Review: Rhythm Cleanse

As many of you know I am a big fan of detoxing and giving your digestive system a break for a few days every couple of months. I have tried numerous juice and food detoxes over the years, so I was intrigued when I was contacted to review a cleanse that combined cold pressed juice with live bacterial cultures to give you all the benefits of juicing with a digestive boost. I have written many times about the importance of a healthy gut and taking probiotics, so I was interested to see how this cleanse would work!

I was sent a 3 day cleanse (3 times the above) and was excited to see that the Rhythm cleanse was completely different to any others I had previously tried. On a normal day I eat a lot! As I work out 4/5 days a week I have increased my metabolic rate over the years and I definitely need to fuel those hard earned muscles. During a typical detox I do usually struggle with hunger and tiredness, but I have found this one a lot easier. The Rhythm cleanse has a really generous volume and the variety of flavours and textures really helps you to feel full and stops you getting bored. The juices are 500ml and are quite thick, while the coconut milk's fat content makes it a really satisfying treat.

1. Start of the day

The day starts with the High Potency Kefir (Life shot 200) loading up with over 200 billion diverse natural multi-strain cultures trailblazing deep in your gut. After consuming this bottle first thing in the morning you are told not to eat or drink anything for 30 minutes.

 

2. Start of the day to - Lunch time

Drink 4 x 126g bottles of Rhythm Pure Coconut over this period keeping your nutrients intake simplistic and pure whilst the loading of the cultures takes place. I tried to drink them at timed intervals i.e. High Potency taken at 7.00am, Rhythm Pure Coconut 126g at 8.00am, 9.00am, 10.00am and 11.00am. Sip on the 500ml coconut water during this period for rehydration. If you want, add a dash of calamansi lime juice to bring up your Vitamin C.

 

3. Lunch

Choose either the Coconut & Beetroot 500ml or the Coconut & Greens 500ml. If you feel hungry, have 30% of a Virgin Coconut Milk pouch. This is very filling and contains all good medium chain fatty acids which are good fuel for the body. The saturated fats in the pouch are Virgin Coconut Oil.

4. In between Lunch & Dinner for re-hydration

Sip on 90% of the Pomegranate Juice 500 ml for a boost of antioxidants. Save the other 10% for later.

5. Dinner

Which ever Vegetable Kefir you have left.

6. Dessert

Combine the other 10% of Pomegranate Juice with the remainder of the Virgin Coconut Milk to create a deep fruity tangy pudding that's totally natural.
 

The Rhythm cleanse even has a tasty dessert! Now, that's my kind of cleanse!

Cleanse packages can be ordered online via www.rhythmcleanse.co.uk

The vegetable kefir drinks and range of Rhythm shots are available singly or in multi-packs in Wholefoods, Holland and Barrett and Planet Organic and many other health food stores.

Supplicity: Supplements Made Simple

With an increasing number of us being more conscientious when it comes to our health nutrition has definitely been on the front pages recently. However, the advice is confusing at best and all too often completely conflicting. We are constantly being told what to eat, and even more so what not to eat! Coupled with the heightened prevalence of allergies and intolerances this can lead to a somewhat restricted diet, even when disregarding the research that tells us our food is actually getting less nutritious by the decade (you can read more about it here) due to soil depletion, pesticide use and (dare I say it) GM! I personally have tried to decrease processed foods in my diet and eat organic produce, but my intolerances to dairy, gluten and eggs can make some meals repetitive and I always worry that I may be missing vital nutrients by cutting down on certain food groups (such as grains).

In an ideal world I know the optimal way to get nutrients is through a balanced and varied diet, but who lives in an ideal world? I certainly am guilty of burning the candle at both ends – working too much, not getting enough sleep, having too many glasses of wine… therefore I am very grateful to get a little help along the way!

Good quality supplements can be a great help as they ensure you get a top up of vital nutrients that your body needs. I always think that even if I am eating well it never hurts to make sure! However, the supplement market is so big that, just like nutrition, it can be very confusing to pick out what you need. I have bought many bottles of vitamins over the years that either stay at home, or on my desk at work, but as I am always on the go I find it hard to keep a routine and make sure I am being consistent.

