Time To Give Up Sugar? Mentor Me Off Sugar Days 24, 25 and 26

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

The last weekend of my no sugar diet is coming up. At midnight on Sunday I will be at the end of a 28 day Mentor Me Off Sugar Programme ran by the excellent Laura Thomas of Happy Sugar Habits. I never thought I would get this far and I flirted with the idea of quitting after my mother got very ill. But here I am; almost at the end.

The main thing I can say it that it has been educational. I knew I was having too much sugar but I did not think it was easily avoidable. But it can be. I am sleeping much deeper and better now. The weight just dropped off and my energy is higher, more constant.

Laura has told me off for not eating enough vegetables so last night I had homemade fish and chips with peas and roasted carrots. The day before we had peppers stuffed with tuna and mozzarella. Yesterday at Sainsbury’s I bought mushrooms, cucumber, iceberg lettuce, parsnips, carrots. I also got tomatoes, avocado and olives. Pretty healthy and we already had some peppers in the fridge.

I have also been having a lot of hummus and wholemeal pitta bread. As well as generous helpings of good, wholemeal bread and lurpack butter. Sometimes simple is best.

I love food and trying new things so to be honest the food part of the diet has been much easier than I imagined, the drinks, however, were hard as I thought. The temperature has gone over 30c this summer and the urge for a cold, fizzy drink was hard to resist. But I did, and I am very proud. Finding out that homemade Gin & Tonic had no sugar was a high point. Endless cups of herbal tea and water really were not.

Before I started this programme one of my biggest fears was getting diabetes, to my shame not just because of the health problems, but also because I would not be able to eat and drink what I wanted. This programme has changed my life and stopped future health problems. My no sugar diet may stop this Sunday, but my low sugar life will just be beginning.

Time To Give Up Sugar? Mentor Me Off Sugar Days 22 & 23

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

So I am on the last week and I am also allowed fruit and dark chocolate now. This past three weeks I have noticed differences to my health and I am now aware at just how much sugar I was putting into my body. Answer: lots. Food companies seem to put sugar in everything. I even got sent water which had 12g of sugar added. Yes, a bottle of water that was 14% sugar. What is that about?

Bananas are 50% sugar, Sauces are full of sugar and so is white bread and pasta. In fact our recommended daily allowance of 50g of sugar a day (for a woman, here is the NHS guidelines on sugar, which should never account for more than 10% of your calorie intake) can be wiped out by eating two things. This is ridiculous, no wonder so many people have diabetes.

The past two days I have had my main meal in restaurants. I have listened to what Laura recommended when eating out. I had chicken on Monday with sauteed potatoes and insalata tricolore to start. On Tuesday I have crab cakes and then a burger. I don’t have any coke even though I want to. I have cocktails as I have to review them (I know, hard life) but I try ones with no obvious sugar, or added sugar.

I haven’t been having tea with sugar bit did yesterday as I had such a bad headache it was debilitating. Going forward, I am going to try and not take any sugar in my tea but this will be a hard and gradual thing. I also hate it when people have a go at me when I take sugar in my tea. The funny thing is that it is tied up in my identity. One friend calls me the only actress in London who takes sugar in their tea. I have always seen this as a huge compliment. Especially against body and health fascists. The truth is I drink a lot of tea, and the sugar adds up. So even getting down to one sugar would be an achievement.

The main thing I have noticed about the programme, other than the weight loss, is that I no longer have those blood sugar crashes. I didn’t think sugar or caffeine affected me, but, actually, it does. I am sleeping better and have a much steadier energy than the highs and lows of before.

One of the great snacks I have been having is egg in a cup. Try it as it tastes amazing and is very healthy.

I am feeling happy and positive. I never thought I would get this far or do this well. I haven’t been perfect but I have done my best and reaped the benefits.

What do you think? Will you cut out sugar?

The Improve Rooms | Events

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

Ever felt that what you need in your life is a little burst of inspiration from an expert? Step in The Improve Rooms at Fitzroy Square. This was a one day event that I am hoping comes back permanently.

