by Dr. Rachel S. Herz (an expert on psychology of scent). They aim to change the way you feel and can apparently help stop certain cravings and provide quick boosts of energy. The fragrances can be sprayed onto your neck or around your environment and there are three different formulas to choose from:
Crave Control – Curbs cravings for stodgy foods such as carbohydrates, chocolate, cake and desserts (great if it’s that time of the month)!
Bliss Booster – A smile enhancing citrus scent to help lift your mood and make you feel happier.
Endurance Enhancer – Helps to gain a competitive edge in athletics or at work, great if you’re in need of a motivation boost.
I saw this gadget in last week’s issue of Star Magazine and thought I must give it a go. It is known as the Speedshaper Program that trims, tones and firms your whole body concentrating on the six problem areas; waist, stomach, hips, bum, thighs and underarms (bingo wings!). You are advised to use the tool for seven minutes a day and manufacturers guarantee results in a very short period of time.
The program was developed by Olympic Gold Medalist Ike Berger and uses Synometrics (combining two methods Isotonic & Isometrics) which gives greater results than the both of them separately.
If you have some flabby areas and feel you need to tone up, you can purchase the Speedshaper for as little as £14.99 from Shop.com. The super deluxe version is also available there for £19.99. Please let me know if you have used this gadget and your opinion on whether it has worked for you.
We rarely write two posts in a row about food but I thought this Fruit Combo Rack deserved a mention! It’s a fun alternative to a standard fruit bowl and may even encourage the kids to eat more fruit – they won’t be able to walk past without touching this, it looks too tempting to play with! Not only does it look more interesting, but it also means the fruit’s more accessible and prevents it becoming easily bruised (as it often does at the bottom of the fruit bowl).
Pop it on the worktop to add a splash of colour to your kitchen too – it’s thin enough to not take up much space. At $19.98 it’s a tad more expensive than you’d expect to pay for a fruit holder, but worth it if you’re into kitchen gadgets that your friends and relatives aren’t likely to have!
Ok, all you cooks out there! In the past few years it can’t have escaped you that Chefs like Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey seem to have taken over on the TV. New cook books are advertised and on sale every few months and kitchen cupboards are packed full of interesting herbs and spices and wonderful gadgets.
Take a look at www.pamperedchef.com for loads of really useful ideas. My favourites are the food chopper which chops onions, veggies, herbs, in fact anything that needs chopping, in seconds. Also, the Microplane adjustable grater is fantastic for finely grating hard cheese, citrus rind, ginger, garlic etc. which comes with a slider attachment to avoid grating fingernails and the end of your finger along with the cheese which we’ve all done at some time!! Both are dishwasher safe which is an added bonus.
They also do some great stonewear which distributes heat uniformly for even baking and browning leaving pizzas crispier and roasts more succulent. There are many different shapes and sizes to choose from and Pampered Chef are so confident with their product that all products carry at least 1-year guarantee; some products even have a lifetime guarantee, so you really can’t go wrong. Get cooking!!
If you’re looking for a special gift for your Mum this Mother’s Day, there could be something that interests you over on the Champneys Website. They have a large variety of luxurious gifts from small body care collections to large premier gift hampers.
Champneys are well known for their luxury health spa’s and quality products so your Mum will know that you’ve chosen her present carefully. The products range from about £20 to as much as £150 depending on what you’re after. My personal favourite is this Special Occasion Hamper that costs £80 which I think would be perfect for my Mum. See the full collection at the Champneys Website.
My life is pretty stress free at the moment but there have been times when I’ve been so stressed I’ve wanted to pack my bags and run away to a faraway place, leaving everything that was making me crazy behind – I’m sure most people have felt that way at some point or another, and if you haven’t you’re among the lucky few! If stress is a constant part of your life this StressEraser claims to offer sufferers relief by focusing the mind and guiding breathing.
I’m usually wary about these kinds of gadgets, they remind me of products on cheesy adverts that you know will never work but buy anyway - just in case. However this little gadget seems to be the real thing (although I’m still yet to try it) - it won the Frost & Sullivan’s 2006 Medical Industry Award for Technological Innovation, which doesn’t mean it’s a miracle cure but it does give it some credibility at least.
The hand held device tracks your stress levels on the screen and after a 15 minute session claims to reduce stress levels. Obviously you have to use it more than once for a lasting effect and it doesn’t come cheap at $299.95, but if it actually helps you gain control of stress I don’t think this is a large price to pay.
While browsing the web I came across an article over at Style Minded that I thought I would share with you. The article discusses some cool homemade remedies that help make your skin better if you suffer from certain problem areas.
