Recipe of the Week - from Tootoomoo

Thank you to our friends at Tootoomoo for another great and simple to follow recipe!

Salmon Tartare

This recipe is not only easy to follow, it is also packed with healthy proteins and omega 3 and super low in carbs!  You could also swap salmon for tuna or beef.

Ingredients

-          Sushi grade salmon/ tuna (allow 150-200g per person)

-          Avocado

-          Chives

-          Sesame oil

-          Mirin (Japanese rice wine)

-          Soy sauce (preferably Japanese soy)

-          Wasabi (kizami or fresh wasabi would be amazing, paste would be alright)

Instructions

-          Dice sushi into fine pieces (or chunkier if you would so prefer). A very easy way of doing so is by scraping the piece of fish with a teaspoon. Using this method also helps eliminate the sinew or lining as opposed to using a knife.

-          Mix soy and mirin into the diced salmon at a 1:1 ratio, add a couple drop of sesame oil, finely chopped chives and wasabi (please add wasabi to taste, fresh wasabi gives the extra crunchy texture)

-          Roughly dice the avocado, season with black pepper and set aside

-          Using a cake ring, lay avocado in the base and give it a gentle firm push to set the shape, then apply the same to salmon on top

-          Remove ring and voila!

-          Tobiko (fish roe) could also be added on top as a garnish

The Treatment Suite At All About You

Our Treatment Suite continues to go from strength to strength at the studio. We have an amazing team of therapists delivering Osteopathy, Reflexology, Acupuncture, Thai Yoga Massage and Sports Massage. Read on to find out more and if you would like to book a free complimentary consultation with any of our therapists then please CONTACT US at the studio.

Stephen Sacks

Harley Street Osteopath Stephen Sacks has one simple approach – find it, fix it and leave it alone but maintain it and give you the tools to make sure it does not come back. In order to do this, he uses a variety of methods from osteopathy, acupuncture/dry needling, sports taping and electrotherapy. His special interests right now include myofascial pain, shoulder conditions, headaches and knee pain but he loves dealing with everything from head to toe, and with full confidence. 

Stephen is based at All About You every Monday and Wednesday morning.

Ana Seymenska – Thai Yoga Massage

Thai Yoga Massage is a unique and powerful healing art that has been an integral part of traditional Thai medicine for thousands of years. In a unique way, Thai massage blends elements of acupressure, Yoga, reflexology, physiotherapy, meditation, energy healing, chiropractic and Ayurveda. Thai Massage has many benefits, including relief from multiple ailments ranging from asthma and migraines to sprains, bruises, and anxiety. Further benefits include the relief of physical and emotional tension, ameliorated sleep, improved flexibility, a greater awareness of body and mind, and a release of blocked energy.

Ana  is available for treatments all day on Thursday's.

Martine and Natalie Vegoda – Accupuncture and Reflexology

Sisters, Martine and Natalie are committed to offering complementary and alternative health care of the highest standards of safety and quality.

Acupuncture forms one of the therapeutic branches of an ancient integrated system of medicine known as Chinese medicine. Originating in China, and having 2,000 years of undisturbed continuity, it has evolved since then to become the systematic, modern form called traditional Chinese medicine.

Reflexology is an ancient holistic therapy based on the principle that all of the organs and systems of the body are mirrored through a network of zones and reflex areas on the feet. Energetically, all of these zones and reflexes are connected through a number of meridians.

Martine and Natalie are now offering treatments at the studio on Tuesday's.

Sports Therapy

Sports Therapy is an aspect of healthcare that is specifically concerned with the prevention of injury and the rehabilitation of the patient back to optimum levels of functional, occupational and sports specific fitness, regardless of age and ability. Areas of this practice include pre-participation screening, equipment recommendations, and cardiovascular fitness programs designed to assist in a safe return to activity.

Mario Christou and our Sports Therapy team are available for treatments every day at the studio.

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!

