One In Eight British Adults Are Now Vegetarian

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Something is afoot. A change in our eating habits which has become more than a trend. Sparked by people becoming more environmentally conscious and not wanting to contribute to the damage that cheap meat causes. More people are becoming vegan, pescetarian (eats fish but no meat), vegetarian and flexitarian (has a mostly plant based diet but occasionally eats meat. I would put myself at the end. I have tried vegetarianism before but it never worked out. The first time I got really ill and when I started eating meat again I always made sure it was organic, free-range meat and that the animal had had a good life). To be honest the thing that most put me off vegetarianism was, and is, aggressive vegetarians. There are few things worse in life than an aggressive vegetarian who is always getting on their high horse and telling everyone else what to eat and how to live their life. Debate is fine, not lecturing. My husband is now mostly pescetarian, we eat mostly vegetables at home. This has been a learning curve when cooking meals and has also been a trial whilst pregnant and constantly craving meat. My husband and I are not alone however.

According to Mintel, around 12 per cent of people now follow vegetarian or vegan diets – rising to 20 per cent of those aged between 16 and 24. Millions more are flexitarian. A staggering one in eight British adults are now vegetarian. The truth is, we are all eating less meat. The meat-free market is now worth £625million a year and growing all the time.

That is quite something. We will be doing more vegetarian recipes on Frost and will also be doing a lot of cooking videos on our YouTube channel. So watch out for both and let us know what you think.

The Stoptober Challenge: The Round Up

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Frostie

So it is over. No more Stoptober. I am pretty pleased with myself. I think it went quite well. I haven’t been smoking and hope this will continue. It is still hard sometimes but I have come a long way. I wobbled many times. I don’t want the hard work to be for nothing

Along the way I have done a lot of challenges. The first one was preparing for success and Boots UK pharmacist Angela Chambers gave some great tips. I wrote about this in my first post.

The second challenge was taste. Smoking dulls your taste buds so when you quit everything tastes better. For this challenge I baked. It was fun. Boots UK sent an exclusive recipe box packed with a bespoke recipe and all the ingredients I needed. I loved the end result and the taste was amazing.

I took part in a Twitter party which was hosted by Beautyandthedirt, Sexinlondoncity and Angela Chalmers who is a Boots Expert. This was between 1-2pm on October 16th. The Twitter Party was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. A lot of people got involved and I think it was a success.

Next up I took some time to stop and smell the roses.

To celebrate reaching my third smoke free week, and the return of my sense of smell, Boots UK sent me these gorgeous flowers. Smoking alters the way you smell things. The reasons to stop smoking keep building up. The flowers are also very beautiful. If you are also trying to stop smoking head to Boots UK Stop Smoking.

Challenge Four was all about how quitting smoking is great for your appearance. Smoking can impact your appearance, affecting your complexion, reducing the nutrients in your hair and leading to staining of the teeth, though luckily giving up smoking can reverse these changes. To celebrate this Boots UK partnered with leading fashion photographer Claire Pepper to develop some top tips on taking the perfect selfie.

Fashion photographer Claire Pepper shares tips on how to take the perfect selfie

It’s all about the lighting!

Get the lighting right, and you are 90% of the way to achieving your perfect selfie. Ideally you want natural daylight, but if it is really sunny then move away from direct sun into a shady area. If you are inside, find a window or the biggest, softest light source around and stand nice and close to it. Always have the light source in front of you – side lighting is unflattering and back lighting doesn’t capture very well on most mobile phones.

Attention to detail

Selfies should be spontaneous but try to take a few moments to check the background is free from clutter or strange reflections. Also check your hair and make-up, and take a moment to consider the composition of your shot, and whether it would work best in landscape or portrait.

Trial and Error

You might want to experiment to see if there is much difference in quality between the front and back cameras on your phone. Some phones have a much better quality camera on the back so take two snaps and compare them to see if one looks grainier. Also try taking the cover off your phone – some covers can cause a bit of softening around the periphery of the image or can affect focus so give it a go and you might be surprised what a difference it makes.