I went along with my friend Holly and the first thing we did was grab some cocktails. We then go and watch expert nutritionist Madeleine Shaw make zucchini noodles to go with a delicious salad. Being healthy never tasted so amazing. Madeleine is incredibly knowledgeable and makes healthy living fun.

We had an amazing chat with fashion stylist Grace Woodward, who you might recognise from Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model. Grace is heavily pregnant but has dressed so smart I didn’t even notice. She looks brilliant in black with a white cardigan, heels(!), great jewellery and stunning eye make up.

Grace talks about sitting next to Elle MacPherson during Next Top Model, “I felt huge”, how she loves what Kate Middleton wears but how she always gets the shoes wrong, “Those wedges when she came out of the hospital…”, we talked about publishing, how much it has changed and the shift away from print and she also talked about how she put the concept of her Improve Room together; “Summer is over in fashion, it’s done, we are already in Autumn”. Grace, Holly and I had a really good natter while cocktails and canapes are brought to us. You really can’t ask for more than that.

We move on to photographer Johny Pits and we talk about selfies as Holly is writing an article on them. Johny is very articulate and gives good debate. We learn a lot about photography and also talk about portfolio careers.

We also talk about the Sure deodorant. The compressed cans have as much in them as bigger cans only they are smaller bottles. Got that? They come in new scents; cotton, clear aqua and bright. I have some in my goody bag which should last me a while.

I had a great time at the Improve Rooms. Here’s hoping they do more.

English Rose Cosmetics Review

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

English Rose Cosmetics have great packaging. The right amount of kitsch and glamour. All inspired by women living in war-torn Britain in the 1940s and how they managed to look glamorous despite having limited resources. Founder of English Rose Cosmetics, Karin McKay, drew on her 16 years of experience to create the brand. She choose ingredients that are proven to work.

We reviewed two of the products from the range.

Daily Defence Moisturiser.

This moisturiser has a wonderful texture, it is a cream but is gel like. It is very refreshing to put on and melts into the skin. It makes my skin look instantly radiant and it smells great. Long term it improves skin, making it look loved and more youthful. What more could you want?

This lovely refreshing gel like moisturiser plumps out fine lines and wrinkles whilst intensely moisturising. Skin is protected from free radicals and shielded from allergens and pollutants and helps reduce redness caused in inflammation.

£14

Cocoa Ration Body Butter

This body butter is the way body butter should be. It is thick and takes a while to massage in. It smells great and improves skin tone. Even on the first use. It has cocoa, shea and avocado: all brilliant ingredients that really make a difference to skin. What’s more, it only costs £10. I know that is not cheap, but for what it is and how long it lasts it is worth it. A good product. I loved it.

Skin is intensely moisturised by penetrating and calming Cocoa, Shea & Avocadol , leaving a velvety after feel with natural vanilla fragrance. Highly recommended for sensitive, irritated skin that needs calming. As shea and cocoa butter melt at skin temperature, we recommend warming a dollop between your palms before applying.

£10

http://www.english-rose-cosmetics.com/

Kate Hudson wears Annoushka Jewellery

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Frostie

Actress Kate Hudson stuns at Novak Djokovic Foundation Gala last night wearing Annoushka Jewellery and a bracelet by Guest Designer, Selim Mouzannar for Annoushka.

Annoushka bronze and oxidised silver Foundry bracelet £650

Annoushka 18ct yellow gold, diamond and oxidised silver Ottoman ring £1,600

18ct white gold, diamond,sapphire and tsavorite bracelet by Selim Mouzannar for Annoushka £28,500

Toulouse City Guide | Travel

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

Sometimes it is hard being a writer and editor, especially one with their own magazine. Going to the South of France to review Toulouse was not one of those times. In fact, it is now one of my favourite places in the entire world and I will definitely be returning. The Pink City of Haut-Garonne is called the pink city because of the brickwork of the buildings. It is the 4th largest city in France with 437,000 inhabitants and it is beautiful, dynamic and friendly.

