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. 

Healthy Easter Alternatives

Easter is a great excuse to 'take a break' from those new years resolution diets and indulge yourself in those yummy chocolate goodies! But why not have the best of both worlds and enjoy those Easter treats without the sluggish feeling come Tuesday morning when you're back in the gym! These healthier alternatives to those shop bought chocs and puds will satisfy your sweet tooth as well as helping you avoid the dreaded guilt after your bank holiday feast. 

Raw Cadbury Creme Eggs

Makes 3-4 Eggs

Gluten, egg, soy, refined sugar, and dairy free/Raw

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. cashews {or macadamia nuts would work better for color!}
• 1/2 c. oats
• 2 dates, chopped
• 2 Tbs pure maple syrup or agave
• 1 Tb coconut oil, solid
• Raw chocolate {recipes below}
• 1/2 tsp turmeric {for yellow coloring}
• Chocolate egg mold {optional} OR toothpicks {for dipping}

Instructions:

1. Place cashews and oats in a blender and grind until smooth. Add coconut oil, syrup, and dates. Blend until smooth and a thick paste forms. If it is too sticky, always add a 1 tsp of oat “flour” until you are able to handle with your hands.
2. Seperate into 2 sections {you will want it to be a 3:1 split}. The smaller section will have the turmeric added to it for the “yolk.” Mix until completely colored.
3. Roll yolks into a ball and flatten out the whites.

4.   Place the yolk on top of the white and roll the white around the yolk. Shape into an egg shape {if you are using an egg mold, make sure that it is small enough to fit into the mold. Or if you are dipping them, shape them any size}:

For Raw Chocolate:

• 1/3 c. coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 c. raw cacao powder
• 2 Tbs maple syrup or agave

Instructions:

1. Blend in a blender until smooth.

Coat your mold with chocolate if using. Place egg into the mold, close with other side and freeze for 10 minutes. *Or* place a toothpick into the bottom and dip into bowl of chocolate.  Allow to set on wax paper.  Freeze 10 minutes.

Vanilla-Lemon Berry Parfaits

Makes 4 servings (serving size: 6 tablespoons yogurt with 1/2 cup fruit)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 2 (3.5-ounce) containers fat-free vanilla pudding
• 2 tablespoons bottled lemon curd (such as Dickinson's)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups mixed berries (such as blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries)
• Fresh mint leaves (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, pudding, lemon curd, and vanilla extract; set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir the honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Add the mixed berries, and gently stir with a rubber spatula to coat them with the honey mixture.

3. Assemble the parfaits in four 8-ounce glasses. Using measuring spoons, scoop 3 tablespoons of the yogurt mixture into each glass. Top with 1/4 cup of the berries, then another 3 tablespoons yogurt, and another 1/4 cup berries. Garnish each yogurt parfait with fresh mint, if desired. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 176
Fat: 2g
Saturated fat: 1g Simply Strawberry Sorbet: Makes 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons water, preferably spring water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 pints (about 1 1/2 pounds or 6 cups) fresh-picked strawberries, preferably organic, rinsed, patted dry, and hulled
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large egg white, preferably farm-fresh (optional)

Instructions:

Make the simple syrup: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, water, and salt. Cook, stirring, until the sugar and salt have dissolved, about 3 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.

In a blender, purée the strawberries with the syrup and lemon juice until very smooth (you may need to divide this into several batches if your blender is not extra-large). If desired, strain through a fine-mesh sieve for a smoother texture. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Add the egg white, if using, during the last 2 to 3 minutes of churning.

Variation: Strawberry-passion fruit sorbet:
Cut 7 passion fruits in half and scoop the pulp and seeds into a blender. Blend for 20 seconds, then pass through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl, pushing on the solids with back of a wooden spoon. Measure out 6 tablespoons of this purée and combine with the strawberries, syrup, and lemon juice in a blender as directed above.

5 Minute Carrot Cake For One

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup spelt flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 egg of choice 
• 1.5 tablespoons xylitol or brown sugar (coconut or white sugar will also work)
• 1 packet stevia (or 1 more tablespoon sugar or xylitol)
• 1/3 cup cooked carrots
• 1 tablespoon milk of choice
• 1 tablespoon oil or more milk of choice
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, mix dry ingredients (not carrots). If you have a blender, mix all wet ingredients and blend. Then mix dry into wet and stir. Pour into greased ramekins, a little dish, or a mug. 

2. If using the microwave, cook for 1 minute 20 seconds (or more or less, depending on the strength of your microwave). Let cool before trying to pop out. 

70 calories per serving.

Keep checking our blog over Easter to find out about what's going on at All About You in the next few months! Relax... unwind... and enjoy your bank holiday weekend! We hope to see you all fresh and raring to go next week down in the studio! 

Learning lessons from a 6 year old

So it’s the end of 2011! I hope it’s been a good year for you?...

I enjoy this time of year as I use it as an opportunity to reflect on the past years successes and failures and plan out how I’m going to make the next 12 months even more productive and successful.


On Christmas day my sister came round with her partner and little Henry who’s six and just a bundle of energy! After shooting at each other with guns, teaching him tricks from his magic set and playing for hours with game after game, it’s amazing to see how much he hated losing at anything!

It got me thinking that maybe we should try to be more like kids in this respect! Why do so many people lose the desire to succeed so easily?!



Kids have very little fear, they say what they think, they just want to have fun and they want to win!

Now that’s a pretty good outlook for anyone’s life in my eyes!

What happens to us as adults though?

When do we stop wanting to win?

Why do we accept we don’t want to get the best from our relationships, from our jobs and from our health?


Life doesn’t have to be this way. We CAN win at everything! We can have great relationships, a great career, great health and fantastic fitness levels. We just need to decide to do it and then make a plan to get there.

2012 is going to a very good year, I’ve decided this already! ;-) We’ll see the country come further out of recession and more opportunities for growth will be available for us.

As for our health and fitness, The Olympics is coming to town and we’ll be inspired by the performances of Mo Farah, Dai Greene, Ben Ainslee and Jessica Ennis to get out there and move a bit more!

If you want to win in 2012 then forget what you may have been told by others, lose the fear and the inhibitions, and decide that you want more…

Write down your top health, relationship, business and personal goals for next year, get out and make it happen and don’t give up until you win!

Contact us at the studio to find out how we can help you with your health and fitness goals.

http://aayou.co.uk/contact/