They mention that if you mix some fresh lemon juice with a dash of baking soda then apply to affected areas it can reduce your acne. They also mention Aloe Vera for dehydrated skin, I remember using this one when I was severely sunburnt on holiday and it does work really well.
If you’re like me and the enthusiasm for making the New Year a healthy, fitness packed one has well and truly disappeared then Cosmopolitan have 7 Skinny ’07 Habits To Try. From running before breakfast to only drinking on Wednesdays and weekends, these great tips will give u a new found eagerness to restart your plans for a healthy new year.
My favourite tip has to be ‘Forget the Lost double bill’ – apparently the only two activities that burn fewer calories than watching TV are sleeping and being dead! I don’t know about you but this is one tip I know I won’t be able to stick to! The new series of Lost is far too important in my life!
I have been fascinated with the size zero craze for some time now, I have watched celebrities such as Victoria Beckham in the news and listened to many opinions on the subject. I personally think it’s an unhealthy, unattractive, irresponsible obsession and celebrities are setting a very bad example to their fans.
I was interested to hear that size zero models might be banned from the catwalks and I think this is an excellent idea. Not only would it set a better example to the public, it would also encourage the models to put on a bit of weight if they wanted to remain in the show. Surely this idea would be better for everyone’s sake.
Any model with a BMI of less than 18 has been banned from the catwalks in Madrid and organisers of London Fashion Week were asked to implement the same rules. This however meant that top models such as Lily Cole and Eric O’connor would be out of the show. London Fashion Week is now under way, there are still size zero models on the catwalk and no sign that the super-skinny craze will end any time soon.
Tonight at 9.00pm on BBC Three there is a program on called Super Slim Me: A Mischief Special. The program follows writer and TV presenter Dawn Porter on a journey to discover what it takes to become a super slim Hollywood size zero. At a curvy UK size 12 Dawn is limited to a mere 500 calories per day in order to get down to her desired size.
The story shows her struggle with insomnia, exhaustion and lack of energy due to reduced nutrients in her diet throughout the two months; I am looking forward to seeing her full story.
In my opinion the program is a fantastic idea to prove that getting down to a super slim size is not in any way easy or healthy.
After piling on the pounds over Christmas, I decided to get myself a decent pair of scales so I could keep on top of my weight. As I stepped on the scales yesterday morning I thought to myself ‘why do I weight 2 lbs less than I did last night?’. I had not been to the toilet or done anything apart from lay in bed. This baffled me so I decided to look it up on the Internet.
I came across a handy explanation on a website this morning that answered my question very well. It says that when your body changes food into energy, water vapour and carbon dioxide are released into the blood stream that can then leave the body through your lungs by breathing. Water is also lost through the skin then evaporates into the air. The total amount of water lost in this way is usually 2-3 lbs. For a more detailed description visit www.madsci.org.
If any of you know any other reasons or you have your own myth about why this could happen I’d love to know.
After watching ‘The Truth About Food’ on BBC2 last night I have been inspired to start a healthier diet by introducing more fruit and veg into my everyday routine. On the program a group of men were testing a diet of two smoothies a day to see if they could increase the quality of their sperm – all men had a low sperm count and damaged DNA.
Obviously I am not doing it for this reason because I am female but the smoothies looked so damn delicious I want to give it a go myself. After looking on the Internet for a smoothie maker this morning a came across one by Russell Hobbs called the ‘You Are What You Eat Smoothie Maker’ for only £13.24 (reduced from £26.48).
If you have been trying to encourage your kids or even your lover to eat more fruit and vegetables, smoothies could be a great solution - you are giving them a tasty treat and also giving them the nutrients and goodness their bodies need.
The Russel Hobbs smoothie maker is available at Amazon for this price.
Jamie Oliver’s most recent cookbook ‘Cook with Jamie’ was probably one of the most popular gifts under the Christmas tree in 2006. In my family alone we had three copies between ten of us.
The reason I love the book so much is because of its simplicity and explanations on basic food knowledge. Before picking up the book I had no idea what part of the cow different pieces of beef came from but the simple diagrams show this in a way that even young children can understand. Similar drawings of lamb, a pig, a chicken and a duck are also included to help you get a better understanding of what you’re eating.
My favourite recipe from the book is mini roast potatoes with rosemary, garlic, onions and mushrooms. I try to cook this at least once a week with a nice piece of meat and some veggies, this goes down an absolute treat with the family.