Therefore, I was really excited when Supplicity contacted me to try out some of their supplements. The range is created by London-based brothers-in-law - a doctor and a health and fitness professional. They have designed Supplicity to make supplements super easy to use and fit into a busy lifestyle with little commitment required by splitting your bespoke supplements into labelled daily strips, which you can easily travel with!

I chose the Mojo* daily essential energy box, which contains B Vitamins, Vitamin C, Zinc, Omega-3 and Korean Ginseng (used for thousands of years to enhance cognition and stamina). The carefully selected vitamins and micronutrients have been blended to create a daily supplement that aims to leave you feeling energized, stronger and recharged. I felt that in these cold months my energy was definitely lacking and rather than rely on caffeine I wanted a more healthy alternative.

The Mojo box arrived through my letter box and has been the easiest thing to add to my daily routine. As the 3 supplements for each day are labelled in individual strips I can easily pop them in my bag in the morning or take a couple of strips with me when I go away without having to lug multiple bottles from work to home or fuss about with plastic containers. It also helps me to keep on track if I miss a day! I take mine after breakfast as recommended and have definitely felt the difference.


Each Supplicity box contains a 28 day plan with plans starting from £18 a month and your first month is free! Let me know what you think of this plan and if you are interested in trying them out for yourself!

Your Skin... and Sugar

Following on from my last post on nutrition I just wanted to share a little bit more information with regards to sugar. Yes, we have all heard how it's bad for us, but why and (given this is a beauty blog) how can it affect your skin?

The Good

We all know it tastes pretty spectacular. I have a huge sweet tooth and pretty much nothing can come close to giving me that happy, warm, fuzzy feeling other than a belly full of ice cream. I never met a dessert I didn't like... well maybe apart from liquorice!

The Bad

With that being said, there’s not a single one of us who doesn’t know that sugar, especially in excess, is bad for us. It’s terrible for our teeth, destroys our mood, makes us gain weight and severely alters our overall blood chemistry. We have to admit that sugar simply ruins our health. However, we (myself very much included) continue to indulge our sugar obsession, despite the detrimental consequences. We can all agree life is too short not to enjoy our favourite dessert, right?

The Ugly

Not only can sugar lead to weight gain it can also make us look older! In fact, excess sugar in our bodies is now being revealed as one of the most damaging elements to our appearance. As it turns out these sweet little sugar molecules are leading a double life. After they pass over our taste buds and give us that amazing sugar buzz they change their personalities and go on a seek-and-destroy mission. In a process called glycation excess sugar in our blood stream binds to proteins in our bodies. Once bonding happens, that particular protein becomes glycated, which means it loses its shape, hardens and fails to function correctly while excreting exotoxins that affect surrounding proteins. After the glycation process has run its course, the protein is referred to as an Advanced Glycation End Product, or A.G.E. for short (a rather appropriate acronym).

This is where the ugly part comes in. Most people are aware that the main protein in human skin is collagen, the proteins of which are very long lasting with a natural half-life of approximately 15 years. Sadly they are not immune to the effects of glycation, becoming misshapen, hardened, brittle and excreting exotoxins. It is therefore not difficult to see the link between visible signs of ageing in the skin – wrinkles, fine lines, discoloration, sagging, uneven skin tones, stress, loss of elasticity, etc. - to the process of glycation.

Glycation becomes more evident in your appearance when sugar molecules attack the surface proteins on the fine capillaries of your skin. This process causes your capillaries to leak, causing what we recognize as spider veins. The same process can happen in the under-eye area, which we recognize as dark circles.

The most demoralizing aspect of glycation is the fact that once a protein has become glycated, or is now considered an A.G.E., the damage is permanent. Glycation is an additive effect and probably begins as soon as we’re born, affecting us throughout our lifetime.


