Tag Archives: Advice

Running a Marathon For Dummies | Book Review

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runningamarathonMarathons are hugely popular now. It seems everyone I know is doing one. Although I have yet to join in, this book has made me feel inspired. Unfortunately injuries are rife as people underestimate just how hard it is. Enter Running A Marathon For Dummies. An incredibly informative book which covers everything you could possibly want to know about running a marathon.

What I found particularly interesting was chapter three: Understanding the Physiology of Marathon Running. It tells you all about your heart and what happens when you are running. How the heart pushes blood through your body and how your muscles carry you 26.2 miles. (the length of a marathon) It is completely fascinating and essential knowledge for those serious about running.

The book also has brilliant tests like the one to tell you how high your arch is. It gives you recommendations on what gear to buy. It also tells you how to stay strong and healthy. This book will hopefully make any injuries less common, in fact an entire chapter is dedicated to recognising and avoiding common injuries and also has the treatments in case the worst happens. You will also be educated about your body and what it goes through. It has a good amount of exercises with a step-by-step guide on how to do them.

It also helps you train with running drills, the tools to help you create your own training preparation and it also gives you training programmes. An excellent book for everyone from the beginner to the more experienced. Jason Karp really knows his stuff. I loved this book. An excellent guide.

Running a Marathon For Dummies by Jason Karp,

With record numbers participating in marathons worldwide, whether you are a beginner or an experienced runner, this title provides tips and techniques to help improve stamina, speed and overall health. Taking the reader all the way from sitting on the couch through to their first marathon and beyond, it also contains advice for practiced marathoners as to how to continue improving performance.

Understanding IBS

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flickr-3705507804-hdWhat is it?

Dr. Wendy Denning, GP and one of Tatler’s top 150 private doctors for the last three years, explains: “Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a sporadic and unpredictable disruption of the digestive system. Everyone suffers the odd upset, but if you regularly experience painful abdominal spasms, bloating, or attacks of constipation or diarrhoea, then you could be suffering from IBS.”

 

Causes

Dr. Denning, says: “Doctors are not exactly sure what causes IBS, and symptoms can vary in type, frequency and severity from person to person. However the condition can be painful, embarrassing and inconvenient to deal with. IBS occurs when the nerves and muscles of the bowel are not working properly. The bowel can become extra sensitive to pain and easily or frequently upset, and, unfortunately, IBS is a chronic condition – often recurring after long periods of calm.”

 

Symptoms

  • Abdominal pain and cramping – often relieved by emptying your bowels
  • A change in your bowel habits – such a diarrhoea, constipation, or both
  • Bloating and swelling of your abdomen
  • Excessive wind
  • An urgent need to go to the toilet
  • A feeling that you need to open your bowels even if you have just been to the toilet
  • A feeling you have not fully emptied your bowels
  • Passing mucus from your bottom

 

Stats

  • IBS affects 15-20% of the population, particularly women aged 20-4
  • 25-50% of all hospital gastroenterology appointments are for IBS
  • Studies have shown that approximately 2/3 of IBS patients have at least one food intolerance and some have multiple intolerances
  • Over 50% of those surveyed* had missed work with almost one quarter of 24-34 year olds taking over a month off
  • 43% reported their IBS impacted their confidence, with 24-34 year olds most severely affected (46%), and well over 1/3 (38%) reported low mood
  • 1 in 10 said that their condition had significantly impacted their love life

 

Treatments

  • The YorkTest IBS Diet Programme includes analysis reaction to more than 158 different food and drink ingredients. The new programme is specifically designed for IBS sufferers because it provides a personalised list of suitable low FODMAP foods which take into account your food and drink intolerances, the low FODMAP diet has been shown to be effective in reducing IBS symptoms.
  • Eliminate foods that patients are intolerant to
  • Probiotics
  • Eight glasses of water per day
  • Advice on eating + / – digestive enzymes
  • Stress reduction
  • Exercise
  • Glutamine
  • Fish oils
  • Cut down on FODMAP foods

 