Farmer's Market

Well despite the overcast and slightly miserable weather, we are glad to say the Farmer's Market was a success! We hope all of you that joined us there enjoyed it and the tucked into some of the delicious food from the stalls, as well as grabbing some goodies to take home and enjoy afterwards! 

It was lovely seeing a lot of familiar faces, as well as family members who you brought along to help support the cause. After what seemed like a very long week, back to work after the holidays, it was a nice way to relax, enjoy some music and good, fresh food. Hopefully it inspired you to pick up some veg and meat to cook yourself a healthy meal for dinner!

We certainly enjoyed seeing you outside the gym environment and not telling you to do those dreaded squats. Here are some pictures before we got started to show you some of the stalls if you were unable to come, and also for those who were there to enjoy!

We'd also like to give a very big thank you to all the companies who got involved and provided us with stalls filled with a fantastic variety of foods, as well as the great music from Ian Anderson which kept us entertained throughout the afternoon. 

Keep checking the blog and our Facebook page as we will be posting regularly about upcoming events and also about 'The Club' which will be finished very soon! We look forward to seeing you all in the studio this week! 

All About You Food Revolution Farmer’s Market

On Sunday 27^th April, All About You, will be hosting a farmer’s market in association with Jamie Oliver’s food revolution to promote healthy eating across the country. Although it will appeal primarily to those who live locally, we believe that re-educating even a small number of people about nutrition and food can make a big difference.

But why are we doing this? 

Well since 1980, the number of overweight and obese adults has quadrupled to around one billion people in the developing world, and 64% of adults in the UK are now classed as being overweight. This rise in obesity has also trickled down to the children of our nation – resulting in 25% of boys and 33% of girls ages 2-19 being overweight or obese.

So why is our nation getting so fat? Well unfortunately, this is no mystery. Quite simply, many children do little exercise and eat a diet that’s packed with junk food. Numerous studies confirm what celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver discovered when he started looking more closely at school dinners – that children consume too much sugar, salt and saturates and eat only two portions of fruit and veg each day. There are too many opportunities and such easy access to quick, on the go, high energy junk foods which are usually cheaper than a healthier alternative. Our kids are following in the rather large footsteps of our increasingly obese adults, and today’s children will be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents.

So how do we stop this? 

Unsurprisingly, most health experts agree one of the most important factors in the fight against childhood obesity is to encourage healthy eating habits from an early age. At All About You we have joined the Jamie Oliver food revolution programme, and as a part of our mission we are promoting healthy eating through our farmer’s market. We want to bring Jamie’s food revolution to the UK and change the way our nation eats and thinks about food. We can fight obesity with better food, and to get people cooking healthy meals again both at home and in schools. By eating home cooked meals, people will know what is going into their meals which will decrease the amount of fat and sugars they consume from fast food and takeaways.

Our famer’s market will include stalls run by local businesses as well as the more famously known Bedford Clanger’s Pasties shown on Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast. We will also be offering food demonstrations from the amazing Tootoomoo, who we work closely with to provide a healthy takeaway alternative.

We want to show people that eating healthily can be just as tasty and satisfying as junk food which carry a less certain nutritional value, as well as the health benefits a healthy diet will offer. At All About You we want to promote the benefits of an active lifestyle and good nutrition combined to put a stop to the growing waistbands of our nation, and to start making a difference to people’s lives one step at a time.

We hope to see you there!

Food Revolution Farmer’s Market

Sunday 27^th April 2014 12pm until 4pm

Contact All About You to find out more. www.aayou.co.uk

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! 

Another Delicious Dish from Tootoomoo!

Recipe of the week

For all our fellow Tootoomoo lovers out there - yet another yummy recipe for you to enjoy at home!

This delicious Pan Asian restaurant based in Highgate and Crouch End have given us another recipe to share with you, using fresh and healthy ingredients - as well as being organic, gluten and MSG free. Prepared and delivered to your doorstep, 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! So get your gym shoes on and come down to All About You for a chance to win!