As research advances I am sure that soon we will have a whole new category of anti-glycation treatments. However, until that is the case I am going to try to make a concerted effort to reduce my sugar intake. The easiest way for me to do this is to concentrate on whole foods. There are so many added sugars in prepared foods, even those that are savoury, but as long as you know what you are eating you can at least control your consumption at some level. Honestly I would be far too scared to add up the number if I was living on cereals, energy drinks and ready meals (which I did during uni)! There are so many easy recipes on the internet for those of us striving for a healthier life. One of my favourites is Madeleine Shaw, who advocates a low sugar lifestyle, without giving up all treats.


Maybe I can have my cake and eat it too after all?


What are your thoughts on sugar? Did you know that it could affect your outward appearance, as well as your internal health and weight? Do you have any tips or advice to share on cutting down?

A New Outlook - Health and Nutrition

I would like to begin by saying that I do not claim to be an expert when it comes to nutrition and all that I have learnt has been through the internet, books and my own personal experience. However, as I love reading articles about differing opinions on various health issues I thought that perhaps some of you may find it interesting to read my thoughts!

So many people have told me that the point at which they started taking their health seriously was either when they had a health scare, or had children and realised that they needed to take better care of themselves to be around for longer. I reached this point about a year and a half ago, and to be completely honest it was probably more to do with vanity than anything else. As you all know I love my cosmetics and fashion and while I spent probably far too much time trying to perfect the outside I wasn’t being very healthy on the inside. I have never been clinically overweight or underweight and have always eaten fairly sensibly, but with an office job, a blog and many other sedentary commitments I wasn’t doing any exercise and indulging a little more than I should. I felt constantly tired and weak. In order to keep myself going I would be propping myself up with sugary coffees in the mornings and sugary snacks in the afternoons. My weight would creep up about a stone over the Winter and I would spend the spring dieting and dabbling in some physical activity to get it back to normal for Summer.  Since I am tall other than my clothes fitting better there wouldn’t be a lot of noticeable difference. Though my weight fluctuates I have remained roughly the same size since I left school.

(Photo taken this weekend)

Now this may not be a very dramatic transformation story as I haven’t lost 10 stone or become an Olympic athlete, but the past year has taught me so much. I haven’t lost more weight than I usually do for the Summer (7kg), but I have done it in a completely different way and have kept my Summer body for the last 9 months. I have really looked at how my body reacts to different foods and exercises and I can honestly say I feel so much more comfortable in my own skin and am looking forward to seeing where this new path will lead me. I still have a long way to go and am nowhere near my ideal, but I'm trying to see every day as a new opportunity to make good decisions. Of course preparing for my wedding has played a huge part in getting the mentality right for a lifestyle change, but this is something that I wish I had really taken seriously sooner!

In short, what works for me may not work for everyone, but I would really encourage you to take some time and re evaluate how you see yourself and your health. First up on my list was diet!

I loved food! I love to eat, I love desserts, I love to go out and try different restaurants… and I do drink. After seeing so many of my friends suffering with eating disorders at school I am very conscious of having a healthy relationship with food and would never deprive myself or restrict myself as I just don’t think it’s right. If I feel hungry then my body is telling me something and I try to give it what it needs. My problem was I was eating the wrong things out of boredom, or emotionally, and rarely because I was physically hungry.

I am not a fan of diets at all, but (and this is a big but) over the past few years I have taken several allergy tests that have all come back with the same results. I am intolerant to gluten, wheat (among a bunch of different grains), dairy and eggs. My digestion has not been very good for years, especially after lunch as I always felt really awful and bloated at my desk (sitting makes it worse), but I ignored it and almost thought it was normal. After trying to eat clean with minimal processed foods for the best part of a year I noticed that grains and dairy would make my digestion a lot worse. So I decided to seriously commit to a diet for the first time in my life!