Find your angle

Different angles suit different faces so learn what works for you – take lots of pictures to see what works – you can always delete any you don’t like! Generally keeping your chin down is quite flattering and turning your face to one side works for most people. Don’t forget to keep your eyes on the camera lens not the screen as it’s much more engaging.

Post production

Finally, perfect your portrait with an image editing app. A specialist app like Camera+ gives you control over every aspect of the image, as well as giving you the option to add borders and captions. If you are bored of using the same filters all the time try the VSCO Cam app that gives you a really wide selection and the ability to customise your selfie – you can achieve results that would take some time in Photoshop within seconds. If you want to zap a blemish try an app like Facetune, but take it easy editing your face – it’s easy to go too far and it can look quite obvious.

Overall I feel great and stopping smoking was the best thing I have ever done. Try it and you won’t look back. Promise.

Sponsored Post

#bootsukstoptober

LUMOback sensor and app review

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Melissa Volpi

Lumo back is an unusual product. It aims to improve your posture using a small sensor attached to an elasticated belt that fits around your waist. It’s a light, all black product that is about two inches wide. The idea behind LUMO BodyTech’s first ever product, is that you wear it on a daily basis and the sensor will vibrate gently along your lower back when your spine is anything but straight. Lumo back has an accompanying real time app that shows you visually how you are sitting, standing or running etc thanks to your own personal stickman avatar called Lumo – who mirrors your posture on your iPhone and gives that posture a rating out of 100%. They call Lumo back a ‘Posture Coach’… but does it really work?

On opening the packaging, I am sceptical – the product sounds high tech but looks simple. Always one to keep an open mind though, I read the instructions and set up Lumo back for its intended use with me – which is to help improve my posture when writing and horse riding.

The app is free on iTunes and easy to download and set up. It’s an innovative but raw format that gives you as much information and help as you want. It can ‘track steps, calories burned, time standing, time sitting and the number of times users stand up each day.’ At the end of the day, Lumo, your personal stickman avatar, will give you a posture score ‘so that progress can be monitored as posture is improved.’

As much as I like this app, and Lumo my personal stickman avatar, I was less interested in this feedback and more interested in how quickly the Lumo Back reminded me of slouching when I was wearing it…

I first tried the product out when sitting at my desk. Since graduating with a degree in Photojournalism in 2009, I have spent a lot of time at this desk, writing feature articles and editing thousands of images. My desk has been a place of happiness and creativity – but also a great source of discomfort. Throughout these 5 years my posture has gone from excellent to poor and the slouching position that I have now acquired, has started to become painful and affect other areas of my life as well.

I knew that this product would vibrate immediently after I attached the elasticated belt around my waist. But what I didn’t realise was how often it would vibrate from there on in – and how self-conscious that made me feel. That constant reminder made me think about bringing my shoulders back and sitting as tall as I could. WARNING: This product does distract you from your work on day 1… but by day 7, you almost forget it is there.

I can honestly say that I do sit taller at my desk now. But what I also have to say is that Lumo back is not a magic product. You have to work to achieve good posture – it does not do that for you. And after 5 years of sitting in the wrong way, my muscles have still not memorised the right way yet. Discomfort is still there, but I’ve gone from 40% to 75% on my posture score – so things are improving.

The biggest test of this product though, was using it when I was horse riding. After 16 years of cycling to my horses on a mountain bike, I have developed round shoulders – which will one day, if I don’t do something about it, leave me with a stoop. And as I hope to compete in dressage competitions soon, the last thing I want to be is a horse-riding hunchback.

Obviously when you are horse riding, you can’t be constantly looking at your phone. So, Lumo was not able to help me here with his visual aids – for horse riding I was relying solely on the sensor to vibrate gently along my lower back when I rode in an inelegant fashion.

At first I couldn’t feel the sensor when doing schooling exercises such as rising trot, sitting trot or canter work on my horse. But the moment we came back to walk, I felt it vibrate – and it did this a lot through the walking phase. It seems that when I relax too much, I slouch. I need to be a little tense, or a little more preoccupied, to achieve good posture in the saddle.