Salmon Tartare

This recipe is not only easy to follow, it is also packed with healthy proteins and omega 3 and super low in carbs!  You could also swap salmon for tuna or beef.

Ingredients

·         Sushi grade salmon/ tuna (allow 150-200g per person)

·         Avocado

·         Chives

·         Sesame oil

·         Mirin (Japanese rice wine)

·         Soy sauce (preferably Japanese soy)

·         Wasabi (kizami or fresh wasabi would be amazing, paste would be alright)

Instructions

·         Dice sushi into fine pieces (or chunkier if you would so prefer). A very easy way of doing so is by scraping the piece of fish with a teaspoon. Using this method also helps eliminate the sinew or lining as opposed to using a knife.

·         Mix soy and mirin into the diced salmon at a 1:1 ratio, add a couple drop of sesame oil, finely chopped chives and wasabi (please add wasabi to taste, fresh wasabi gives the extra crunchy texture)

·         Roughly dice the avocado, season with black pepper and set aside

·         Using a cake ring, lay avocado in the base and give it a gentle firm push to set the shape, then apply the same to salmon on top

·         Remove ring and voila!

·         Tobiko (fish roe) could also be added on top as a garnish

Recipe of the Week

We have a new focus to our Newsletters in 2014. We've developed a great working relationship with Tootoomoo who create some amazing fresh pan Asian food at their restaurants in Highgate and Crouch End.

The reason we want to work with them is because we understand that London life can get tough at times, you're constantly on the go and you don't have the time to look after yourself properly. At All About You we aim to address your health and fitness concerns and whilst we address your nutritional requirements we don't actually make the food for you!

This is where Tootoomoo come in. They will prepare and deliver exceptional organic, gluten free MSG free amazing food to your door and they've also offered to share some of their recipes on the blog here.

So here's the first one:

Steamed Seabass with Ginger & Soy

Ingredients:

-          seabass fillet (or any white fish like monkfish, yum!)

-          shiitake mushrooms, soaked and hydrated

-          chopped chillies

-          ginger, finely sliced

-          mixed greens ( pak choi or any of your favourites)

-          spring onions, chopped

-          Shaoxing wine

-          soy sauce

-          demerara sugar

-          sesame oil

  

Cook off:

-          mix Shaoxing wine and soy sauce to a 50/50 ratio, add a sprinkle of sugar and a tiny drizzle of sesame oil

-          place seabass in a shallow pan and pour in the sauce mix, chopped shiitake mushrooms, chillies and ginger

-          cover pan with foil an leave in preheated oven at 170 degree  for 15min.  meanwhile, blanch the vegetables and plate it out-

            check the fish if it’s cooked through,   place fish on bed of greens and pour the rest of the sauce in pan over the dish.

-        

-          Voila!

      Check out Tootoomoo's menu here and take advantage of their kind offer to give 20% discount to all of our readers - just use our discount code AAYJAN when you place your order,

50 Ways To Keep Up With 50 Shades...

The book that everyone is talking about – the story by E. L. James is the first book in the series which recounts the deepening relationship between a college graduate and a young businessman Christian Grey.

In the book, Anastasia Steele is required to sign a contract that allows Grey to have complete control of her life which included fulfilling any desires Grey had in the bedroom.

So we decided to do our bit and help the guys out there with their performance in the bedroom and give you our 50 ways to keep up with 50 shades...

Now we’re not claiming to be Casa Nova’s in the bedroom (we let the ladies talk about that!) The idea of this article is to give you some quick and simple ideas to prevent your performance from being a quick and simple one ;-)

So let’s get to work...

 

  1.     Exercise – The answer to all of life’s problems! Move more to look better, feel better, be better and perform better! But what form of exercise should you do?

  2.       Strength training is top of the list. A strong body is sexy, masculine and enables you do to more than with an average physique.