*OnePoll survey of 1,000 IBS sufferers

How To Find The Perfect Jeans. Mimi Noor Tells You How

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james_twiggy_blackclean_01Frost Magazine has called on Mimi Noor, the owner of Miminoor.com, to help you find the perfect pair of jeans. Mimi offers a personal outfit builder advice section on her website. With a focus on how to buy the perfect jeans and turn the chore of finding the right pair into a pleasurable experience.
Mimi Noor stocks a variety of designer brands including J Brand, Victoria Beckham, James Jeans, Wild Fox, Zoe Karssen and Des Petit Hauts.
What should a woman look for when buying jeans?  
One of the first recommendations I would make is to really narrow down what
occasions you want your denim for as it’s going to determine what to
look for in a new pair of jeans. There are so many fantastic denim brands
that are able to offer styles to suit every shape so women no longer have to
worry about a certain jean style for their body; it’s all about lifestyle.
Work out if you want an everyday pair or one for evenings/smart casual wear. What footwear are you likely to wear with it?  I’ve had so many customers who have admitted to buying several pairs of flares or bootcuts because they tried them on with killer heels, which looked great in the shop. However, if your lifestyle means that you can’t wear killer heels all day every day then you’re not going to get the right amount of wear and should reserve these styles for evenings out or special occasions.
What is the main problem women have when buying jeans?
Buying jeans on your own can be a scary experience because most stores don’t
offer the sort of assistance you need when finding that perfect pair of
jeans. Many brands run sizing differently so you never know what size
you are, It is not always obvious how the styles differ and often no one is
available or knowledgeable in denim to help you pull out the right size,
colour or shape once you’re in the changing room.
How do they fix this?
I would always recommend shopping with a friend or relative you trust if
you’re buying denim from the high street or in department stores. Take your
friend with you to help bring you alternative options or sizes once you’re
in the changing room and ask their honest opinion on whether the cut suits
you. Alternatively, shop with a specialist like us. We provide a
consultative service where we establish what you want your jeans for,
determine your general size, provide alternative options based on your
feedback and then do any further alterations you may require (such as hemming to
the correct length).
goldsign_misfit_ronny_01
I find it really hard to find a great pair of jeans, they always seem too big at the waist. What is your main tip for women to buy the perfect jeans?
The 3 main considerations to make when buying your perfect jeans are
1) What purpose do I want these jeans for
2) What footwear am I most likely to wear with them
3) What rise is most comfortable for me
So many pear shaped women struggle to find a pair of jeans that fit well on the legs and fit neatly into the curve of the back or waist as you’ve mentioned. This is where rise comes into play!
Depending on your figure your preferred rise will vary. So often we find that women who have that perfect pear shape will need a jean with a higher rise and greater fabric stretch so that the jean fits perfectly on the legs and nips into the back of your waist.
For ladies who are really long bodied the high rise is going to sit
like a mid rise so it’s really important to factor the rise that’s most
comfortable for you.
What are the best jeans for the following body shapes: Tall, short, petite
and curvy?
 
The denim market right now is full of amazing brands that are able to offer
a plethora of styles for every body shape out there so the traditional
combinations such as a pear shape with a bootcut don’t necessarily apply anymore. As a general rule I would suggest:
Tall: A mid to low rise jean in a straight or skinny style. My pick would be the Goldsign misfit, which is long in length with a 14″ leg opening that means it’s sleek but not ankle tight.
Short: Super skinny styles look great on smaller girls as they flatter a more petite
frame. My favourite would be the James Jean Twiggy style.
Curvy: Curvy girls look best in two shapes. Firstly, a high waisted skinny looks
fantastic on a pear shape when teamed with boots or heels. Equally a
babyboot looks great on this frame. Pick the J Brand Maria or 818
respectively.
What are your favourite jeans?
Picking a favourite is so hard but so far this season I have been living in
my Mih Bonn in minidot. It’s a cropped skinny with a high waist, which is
perfect on my frame and the fabric is super soft. I love how the polka dots are on trend but subtle enough for everyday wear.

What To Look For In A Hotel

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default-header_0013dcf0acHotels can be a home away from home or simply just a place to stay the night. While people have different preferences there are a few things you should look for in a hotel. Here is our list.

Location

Arguably one of the most important things about the hotel you choose is the location. It is worth paying more for a hotel that is close to what you want to see or where you will be working.

Other things to look out for is a hotel which has good transport links. If you rent a car this may not matter, but if you don’t you will be stuck in the middle of nowhere.

If you go somewhere like New York you will want a good view of the city. If you can afford it, paying more for this would broaden the experience. The Hotel Tirler in Italy has beautiful views. Definitely worth a visit.

What’s included

You will have to check what is included in the price of the room. Some will have toiletries and some will even include breakfast in the price. Few things in life are more annoying than turning up to a hotel, exhausted only to find out that the hotel does not have any shower gel and you cannot even clean the day off.

Reputation

Reputation is a thing that precedes all else. If a hotel is slammed online I would stay clear. Of course it is hard to please everyone and even the best hotels have a few people who have complaints. So research and then make an informed judgement.

Reviews and the star system.

The internet is a wonderful thing. Before you could get a gauge about a hotel on how many stars it had. This is still quite reliable, but read reviews online too. I have stayed in four star hotels and wondered how the hell they managed to get their rating.

Bed

What is more important than the bed? Not much. You are in a hotel to sleep right? And if not…ahem, you probably still want a good bed.