Lumo back has shown me my weaknesses – when sitting at my desk writing, and when schooling my horse – and that is no mean feat. This product gives you a conscience when it comes to your own vanity. It makes you want to be a more elegant version of yourself. The constant reminders and daily posture scores really spur you into action.

I’ve come to see Lumo back as an essential part of my daily routine now. It has given me a goal. And that goal is to reach 99% for my posture score (I couldn’t say 100%, as no one is perfect, even with Lumo :-) ).

For more information, check out the LUMO BodyTech website:

http://www.lumobodytech.com/lumoback/

LUMOback is available from Amazon UK for £129.95 and includes free P+P:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LUMO-Improve-Posture-iPhone-Touch/dp/B00GD2MTSA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412838838&sr=8-1&keywords=lumoback

LUMO BodyTech are also bringing out a new product this October called LUMOlift Posture Coach. Lumo Lift will be available from Amazon.co.uk from mid October and Apple stores later in the month. It will retail at £79.99.

http://www.lumobodytech.com/

Flat coke may be the cure for Kate Middleton’s morning sickness

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Frostie

There is a high probability that Kate Middleton will experience the same morning sickness as with her first pregnancy, say Alison Edwards – Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at Birmingham City University. In fact she has had to cancel some of her engagements already because of her acute morning sickness.

“Though there is an increased chance due to having the excessive sickness before she may well have an entirely different experience this time with little or no sickness. Though there is no ‘cure’ for morning sickness (and certainly not hyperemesis) there are steps that can be taken to try to settle the unpleasant symptoms.”

“Though there are few sources of scientific evidence to support any ‘remedies’, making sure fluid intake is maintained is a priority. Flat coke has been found to help here as can arrowroot or ginger. Some women swear by travel bands. Small low fat meals can help and avoiding anything spicy. If the symptoms become excessive then medical advice must be sought as there are medications that can reduce the sickness and nausea; these do need prescribing however.

“Excessive morning sickness can make women unwell and certainly miserable, so plenty of support and rest are vital, especially if admission to hospital is required as Kate was last year. There are also support groups set up by women who have experienced hyperemesis.”

Elizabeth Arden Presents Flawless Future…

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Kesh

“According to a recent survey, the majority of women would rather gain ten pounds then look ten years older” explains Charity Finnigan, Elizabeth Arden’s Brand Manager. This can’t surely be true i’m thinking, but as I look around this room of women all I see and hear are nodding heads and approving sighs. I guess ageing is something I haven’t really thought about having just turned 26, but more and more women I speak to from experience are saying the same thing, that they wished they took more preventative measures in anti-ageing and that it’s not too late for my generation to start. Unless I get some hard scientific facts i’m a sceptic, and that is exactly what Elizabeth Arden delivered in their flawless presentation about their newest range of Ceramide products; Flawless Future.

Charity Finnigan’s presentation

It’s hard to come to terms with something when you’ve never had to experience it yourself but it’s inevitable that one time or another the signs of ageing will be apparent on our face. Unlike those who would resort to drastic measures I would prefer to grow old gracefully and with some help it’s becoming easier and easier for women to do that. Here comes the science: 25 years ago, Elizabeth Arden patented ceramide technology. Ceramides are the molecules that keep the skin healthy and support the collagen produced. Over the years, these ceramides begin to deplete causing the skin to age and a huge factor is stress. During a recent study, the most stressed out age group are 20-30 year olds and it has shown that the biggest loss in ceramides happen in your 30’s. Aiming an anti-ageing product for this age group then makes total sense and Elizabeth Arden have the right idea.

The Flawless Future Collection is comprised of;

Flawless Future powered by Ceramide ™ Caplet Serum

This serum which soothes and brightens skin is powered by Micro-Caplets which provides an even application and effective penetration. Over 80% of women who tried this reported that their skin was smoother, brighter and looked stress-free. This product is pure luxury for the skin.

Flawless Future powered by Ceramide ™ Moisture Cream SPF 30

A daily moisturiser that hydrates and brightens, diminish discolourations and softens lines and wrinkles. This cream is enriched with rice kefiran which is proven to improve hydration, glycerin and shea butter. Pearlescent pigments and mica in the ingredients also enhance complexion. Over 90% of women felt their skin looked smooth, supple and hydrated. SPF also provides skin with sun protection. After a week of using this I saw an immediate difference in my skin brightness and hydration and the amazing scent makes me look forward to applying this.