  3.       Core Training – All movements begin from the core it’s the foundation upon which everything in your body depends. A strong core = a strong body.

  4.       Strengthen the Glutes – There’s nothing worse than whipping of underwear to reveal a saggy behind. We spend so much of our lives sat down that most people have no activation through their glutes causing pain, dysfunction and not a pretty site. Check out our simple Glute exercises to create those buns of steel!

  5.       Cardiovascular fitness – Don’t be a two minute wonder! Whilst your lover does want to hear you panting and heavy breathing, she doesn’t want a heart attack on her hands! Improve your cardiovascular fitness and be a marathon man between the sheets.

  6.       Balance – essential for performance and one of the first things to decline due to aging! Combined with all of the other elements of health and fitness detailed here good balance will provide you with a greater repertoire of moves in the bedroom!

  7.       Agility – This isn’t just a category at Crufts dog show; Agility is the ability to change the direction of the body in an efficient and effective manner, essential for great bedroom fitness!

  8.       Good Flexibility. We may want some things to be stiff, but not everything! Short tight muscles give the appearance of a muscular physique, but long lean muscles actually function in a more effective way.

  9.       Walk. A forgotten movement in the modern world. Why walk when you can take the car? Why climb stairs when you can take the lift or the escalator? We sit on our arse all day at work and get home and lay on the sofa all night. Get out there, move! Improve your cardiovascular system, relax your mind, get some fresh air and de-stress. 

Carrying on from this point, the biggest killer for most guys’ performance in the sack is the silent killer – Stress!

  10.    Don’t let stress get in the way of a good erection! The torment in your head is the biggest cause of distress down below!

  11.   Learn to breathe! READ THIS

  12.   Meditate. I was fortunate enough to meet Simon Frost  around the time I opened my first business in Highgate. Simon calls himself a soul coach and basically promotes positivity. He emphasises the fact that a lot of us live our lives either through our conditioning of the Past or fear of the future. Life doesn’t have to be this way we can and should enjoy every moment for what it is, (especially true in the bedroom!) stop worrying about what has happened or what may happen and enjoy now.

Meditation teaches you to slow things down look at your situation from a different perspective and gives you a focus to make the right decisions going forwards.

  13.   Massage. Whether it’s for remedial or sexual purposes the power of touch cannot be emphasised more. 

  14.   Go on holiday! We live in a world where work pressures dictate that we work longer hours, take less time off and even when we are away we’re contactable at any time! We let our work dictate our life and mould our personality, we spend more and more time at our desks and less and less time doing what we really love doing and being with who we really love spending time with. Do yourself a favour, book some time off, get plenty of sun san sea and the other and.....

  15.   Get away for the weekend. You don’t have to take a two week vacation to unwind, a dirty weekend is enough to get you out of the routine and living more.

  16.   Switch off the mobile

  17.   Your Lap top

  18.   Your Facebook, Twitter and Linked In accounts and...

  19.   Forget about work

When you get back to work keep some of the holiday habits going...

  20.   Schedule breaks into your day. Get out for a walk, go to the gym or just switch off for ten minutes. It’s proven that we are much more productive when working in 90 minute blocks. Stop being busy and start being more productive.

  

  21.   Take a siesta. OK this might be a difficult one to run past your boss but a nap in the afternoon is amazing for recharging and looking after your body – and even better if you can fit in a bit of afternoon delight at the same time! ;-)

  22.   Failing that take a power nap. Twenty minutes is enough to recharge the batteries and get you back to full function.

  23.   Sleep more.  – This article may be all about other activities in the bedroom but when you’re not on the job get some good quality sleep – 7-8 hours every night is essential for relaxation, repair and rejuvenation.

Eat your way sexy...

Everything that you put into your body brings about a physical and hormonal response. Your energy levels, your mood and your libido are all affected by the food, drink and supplements you put into your body. Need a boost?