Extras

Some hotels have gyms, restaurants, libraries, tea rooms, bars, spas, saunas. The list goes on. If you are a gym bunny you probably want one in the hotel you are staying in. You may also want to check whether any of this is inclusive. The Ampersand Hotel in London has a lot of extras, including a gym, a business centre and a beautiful, quaint tea room.

What do you look for in a hotel? What hotels do you recommend? Let us know and we will include them.

 

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream | Beauty Review

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elizabethardeneighthourcreamElizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream is constantly on the major magazines best of beauty lists. It is the little tub of cream that has a million uses and is a favourite of celebrities. My family and friends also love it. Here is my review.

Elizabeth Arden says their Eight Hour Cream soothes minor skin irritation and is also for the symptoms of chapping, peeling and flaking due to minor burns, sunburn, windburn, scrapes, abrasions and cracked lips. Phew. That is quite a list. Created in 1930, it is Elizabeth Arden’s bestseller, with a tube of the stuff selling somewhere in the world every 30 seconds.

I use the cream on my lips and it is a great lip balm. I also use it on my hands which are really drying out because of the weather and it really sorts them out. It is great on dry skin, you can really feel it healing the skin. I end up using it on my feet too. It makes them really smooth. I also put it along my cheekbones to highlight them when I am going out. It is good on rashes and burns. In fact it solves pretty much any skin based problem.

I quite like the smell but it is not to everyone’s taste. I know Elizabeth Arden recently brought out a version that is scent free. I think Eight Hour Cream is a great all-purpose balm. An essential for every make up bag. I am addicted now.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant 50ml

 

 

The Five Worst Things A Woman Can Do

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GillianPublicityShotPeople can be their own worst enemies sometimes, and women are no exception. In fact, I believe women can be very hard on themselves. So I have made a list of the top five worst things a woman can do to damage her life.

Settling Down With Someone You Do Not Love.

The biological clock is probably the worst thing that ever happened to a woman. It can make us go a bit crazy. A male friend once described woman in their mid-thirties as ‘terrified and terrifying’. Quite unfair and he was about the same age himself. Worst than that, it can make some woman settle for a man they do not love so they can get married and have children. I completely understand this, I really do. Even in 2013 there is a ‘status’ thing between married and unmarried woman, and there certainly is one between the childless and those with children.

The media is full of stories about leaving it too late and this can cloud a woman’s judgement. But deep down, you always know whether or not you love someone. Relationships are hard enough if you do love someone. A relationship chosen because of your biological clock fears will never be a happy one, nor last.

It can also be hard to end a relationship with someone you do not love anymore. The fear of being single is a very real one for a lot of people, but it is only fair on you and the person you are dating. You will both find partners that you are meant to be with.

I came across this amazing quote from Kelly Brook in Easy Living magazine: “I’m not scared to walk away when things aren’t working. I’m not scared of being single, of not having kids. What I am scared of is being stuck in something negative. That is what I am most proud of: having the confidence to know I deserve everything.”

Starve Herself

The pressure to be thin can be tremendous. This pressure comes from the media and other women. It rarely comes from men. If a man loves you he won’t mind if you pack on a couple of pounds.

When I was in drama school I heard stories of women eating cotton balls soaked in orange juice to stay thin. The very idea of it is insane. If you starve yourself your body will not get any nutrients. You will damage your fertility, your health and your hair will fall out. I have heard way too much about starvation diets, that is not a diet, it is anorexia. Let’s stop it now.

Another thing: The whole Curvy versus Skinny thing is a war that should never be waged. Different people are supposed to be different sizes. Diversity is beautiful.

Let a Man Pay For Everything

There is nothing wrong with the man paying for the first date in my opinion. Especially as the women has already probably spent a fortune on a new dress and beauty treatments. However, letting a man pay for everything gives him the control in the relationship. It also makes it harder to walk away if the relationships stops working and you are not financially stable. A woman should always have a means of making money. If not, she has no control of her own future. Virginia Woolf has a famous quote that ‘A woman must have money and a room of her own’. I could not put it better myself.


Judge Another Woman’s Choices.

Woman can be really hard on each other. The truth is that sometimes when we judge it is actually a mixture of envy and admiration. Life does not give everything to one person. When you make a choice another option ends. The grass can seem greener on the other side. When women judge each other it holds us all back. It is time to live and let live.

 

Take Her Foot Off The Pedal

Another thing that some woman do is slowing down or quitting, even before they realise they have done so. When you start to think about children you can take your foot off the gas pedal. This can manifest in not applying for promotions, not going after something with a passion or not following a dream. The expectation of getting pregnant can stop you in your tracks, but do not let it. You never know what will happen in life and maybe you will not want to be a stay-at-home mum. Stay passionate and go after what you want.