Paleo, apparently the ‘hottest diet for 2013’, sounded crazy when I first heard about it (eat like a caveman?), but when I did my research I was almost disappointed to see that it made sense! (This is a great website that really helped me understand the basics: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet/). The paleo diet basically cut out all the things I was allergic or intolerant to (bye bye grains, dairy) so I could use Paleo recipes without having to make complicated amendments. I have only lost 1-2kg following paleo principles, but for me this isn't about losing weight. I can’t begin to tell you how much better I feel on a daily basis when eating paleo with no bloating and no cramps after meals. I still love bread, cupcakes, brownies, baked goods , cheese etc., but I have them in moderation and try to follow the 80/20 rule. Rather than sticking rigidly to paleo doctrines I have worked out which foods work for me (and most importantly which make me feel horrible) and have adapted the diet to suit my body and my lifestyle. For example, paleo does not include legumes, but I have no problem with peanuts so peanut butter is firmly on my list of treats!

Having established what works for me I can choose when I want to indulge (and then make time for the consequences), rather than hoping for the best or being caught out squirming in pain at a client lunch (this has unfortunately happened before). The realisation really hit me when I was stuck in the deliberation room on jury duty and the only food available to us was a cheese sandwich, an egg mayo sandwich and a (very mayonnaise heavy) BLT. I was so ravenous I had the BLT and less than half an hour later was struck down with crippling stomach pains, bloating and the whole works! I hadn’t felt like that for weeks and I was shocked to realise I had let myself struggle with this on a daily basis for years purely due to ignorance and laziness!

The other thing I have learned is not to be afraid of fat! Fats have been made the enemy in the media for far too long, but fat alone will not make you fat. (This article is really interesting: http://discovermagazine.com/2004/oct/inuit-paradox).  The real enemy that has been hiding in our food (and mine very much so since I looove my desserts and sweeties) is added sugar and unpronounceable additives with zero nutritional value! What do they do when they take out all that fat? They replace it with sugar, salt and additive cocktails. Artificial compounds that your body has absolutely no need for! I always think that the preservatives pumped into food to make it last longer are probably also ensuring that the cellulite in my thighs stays there for longer too, though this is purely my conjecture…

Did you know that many cancer patients are recommended to go on a no sugar (ketogenic) diet and that some actually get better just by doing this? I used to be so obsessive with cutting down my fat intake, but all I was doing was replacing fat that gives you nutrients and satiety by simple carbs and sugars that give you a short energy boost and then leave you feeling tired and hungry. (Of course there are natural sources of sugar, such as fructose in fruit, which I eat a lot of, but I have really tried to decrease my intake of added sugars). This article even made the BBC recently and is worth a look (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26375004). I use low fat yoghurt as an example: after eating one I would follow with another (and sometimes a third) because I never felt full or satisfied. Since cutting out dairy and limiting processed foods I eat COYO instead – it has a much higher (healthy) fat content and I sometimes struggle to finish one small tub. I could never imagine eating three!

Ultimately the paleo theory works because when you are eating whole foods full of nutrients that ensure you are getting all the building blocks your body needs you don’t end up over eating, or having cravings for all the junk food that would give you a short energy boost, but ultimately leave your body with a bunch of toxins to try to flush out. This is not to say I wouldn’t eat the odd chocolate cake as a treat, but there is a difference between eating to nourish your body and eating to reward yourself for a tough week. The 80/20 rule helps me do both!

I would love to hear what your thoughts are on my ramble and whether you would be interested in more health, diet and exercise posts? It’s something that I am learning so much about and I would love to share my journey with you! xxx

Getting Summer Ready!

Ramping up the workout

Recently I took a deep breath and decided that I needed to get fit, tone up and lose some serious inches. I have always found it easier to lose weight through diet rather than exercise as I normally eat pretty healthily, but tend to indulge in the colder months (who doesn't?). However, over the years as my activity levels have severely dropped from my school/ uni days I have noticed that diet alone could no longer control all those jiggly bits. The time had come to take this health malarkey seriously.