Supplements:

  24.   L-Arginine: An amino acid which is used by the body to make a substance that relaxes the blood vessels which is shown to enhance sexual performance in men AND women.

  25.   Ginseng: The natural way to get Mr Floppy hard again!

  26.    Maca Root : A herbaceous plant native to the high Andes of Peru. clinical trials performed in men have shown that maca extracts can heighten libido and improve semen quality.

  27.   Zinc: A lack of dietary zinc in men is shown to be related with a decrease in serum testosterone.

  28.   Horny Goat Weed—appropriately nicknamed, this natural herb supports healthy sexual activity. It is also shown to regulate the stress hormone, cortisol levels.

  29.   Eat plenty of nuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds,

  30.   Brazil nuts and

  31.   Almonds which are all rich in the amino acid arginine, which is shown to boost levels of blood to the genitals, making them natural Viagra.

Food:

  32.    Oysters, the richest source of zinc, nourish the prostate gland and boost testosterone production.

  33.   Chocolate: The nutrient phenethylamine found in chocolate is shown to enhance mood and is the chemical we produce in our brains when we fall in love, the higher the cocoa content of the chocolate the better the effect, so stick to 60-70 per cent cocoa.

  34.   Apparently the smell of food gets us guys more in the mood! The aroma of pizza, popcorn and strawberries work best according to The Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago as they evoke the security and pleasure of childhood. So there you are girls, we really don’t ever grow up!

  35.   Alcohol also boosts endorphins, the pleasure hormones that help to release tension and inhibitions as well as increasing testosterone levels.  Just not too much though eh?!

  36.   Make the meal a romantic occasion. Apparently any dish can be erotic when enjoyed with sensual pleasure, according to Dr Michel Odent, the author of The Scientification of Love. We all need substantial bursts of the "love hormone" oxytocin to get sexually aroused – and that's less likely to happen if his body is fizzing with stress hormones.

  37.   Eat slower. Physically enjoying food quickens production of this pulsating hormone.

A similar response is also initiated with

  38.   Dim lights (a great idea if their not the best looking!)

  39.    Listen to soft background music.

  40.   Give up the cigarettes: The plain and simple facts are that men who smoke have a significantly increased risk of experiencing erectile dysfunction and the more you smoke the bigger the risk.

  41.   Be Confident! The brain is said to be the biggest sex organ – so if you feel good you're more likely to get sexually aroused, and vice versa.

  42.   Live in the moment. A sudden inability to get an erection is most likely to have a psychological background in a man: often caused by anxiety or loss of confidence as a result of divorce, bereavement, redundancy or a similar life event.

  43.   Be Positive. A negative thinker see’s a difficulty in every opportunity. A positive thinker sees an opportunity in every difficulty.

  44.    What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Let go of previous relationships. It didn’t work for whatever reason; don’t let them hold you back from a new amazing one.

  45.   Get Scared. If it scares you it’s probably going to challenge you. Be adventurous, take a risk, and don’t be afraid of failing, its only going to make you stronger.

  46.   Plan your day. If you don’t take control of your day someone else will. If you don’t make time for that special person in your life someone else will!!

  47.   Plan your life. If you sit around waiting for things to happen, waiting for the right person to come along, waiting to be happy, you’re wasting your life. Get out there make shit happen and have fun! “Failing to plan is planning to fail!

  48.   Communicate. Let others know what you want and find out what they want. The most ridiculous thing about the modern world is that we’ve never had more ways to communicate with one another and yet we’ve forgotten about the basics of speaking to people.

  49.   Listen. You’ve got two ears and one mouth for a reason.

  50.   Be yourself. If you can’t love yourself, how do you expect someone else to love you? Whilst writing this I started to wonder what others might think of it when they read it and then thought – who cares! I think it’s topical, its what I believe in and it’s a bit of fun. If you think its rubbish or you take offence SO WHAT?!!