We flew with BMI Regional via Birmingham. We also had a great time in the No.1 Traveller lounge at Birmingham Airport before flying to Toulouse Business Class. The flight was incredibly enjoyable and included free food and drink. The service on-board was also great. Our air steward, Michael Love, seemed to know what we wanted before we did and kept us happy with Gin & Tonics and brilliant, yes it is possible, plane food.

Toulouse is the birthplace of Concorde, the Ariane Rocket and the home of Airbus.Toulouse has also had a 100-year love affair with rugby. Stade Toulousain are one of the Northern Hemispheres best teams. 7 million passengers are transported via Toulouse Blagnac Airport every year.

Toulouse has more than 2000 hours of sun a year and more than 1000 restaurants. Sold yet? Whether the answer is yes or no, read on….

We arrived in Toulouse via Toulouse Blagnac Airport, a beautiful and stylish airport and made our way to our hotel, the Citiz Hotel, a modern four star hotel in the heart of Toulouse. It opened in 2010. The hotel has air-conditioning, free wifi and a car park near the hotel entrance. The hotel faces Wilson square and is only a 15 minute drive from Blagnac airport. My hotel room was incredibly stylish, the bed was large and comfy, the bathroom was elegant and the shower powerful. There was a minibar, safe and a flatscreen TV. I also had a balcony and a wardrobe. The hotel also does a great breakfast spread and the staff are very helpful.

Rio Loco, the world music festival that happens every year on the 21st of June to get all of France partying, happened while we were there. We had lots of fun listening to all of the different music and went to bed in the early hours.It was like one huge street party. Definitely recommended.

We went on a walking tour offered by the Toulouse Tourist Board.This was informative and very enjoyable, a great way to see the city. Great things to see include The Capitole (the City Hall), Saint-Sernin Basilica, The Jacobins Convent, The Hotel d’Assezat (built by Nicholas Bachelier for Pierre d’Assezat who made his fortune from Woad, a plant used in dyeing. More of which later), the river Garonne and The Augustins Museum, an amazing fine arts museum with beautiful pieces. It has a lot of 19th century sculptures.

J’Go, 16 Place Victor Hugo, 31000 Toulouse. Tel: 05 61 23 02 03. They accommodate people regardless of importance and budget and have authentic cuisine from the love of Gascon culture. The fruit and vegetables are grown by farmers in the South West and is in season. They also buy the whole carcass of animals from farmers in their region. The food we had was amazing and a brass band started playing outside while we were eating. The waiter also really knew his stuff. Check the pictures out here.

Cite de L’Espace. Avenue Jean Gonord – BP 25855 – 31506 Toulouse cedex 5. This wonderful space adventure theme park is dedicated to space. We went to Mars (Almost), walked on the moon thanks to the Moonrunner (I was six times less than my usual weight, which was great!), and saw a documentary on the Hubble Telescope in their glorious IMAX Big Screen 3D cinema. The theme park covers 5 hectares and receives 270,000 visitor a year, but it should be more, Globally, 50 million Euro has been invested into the Cite de L’Espace and it shows in the quality. They do tours in English in the summer and have had over 4 million visitors.

There is also a 53 meter high Ariane rocket, I am now one of the privileged few to go into Soyuz Vessel, the indestructible Russian spacecraft. There was authentic Moon Rock on loan from NASA which was brought back by astronauts during the Apollo 15 landing, rock from Mars, great photos which show how the earth looks from up close, to outer space, there is also exhibitions, a children’s area, a planetarium, restaurant and lots of experiments to test yourself on. Do not go to Toulouse and not go to the Cite de L’Espace. It is a must visit.

Cite de L’Espace is accessible to disabled people.

Le Chai Saint-Sauveur, 30 rue Bernard-Mule- 31400 Toulouse. Tel: 05 61 54 27 20

This was a brilliant restaurant with a rustic, country feel. The food was amazing and so were the staff. Highly recommended. See the food here.