After trying out various fitness classes I decided it was time to really invest in myself and join a gym. Working long hours and often travelling at weekends, I couldn't always fit the classes I wanted to into my schedule. After looking at various gyms both near home and work I decided to join David Lloyd. Let me first say that this is not the cheapest option, but as a health club it comes with a whole host of benefits and I think the price is well worth it if you are looking to make a commitment to your health. My gym has free classes every day at a good range of times, full wet facilities (pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi), two gyms, several studios, a whole floor for spinning and a cafe. It's clean, open till late 7 days a week and in a great central location. Lucky that I only have good things to say as to guilt myself into going I paid the whole annual fee up front (gulp!).

If you are looking at joining DL then do have a look around. I think that if the gym is a place where you can feel comfortable and have fun then you are much more likely to go regularly, so the cost per visit (realistically) is what I based my decision on. I have been lucky enough to work with a couple of different trainers at DL to see how the PT sessions can help my fitness and have to say that their programmes are the best I have tried so far. After a full assessment you are given a personalised programme to help you reach your fitness goals and exercises to target the areas that you particularly want to improve. As I have grown up with a myriad of back problems it was great to be given a specific set of exercises that would not only improve my posture and strength but also work to relieve back pain. At the time I joined the membership fee included a couple of free PT sessions, which is a great way to get you motivated and make sure you are doing the most effective exercises for your needs. As I'm still in the early stages of getting fit I shall keep you guys updates on my progress!

 
Being food smart

Let me start this off by stating I love food. I am the least enthusiastic cook, but I love to eat and eat I do. I am never one to starve or deny myself the odd treat, but over time I did begin to slightly delude myself when it came to how much I was eating and its basic calorie content. Who knew that a chocolate muffin is 400kcal?!? I am not a fan of strict diets that limit you and I truly believe that eating healthy is the key, rather than cutting out food groups or sustaining yourself on liquids. Therefore, in order to get a much needed reality check I started using the myfitnesspal app and haven't looked back since. It's so easy to use and contains the majority of foods in its vast database already so you don't have to fiddle with wrappers or google everything you eat. It also lets you track your daily exercise, and there's nothing more satisfying than seeing you calorie allowance shoot up after a painstaking workout. I am still eating a fair amount (aiming for 1,200 net kcal per day), but keeping track of my food has really helped me monitor what I actually eat and curb the little snacks that used to happen as if 'by accident'. It's also encouraged me to up my exercise (especially calorie burning cardio) and plan my meals as I can look up foods prior to dining out with friends instead of agonising over menus.


Hair Removal

If the thought of shedding your opaque tights, which have become a second skin to me this winter, fills you with fear then you may want to consider a permanent solution. For the fastest and most long lasting results I would definitely recommend looking into laser hair removal. If you are not the kind of person who wants to spend hours on hair removal at home then booking a set of treatments in a specialised clinic is a great option. You are guaranteed professional results and with the increasing availability of the treatment the prices are now much more competitive. Sk:n clinics have a great offer on at the moment with discounts of 20% for 6 treatments and 25% for 8 treatments here.


Hitting the beach

I have always struggled when it comes to bikini shopping. I love all the cute high street styles, but so many of them are simply unflattering on the curvier girl (regardless of your size). Personally I prefer to feel supported and sculpted, especially when being active in the water, rather than hoping for the best that 3 shreds of fabric strung together with string can cover. Therefore, when I was contacted by Swimsuits for All I was excited to check out their site. Though pitched as a plus size retailer, their swimming costumes start from a (US) size 8, which they see as being equivalent to a UK10. They have a great selection of styles from the more modern bikinis, to modest tankinis and one pieces. As I have started to use the pool at the gym, I decided to go for something with a little more coverage (for a change lol) that would make a comfortable swim, yet still look fun and fashionable.

The shipping time was impressively fast and I'm really happy with the quality of this swimsuit. It is super comfortable, has a bra like support at the bust that is both comfortable and flattering, with a halter strap perfect for swimming. If you are looking for affordable swimsuits that flatter your curves I would highly recommend checking them out. They have kindly provided a discount that will save you $10 off your first order. Just input the coupon code 10FORYOU during the checkout process at swimsuitsforall.com 

How are you getting ready for Summer? I would love to know what you think of these lifestyle posts! xxx