Feeling fab at 30

Happy Birthday to me!! And this year it's the not-so-dreaded 3- 0! To me, the saying "you're only as old as you feel" has never been so true. And the secret? It's simple...taking good care of myself, physically and emotionally. Exercising and eating a balanced diet is the most obvious way to do this (not always easy but very worthwhile), but also relaxation and/or having fun is important too! Why not make space in your diary and do something just for you- a trip to the cinema, a girls night in (or out!), even just taking a bath- anything that makes you feel good. It'll knock years off you in no time!

Box yourself fit!

How would you like a good fun work-out which burns calories, tones you up AND reduces stress? Why not try a bit of boxing! Boxing is a personal favourite of mine as it's brilliant for improving cardiovascular fitness, toning arms and shoulders, improving balance and co-ordination and relieving stress. It's also great if you don't have much space and/or no equipment. Just 30 minutes of boxing can burn up to 300 calories (as well as the toning!). Check out these 4 options:

1. Let's Pretend! Shadow boxing is perfect if you have no-one to spar with and/or no equipment to use. It's easy, all you need to do is pretend you're boxing... in effect you are simply fighting the air! You can add jumps, twists and jogging-on-the-spot to add more variety and/or increase intensity.
2. Join a class. Most health clubs or leisure centres offer combat or boxing style classes which will teach you the moves (then you can practice the shadow boxing more effectively) and gives you a great work-out. Look out for classes such as 'Boxercise', 'Box-Fit', 'Taebo' or 'Body Combat'.
3. Train together. Another home one (or some gyms may have gloves and pads you can use), all you need is a boxing set (usually about £20), a partner to train with and away you go! Even holding the pads gives a good work-out, remember to push into the gloves a little as your partner punches the pads to reduce risk of injury. I do a lot of pad work in my personal training which many ladies really enjoy and definitely feel the benefits.
4. Turn on the telly! A great way to keep motivation high when training at home is to buy a fitness dvd, but as soon as you start to get bored of it...buy a new one! They cost about £12 each (or older ones can be cheaper, try online) and should last about 2 months before you start to tire of it, so all in all a good cheap way to box.

Feel fab loves...

Mini Straighteners!
They're cute, they're stylish and at just 15cm long, they even fit in your handbag! Mini Straightners are great for quick touch-ups, extra precision getting to your roots or just for doing your fringe (perfect after exercise!).

Remington do a great little pair called Straightini's (approx £15-30) or there's the Ice Diamond (approx £49.99) which has different heat settings, come in black, pink, purple or gold and are encrusted with diamantes (see pic). Gorgeous!

New Year, New You?

Happy New Year everyone! It's the dreaded first week of being back to normality; the hang overs have gone, the kids are back to school, our belly's are still full from all the festivities and our minds focused on one thing and one thing only... New Years Resolutuions. Yes it's that time again- time to ditch the stodge, quit the cigs and/or alcohol and embark on a wonderfully healthy lifestyle which will transform our flab to fab in no time! But will we actually stick to them? A few weeks (and excuses) later and we discover that the answer, in many cases, is er...no. "Oh well" we say "...there's always next year".

For most, this becomes a cycle year in year out, mainly because our resolutions are unrealistic in the first place. My advice? Get healthy, stay healthy! Start by making gradual changes to your lifestyle, such as doing 2 or 3 30 min work-outs per week or cutting down the amount of biscuits you eat in a day, and take it from there. Like in personal training, you could write down these goals with timescales too e.g be doing 3 good hour work-outs by March then 4 by June. Keep reviewing your goals and write new ones every couple of months or even every few weeks if you need the extra motivation. And remember, keep them realistic! If you love chips (or any other naughty food!), don't cut them out altogether. Instead, limit yourself to eating 1 portion every 1 or 2 weeks... this way you still get to enjoy them but without feeling guilty. If you work long hours then fit in exercise only when you know you can stick to it and even write planned sessions and times as appointments in your diary. Remember even 2 lots of 30 mins per week is much better than none at all! Last but not least, enjoy what you're doing. Find healthy meals or treats that actually taste good and try different activities until you find some you enjoy e.g classes, swimming, running, even walking the dog. i.e If the gym bores you... don't go!

And Wa-la.... your lifestyle is much healthier and, without even knowing it, you keep your resolutions all year long. Didn't you do well!

Recipe for Spicy Carrot and Lentil Soup

Delicious and nutritious, this low-fat soup is easy to make, packed with goodness and tastes much better than soup out of a tin! It'll leave you feeling all warm inside...perfect for the British winter!

What you'll need:

300g carrots, washed and grated (un-peeled)
70g split red lentils
1 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of chilli flakes
1 tbsp olive oil
500ml hot vegetable stock (using stock cubes is fine)
60ml semi-skimmed milk (make dairy-free by using reduced fat coconut milk instead)
wholemeal rolls or pittas to serve (no butter)

based on meal for two, takes 25 mins (1o mins prep, 15 mins cooking time)

1. Heat a large saucepan and quickly dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for approx 1 minute, or until they start to dance around the pan! Spoon out about half of the seeds and discard. Measure 500ml boiled water and add stock cubes (to own desired strength or taste). Add the olive oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil. reduce heat and simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have softened.
2. Pop the soup into a food processor (or use a stick blender if you have one) and blend until smooth. Serve with warmed pittas or rolls and enjoy all winter long!

Per Serving (without roll or pitta) - 238 kcals, 11g protein, 34g cardohydrates, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 5g fibre, 0.25g salt and no added sugar.

Feel fab loves...

Dry mist spray tan!

With sun beds growing more and more out of fashion in recent years (great news for skin), most of us ladies have turned to faking it instead (the tan that is)! I love fake tan but often it seems more hassle than it's worth. So after trying various gels, mousses, sprays and lotions, a lovely lady at Boots suggested I try a dry mist spray instead. I use Garnier's Ambre Solaire, (though there are a few brands that do it) and I must say, I love it! It's so easy and quick as it dries pretty much instantly, but best of all and you don't rub it in. So no more orange fingers or scrubbing away, just a lovely golden glow that you can top-up all winter long.

Get perfect pins for party season...

It's 6 weeks to Christmas which means it's almost time to dig out your old party dress (or even better, buy a new one) and show of those legs! Lunges are one of my favourite exercises as not only do they target your thighs and calves, but they're just great for perking up your bum too! Lunges can be done anywhere (at home, in the gym, even waiting for the bus!?) so why not give them a go and get those legs ready to party....

Here's how:

1. Stand with feet hip width apart and hands on your hips.
2. Take one large step forward and get into your starting position with your front leg bent (knee not to go beyond toes at any time) and your back leg straight with heel off the floor.
3. Relax your shoulders, pull abdominals in and lower the back leg towards the ground, stopping just short of the floor before returning to original position.
   
4. Count 2 seconds as go down (inhaling), then 2 seconds back up (exhaling).
5. Repeat the movement, aiming for 10-15 repetitions (20 reps for experienced exercisers).
6. At the end of the set, swap legs and repeat.
7. Allow approx 1 minute rest at the end of both sets and repeat sequence all over again, starting with initial leg once more.
8. Once legs are feeling and looking more toned after several weeks, apply a little tan (or cheat with tights) and go strut your stuff!

Lunges should be done as part of a well-rounded exercise programme and should be performed 3-4 times per week, allowing rest days in between. Always team with cardiovascular exercise and healthy eating if wanting to lose weight. See www.feelfab.org.uk for more tips, special offers or to contact me for more info.