Friday 6 June 2014

HIITgirl is coming to All About You!...

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve teamed up with women’s fitness brand, Hiitgirl, to bring their amazing workouts to our studio. Launching on Monday June 30th you’ll notice a glam new studio makeover and a brand new timetable, with lots of new sessions and some old favourites. If you’re wondering what it all means here are a few answers to questions you may have.

 
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT4y4hXDf2tzoCJ4nmm8cXJkExwyEyXHZ6x5FtxG6I-QI1vTaTouwWho are Hiitgirl?
Founded in 2011 by fitness entrepreneurs Susan and Stuart Dyson, Hiitgirl started with a simple question:
                                   
How can busy women spend as little time as possible working out and still get amazing results? After speaking with lots of women it became clear that they simply didn’t have the time or interest for endless cardio and expensive gym memberships The majority wanted short and effective female-friendly workouts with inspiring trainers, and so we created Hiitgirl - the best workout for women. Ever.’


Check out their website at www.hiitgirl.com to find out more.

What happens to my favourite classes?
We’re really looking forward to the new and exciting classes that Hiitgirl will bring, but we’re planning to keep some of your favourites on the new timetable. Keep an eye on our website for more details.

How will it affect my membership?
All memberships from July onwards will be with Hiitgirl Ltd and I’m pleased to confirm that they will keep the price the same for existing members in good standing. There will be some different terms and conditions which we can take you through if you wish to continue your membership. Please pop in and see us to discuss the various options.

When does it start?
The new Hiitgirl at AAY studio will start running sessions from Monday 30th June.

How can I try it?
Starting from Monday 9th June, Hiitgirl are running free showcase sessions where you can try  everything from super sweaty cardio to their unique Yoga brands - Jagati and Yogabomb.

Everyone at AAY is really excited about this new development and if there’s anything else we can help with please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We look forward to seeing you in a Hiitgirl workout very soon!


Wednesday 4 June 2014

Are You Summer Ready?

Your summer holiday is fast approaching and I’m pretty sure that right now your mind is focused on how you will look and feel when it’s time to take the layers off.

Feel like it’s a little late to get started on a healthy eating and exercise plan? Are you starting to panic when thinking about yourself in your summer clothing?

Well you’ll be happy to know all is not lost. 

Sure it may feel a little late to get yourself started on a summer shake-up plan but however much time you have left can be used wisely to create the change you desire.   I am not suggesting for one minute that it is all about the aesthetic, but if the aesthetic is a means to bring about a happier you at this time of year then there are ways you can big about big changes in a short space of time.

As the time is limited you will first need to decide, act then commit.   Decide what it is you actually want to achieve, begin to act, then commit on seeing it through.  These essential ingredients will go some way in making your holiday a happier one, and by knowing you made that last ditch effort you can go away fully deserving that pat on the back rather than feeling like you wasted away valuable time.

Ok so you’re still with me, great! Where to begin I hear you ask? Firstly write out how many days you have till you go away and you can now work back to today and plan the amount of time you can commit to this.
If you are to have the biggest impact on your health and fat loss in the time you have remaining till you depart these shores then you need to know the most impactful action you can take is to cut out all of what your liver deems a toxin.  Avoiding the likes of alcohol, wheat, gluten, caffeine, sugar and processed foods will help you shed the pounds super quick and by adding a healthy 3-4 litres of water a day you can be safe in the knowledge that you are on the path to success.  A good night sleep is vitally important too and a topic which is to be discussed sometime soon.

To some it may seem a little drastic, but of course because you haven’t been too kind to yourself over the last few months so you’ll need all the impetus to get the new you ready for beach time. 

You may have realised that I haven’t yet spoken of exercise.  It too is important and at this time of year the team here at All About You are busy applying the tried and tested fat loss programs, which have so far been working a treat.  With our home workout plans to help get our wonderful clients moving more at home we are seeing better results than ever before.  I know it sounds too good to be true but don’t just take my word for it.  If you've read this far then no doubt you are interested in finding out what our Summer Shake up plan can do for you so here’s what you’ll need to do to get involved.

Call up the studio on 020 8348 9706 and arrange your free consultation with a member of our team so we can tell you all about what we can do for you in time for Summer.

Health and happiness,


Mario. 

Recipe of the Week!

We have another delicious recipe to share with you from Tootoomoo who I'm sure all of you have tried by now. Their ingredients are organic, gluten, and MSG free... so you can pop down there while still keeping to your summer diet plans! If you haven't tried Tootoomoo yet hopefully this dish will persuade you to go soon!
Remember that Tootoomoo is also offering All About You clients a 20% discount on their take away menu and are also sponsoring our Client of The Month award here at the studio by giving our lucky winner a free meal for two to celebrate their achievements with us!


Chinese Braised Chicken 

All of us need comfort food once in a while. In China, the ultimate comfort food is the braised meat dish. Traditionally, pork belly or trotter is the preferred choice of meat as they are super tender and wholesome. However, as the trend shifts to a more health conscious diet and lifestyle, I have decided to use chicken thigh in this recipe. Chicken thigh is the most tender part of the bird and also has a higher fat content that flavours the dish.

Ingredients


  • 4-6 pieces of chicken thigh
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 slices of ginger
  • 4-5 birds eye chilli
  • 4-5 cloves star anise
  • 3 tablespoons dark soy
  • 3 tablespoons low sodium soy
  • 3 tablespoons Shao Xing wine
  • 3-4 teaspoons honey or brown sugar
  • 2 cans of lager

Instructions
  
  • Heat a deep pan or pot on high and coat with light layer of oil
  •    Put the chicken skin down first then turn once seared
  • Pour in enough lager to cover the chicken and bring to boil
  • In goes the ginger, chillies, soy, wine, star anise and sugar (if you prefer the dish to be spicy, crush the chillies beforehand)
  •   Remain on high heat till the alcohol evaporates and the aroma starts to develop. Switch to low heat and simmer for an hour
  •    Meanwhile, put the eggs in pan with cold water. Once the water starts boiling, starts a 7 minutes countdown to get the perfect hard boiled eggs
  • Shell the eggs and cut into halves and add into the now super tender braised chicken pot and simmer for a further 30 min
  • Served over boiled rice
Notes
  •  Do not worry about overcooking this dish. Like most slow cooked dishes, it develops over time
  •   It could be made vegetarian by using tofu, aubergine and daikon (radish) instead
  •  Dark soy is used mainly for browning the dish, you could go with a lot less if desire
  •  Honey/ sugar could always be added in the end to taste
  •  In case of not being able to source star anise, cloves or fennel could also do the trick
  • Lager gives a subtle caramelised flavour but feel free to go with good old H2O!