A quote from Jamie Oliver: ‘I can’t tell you how long I’ve dreamt about writing this book. It’s the biggest book I’ve ever done, and I’ve really tried to make it a timeless, modern-day classic’.
The book is currently selling at £17.16 reduced from £26.00 at Amazon.co.uk.
I came across a blog this morning that I found rather fascinating and want to read more about the subject. The article entitled Wii Sports Experiment, Results! reveals how a young male spent six weeks of his life incorporating a thirty minute exercise regime into his daily schedule. He continued all normal activity and eating habits but just added thirty minutes of Wii Sports to his day. If you’re not familiar with the game it is a collection of sports such as boxing, golf, tennis and bowling that allow you to physically interact with the game using a sensor within the controller. Below is an example of someone playing tennis.
After six weeks of Nintendo Wii Sports he lost 9lbs just by adding a thirty minute game into his day. He also worked out how many calories each game burned and therefore which one was the most effective for loosing weight. See the blog for videos of the experiment and the whole story.
I came across a website yesterday that shows in detail the types of food you can eat for 200 calories (kcal). Each image represents 200 calories of the particular type of food ranging from the lowest calorie density such as celery and peppers to foods with much higher densities such as butter and fried bacon. I think this is a fab idea because it shows clearly what you should eat often and what you should try to eat in small moderation.
The website notes that you need to eat about 2000 (female) to 2500 calories (male) a day to maintain your weight then asks this question “you have a fixed amount of calories to “spend” each day; based on the following pictures, which would you eat?”.
After reading this I though actually I would much rather eat 328 grams of kiwi fruit than a teaspoon of peanut butter but unless you have this information in front of you all the time you tend to forget just how many calories are in that peanut butter sandwich. If I could have a chart to put in my kitchen with loads more foods I’d probably have a much healthier diet. Check out WiseGeek to see the images.
While browsing through In Style magazine last week I came across an advert that really caught my attention. The subheading of the ad was “Curb your cravings, boost your energy, improve your outlook: take control”, naturally I was intrigued and read on.
I saw this gadget in last week’s issue of Star Magazine and thought I must give it a go. It is known as the Speedshaper Program that trims, tones and firms your whole body concentrating on the six problem areas; waist, stomach, hips, bum, thighs and underarms (bingo wings!). You are advised to use the tool for seven minutes a day and manufacturers guarantee results in a very short period of time. 
We rarely write two posts in a row about food but I thought this 
Ok, all you cooks out there! In the past few years it can’t have escaped you that Chefs like Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey seem to have taken over on the TV. New cook books are advertised and on sale every few months and kitchen cupboards are packed full of interesting herbs and spices and wonderful gadgets.
If you’re looking for a special gift for your Mum this Mother’s Day, there could be something that interests you over on the Champneys Website. They have a large variety of luxurious gifts from small body care collections to large premier gift hampers. 
My life is pretty stress free at the moment but there have been times when I’ve been so stressed I’ve wanted to pack my bags and run away to a faraway place, leaving everything that was making me crazy behind – I’m sure most people have felt that way at some point or another, and if you haven’t you’re among the lucky few! If stress is a constant part of your life this 
While browsing the web I came across an article over at Style Minded that I thought I would share with you. The article discusses some cool homemade remedies that help make your skin better if you suffer from certain problem areas.
If you’re like me and the enthusiasm for making the New Year a healthy, fitness packed one has well and truly disappeared then Cosmopolitan have 
Tonight at 9.00pm on 
After piling on the pounds over Christmas, I decided to get myself a decent pair of scales so I could keep on top of my weight. As I stepped on the scales yesterday morning I thought to myself ‘why do I weight 2 lbs less than I did last night?’. I had not been to the toilet or done anything apart from lay in bed. This baffled me so I decided to look it up on the Internet.
After watching ‘The Truth About Food’ on BBC2 last night I have been inspired to start a healthier diet by introducing more fruit and veg into my everyday routine. On the program a group of men were testing a diet of two smoothies a day to see if they could increase the quality of their sperm – all men had a low sperm count and damaged DNA. 
for this price.
Jamie Oliver’s most recent cookbook ‘Cook with Jamie’ was probably one of the most popular gifts under the Christmas tree in 2006. In my family alone we had three copies between ten of us. 
I came across a website yesterday that shows in detail the types of food you can eat for 200 calories (kcal). Each image represents 200 calories of the particular type of food ranging from the lowest calorie density such as celery and peppers to foods with much higher densities such as butter and fried bacon. I think this is a fab idea because it shows clearly what you should eat often and what you should try to eat in small moderation.