Flawless Future Powered by Ceramide ™ Eye Gel

This brightening gel fights the appearance of stress and fatigue around the eyes for a radiant, brighter look. The formula is boosted with vitamin E and hydrating sodium hyaluronate and a unique algae extract complex that targets puffiness and dark circles. The design of the dispenser means that it controls the appropriate amount of product to the eye, really handy! Over 70% of women reported a visible difference to fine lines, stress and fatigue were relieved and brightness was improved. Another bonus is that this eye gel is safe for sensitive skin and contact lens wearers.

As all Elizabeth Arden products are, they are all presented nicely and look great in my bathroom cabinet. The great thing about the launch was that as well as learning about the new products it was full of other inspirational beauty writers and bloggers sharing tips with each other and enjoying themselves with the incredible Elizabeth Arden team. They put on a really special evening and went above and beyond expectations to make sure we were welcomed, informed and having a great time. It really makes a difference when huge brands go that extra mile and I really look forward to seeing what else Elizabeth Arden have in store.

Flawless Future is available exclusively at Debenhams from now until 10th August and launches nationwide 15th August.

follow @ardenUK for more information. www.elizabetharden.co.uk

keshini misha.

4 in 10 admit they go online to seek health and wellbeing advice

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Frostie

Where Do You Go For Reliable Health Advice?

New research has revealed the growing trend of people taking important health and well-being advice from unreliable sources.

Almost 4 in 10 people would choose to go online to seek advice on their own health and wellbeing and around 1 in 20 Brits have admitted they would turn to social media sites like Facebook or Twitter for advice on health issues.

While there are many reliable sites offering health and nutritional information, it can be easy to take the wrong advice.

The research, commissioned by Viridian Nutrition, also revealed that more than 1 in 3 people surveyed said they would go to their doctor for medical advice, only 1 in 4 claimed they would take advice from their local specialist health food store.

Jeff Martin is Managing Director of As Nature Intended, and he said health food stores are good sources of reliable health information, ‘People coming into health food stores and asking for health advice is a cornerstone of what we’re about. If people came in and saw me earlier they would have got a resolution to whatever problem they had a lot quicker’.

A further survey from the Health Food Manufacturer’s Association also revealed that, of the 10,000 adults questioned, 40% said they don’t think they have access to enough information on vitamin supplements.

The research also revealed that around 55% of the UKs population now take food supplements (a 9% rise over the past two years) and that almost 1 in 4 people get the majority of their information about vitamin supplements from the box or packaging they come in.

We also spoke to Nutritionist and Lecturer Ben Brown, ‘In terms of the reliability of health information there are a number of different potential consequences. One of the more obvious ones is misdiagnosis – you may have something that seems like a garden variety headache but it could be more serious and the same is true for diet and nutrition information.

‘You could be following something that’s potentially misguided and unhealthy in the long term. If you’re looking for general diet and lifestyle advice and in particular advice on natural products, it’s much better to get off the internet and get into your local independent health food store and speak to someone there’.

Downton Abbey Stars Turn Out To Support Medical Detection Dogs

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

I met up with some of the stars of the hit British series Downton Abbey who turned out in force to support the young UK charity, Medical Detection Dogs, in London last week. On a gorgeous evening the stars gathered on the bank of Westminster Bridge to board a glass-covered boat for a ‘Doggie Paddle’ dinner and charity auction cruise up the Thames.
The charity, which trains dogs to detect cancer and alert diabetics to dangerous falls in their sugar levels, has already won the patronage of HRH Duchess of Cornwall. The Duchess became a patron in February and together with the Prince of Wales, hosted the dogs and their trainers at St James’s Palace in March.
Cast members of Downton Abbey, including Jim Carter, who plays the stoical Mr Carson, Phyllis Logan, aka Mrs Hughes, and Rob James Collier, the errant under-butler Thomas Barrow joined members of the charity and the excited dogs who thoroughly enjoyed the attention they were receiving… this was their night in the spotlight and the ferocity of the wagging tails was a good indication!
The event attracted celebrity supporters Matthew Kelly, Vikki Michelle, Julie Peasgood, Carol Harrison, Sally Farmiloe-Neville, Joan Hooley, Robert and Babs Powell, Debbie Arnold, Ciara Janson, all of whom had a strong passion for the charity and were thrilled to attend.