What do you think women do to sabotage themselves?

Why You Should Shake Up Your Exercise Regime

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fitnessenergySo Easter as come and gone. If you are anything like me you ate too much. So now it is time to hit the gym again and start behaving. But we all know that exercising can be hard and boring. That is why you want results from your workout.

I know it is not known for burning a lot of calories, but I love walking. On days that I don’t workout I always try to fit in a walk. It is very good for you and your circulation.

Functional training does whole body training and conditioning. Whether using slings or blackpacks it will condition your body into the dress size you want, and also up your fitness level. Far from being something that will just help you burn a few calories, it will also build up your muscle, and muscle burns more calories than fat.

Zumba is another favourite of mine. It may be the new craze that everyone is doing but don’t discount it as a fad. I did dance in drama school and I love a reason to just dance around. It burns an amazing amount of calories too. Something like 400-500 per hour.

The Tracey Anderson Method is famous among celebrities. Gwyneth Paltrow (who is in business with Tracey) and Jennifer Lopez are fans. I have the DVDs and although the cardio workout is too hard to follow for some people, the mat workout is really good at toning the body. It is not for wimps though. Tracey likes people to do her method for an hour six days a week. That is quite a commitment.

I have been on a bit of a fitness kick and will shortly be doing a serious of articles on how I am getting along. So keep reading and also join in by letting us know about your fitness regime.

What is your favourite exercise? What are you doing to get in shape? Let us know.

So Rad Boutique Interview | Fashion

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So Rad Boutique has developed a line of eco hip, luxury clothing for babies and toddlers. After the birth of her son, founder Jasmine Bashaj combined her background in digital illustration and a successful line of greeting cards into an affordable clothing line for babies and toddlers using luxury bamboo fabrics. Frost interviewed Jasmine to find out more. collage_fin_web

Tell us about your brand

So Rad makes bebe & toddler apparel the is eco friendly, modern and affordable. Bamboo and
organic cotton fabrics, made in Canada – from start to finish. Not your average kind of stuff
either! Creative, functional and simple designs by a Mummy.

Catering to the layette newbie crowd, the crawlers & walkers and now for the little big kids with
sizes up to 6X.

How did you get it started?

I was inspired by my own kids. There are so many choices out there for Mummy and Daddy to
choose from and I wanted to narrow it down. I took elements I liked from different pieces and
put them together to make 1 piece. I started because I thought other Mum’s could also benefit
from my creations. I talked to other clothing manufacturers – small guys, talked to people in the
industry, suppliers. Emailed all over the world to compare products, prices. Weighed all of my
options and decided to get everything made in Canada.

When did your interest in fashion start?

I was interested in fashion when I was 12 – I used to design dress’:) I never thought I would end up
actually designing clothes! At the time, it was more of an artistic outlet. I went on to study illustration
and by trade, I am currently a digital illustrator, still doing freelance on the side.

Why children’s clothes?

Well, I’ve got kids and when you have kids, the world revolves around them. I’ve never really thought
about “why kids” it was just a given.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Everywhere! Real life, nature, art, abstracts, urban, childhood memories, the mixed-tape generation,
geometry, patterns – should I go on?

Tell us about bamboo fabric.

I love love love this grass. So soft like silk when made into fabric, feeds Pandas and can be as solid as
steel when used for building materials. As a fabric, it’s amazing AND with benefits too! It’s naturally
organic, It grows like weeds – just try & kill it! My bamboo is actually certified organic.

It replaces full forrest canopies in about 3 years! It’s antibacterial, it’s hypoallergenic. It’s also naturally
moisture wicking. Great for cloth diaper inserts. It also gets softer as you wash it!
A little advice on bamboo fabric – you should avoid buying 100% bamboo for a couple reasons; Bamboo
is an interesting material – you could wash it once and it will stretch lengthwise and shrink widthwise.
You could wash it again and it could stretch widthwise and shrink lengthwise. You can hang it on a
hanger for a week and the arms could grown to the floor – very weird. Also, it is so silky, it could get
holes and rip at the seams. It’s weak on it’s own – it needs to be mixed with something, anything else
just to keep it’s “flexibility” in check. My fabric is 70% Bamboo, 30% Organic cotton.

What makes it better than other fabric?

Definitely for all that was mentioned above. What other fabric do you know can offer all of those
properties?

Any advice for people trying to start their own business?

I would say do your homework – research your industry, educate yourself.
Find more then 1 resource
Talk to lots of people who do the same as you – follow them on twitter, see what they’re saying.
Remember, these things take time, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t make a billion dollars in
a year.:)
Last but not least, be open to change and learning, this never stops.

What’s next for you?
More designs!.. Oh, and I’ve having baby #3 early May!:)