Lesley Nicol, best known as the redoubtable Mrs Patmore, has been a keen supporter of the charity since first hearing of its work. Nicol commented: “Medical Detection Dogs has become a passion for me. They are relatively young, and the work they do is absolutely awe-inspiring and I want everyone to know exactly who they are and what they do. As far as I am aware there is something like a three year waiting list for assistance dogs – and that is before what they do has really become widely known! Can you imagine what will happen when it has?”

“So obviously it’s vital to give them the means to expand their work as soon as possible. These dogs are literally transforming and saving lives, on a daily basis. And if you are poorly, and there is this opportunity out there, three years to wait, is a very long time! The bio detection work – the other part of what this charity does – continues to amaze and impress people when they see the dogs at work. The fact that they can train them to detect early signs of cancer, and in doing so, sometimes remove the need for invasive and unnecessary procedures, and of course save lives – is amazing and seriously deserves our support I think.”

Jim Carter adopted the role of auctioneer for the charity auction and succeeded in raising £11,000 for a holiday on a luxury yacht and £4,000 for the chance to visit the Downton cast on location in the famous Ealing Studios, amongst other prizes. A silent auction was also held where Frank Lampard’s signed football boots, a holiday cottage for a week and three magnums of Italian Prosecco went to the highest bidders. One lucky guest won a £6,000 diamond at the bottom of their champagne glass, but chose to donate his winnings back to the charity.

After dinner, the stars and guests watched a demonstration of the dogs’ work to detect the odour of cancerous cells in urine samples. The sight of the dogs’ swift and accurate detection of the malignant samples left the audience momentarily speechless, before breaking into rapturous applause.
All proceeds of the night will go towards the charity’s work in advancing the early detection of cancer and saving the lives of diabetes sufferers by providing them with a dog to alert them to dangerous rises and falls in their blood sugar levels.

Being the fashionista that I am, I couldn’t leave the event without my glam radar kicking in, so I asked a couple of stars to tell me about their eveningwear. Sally Farmiloe-Neville wore a striking vintage-inspired silver-grey dress from the Gill Harvey Collection, and Vikki Michelle described her very flattering couture dress by Debra of Chigwell.
To find out more about Medical Detection Dogs’s work visit their website: http://medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk

Images: Shane Finn at Visual Devotion

www.corinne-modelling.co.uk

The 10 Minute Lunch

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

Here is the quickest healthiest lunch you could possibly make! Faster than nipping off to the shops to buy a nasty sandwich and tastier than you can possibly imagine!

All you need is the following

1 Chicken breast per person
1 lemon 1/2 sweezed
chunk of ginger, grated
big dollop of mustard
2 tbs tomato paste
2 tbs maple syrup

Put a griddle pan on the heat while you quickly prepare the sauce. Mix the marinade ingredients together and cut the chicken down the middle so you have 2 flat slices, place the chicken in a bowl, pour over the sauce.

Hear it sing as it hits the heat!

Slice the chicken into smaller sections after about 4 minuets so it cooks through evenly and gets all the delicious charred, sticky and delicious sauce soaked right through. I don’t know about you but I love the crispy baked on edges of pies. The ones you just have to dig at at the end of the meal. Its the best bit like the skins on jacket potatoes. Now cook this for a while longer around 5 mins and serve on a bed of crisp lettuce. Or you can pop it on steamed rice for a quick supper.

Serve with a glass of fizzy water and the juice of the other half of the lemon, tantalising and tangy, just like the dish!

Don’t you just want some for lunch!!

For more recipes head off to my blog SLB Style and come and say hi over on Twitter @sarahbacchus If you are needing any photography work from Fashion brands, beauty companies or special occasions like weddings take a look at sarahbacchus.com

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