Terre de Pastel is a museum, boutique, spa and restaurant opened in June 2013 in Toulouse-Labege. The spa is amazing, with lots of different treatments, an idyllic swimming pool, sauna, Turkish bath, jacuzzi, herbal tea shop and a gym. The museum is informative, telling the story of the woad plant which is responsible for the pastel, the wonderful blue colour. You will learn about the history of blue, the symbol of blue, traditional applications and all about the woad plant, which grows in a field and looks like a rapeseed field; pretty and yellow. Sandrine Banessy, the owner and also author of books on woad, showed us how the woad dyes fabric. It was incredibly interesting and the woad will continue to dye the fabric blue until the fabric is dry.

The shop at Terre de Pastel made me want to spend all of my euros and go over my luggage allowance. There is a great selection of homeware, cosmetics, food, haberdashery and books. It is almost all blue. There is also a restaurant with great food and wine.

Le Py-R. 19 descente de la Halle aux Poissons – 31000 Toulouse. Tel: 05 61 25 51 52. Chef Pierre Lambinon has won many awards and it was easy to see why, the food in his small gastronomic restaurant was amazing and unique. Pictures here.

The Victor Hugo Marketplace. This is the most prestigious marketplace in all of France. It has 5 small restaurants on its upper floor. I bought some great cheese here.

All of the above places are where you should go if you visit Toulouse. It is a wonderful city and everyone I know loves it. Frost loves….

For more pictures check out Toulouse in Instagram Pictures Part 1, 2 and 3.

Get the Toulouse en Liberte City Card at the Tourism Office to get more than 250 discounts on hotels, restaurants, museums, shops and tours.You can also explore by boat.

www.toulouse-tourisme.com

www.toulouse-visit.com

www.tourisme-midi-pyrenees.com

www.uk.toulouse-tourisme.com

Have you ever been to Toulouse? Make recommendations below.

About No.1 Traveller – fast facts

· No.1 Traveller specialises in premium hospitality and provides a complete ‘driveway to runway’ service – smart Chauffeur-driven airport transfers, express train tickets, airport parking, airport meet-and-greet and airport lounges (No.1 Traveller’s own collection, plus associate lounges abroad)

· It works with airlines, businesses and individuals to offer a convenient and comfortable service to take the stress out of going to and through airports – the smart traveller’s choice

· No.1 Traveller can be booked by anyone at www.No1Traveller.com or passengers can make their way to the reception of the airport lounge on the day

Airport lounge: Birmingham

· Opened October 2012; the first of No.1 Traveller’s lounges outside London

· Accessible to all passengers travelling through the airport

· Open daily from 0430hrs – 2030hrs; facilities include a range of seating areas across two levels, fully-tended bar, bistro area serving complimentary hot and cold dishes, complimentary newspapers, magazines and internet access

· Entry £27.50 per adult at reception, for up to three hours access (children £17.50 each), £22.50 if booked in advance (children £15)

BMI regional operates over 450 flights a week throughout the UK and Europe with one way prices starting from £59. bmi regional flies from Aberdeen, Antwerp, Bristol, Bremen, Billund, Birmingham, Bristol, Brussels, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Gothenburg, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Esbjerg, Frankfurt, Hannover, Hamburg, Lyon, Milan, Munich, Norwich, Manchester, Toulouse and Zurich. All flights include complimentary food & drink on-board, free 20kg hold baggage allowance and 30 minute check-in. bmi regional is the world’s most punctual airline having recently been crowned the title for the 8^th consecutive year. For more information, visit www.bmiregional.com.

Iberica La Terraza | Restaurant Review

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Catherine Balavage

When Samuel Johnson made his often quoted remark about those who tire of London being tired of life he could have been talking about the restaurants in London. There is every nationality and cuisines in this great city. All of the different boroughs, offer unique and different experiences.

Iberica La Terraza has its own unique experience. A Spanish Tapas bar on a terrace in Cabot Square, in the heart of Canary Wharf. It is near a fountain and is just so beautiful. You almost feel like you are on holiday.

The menu has a great selection of food. Both hot and cold. If you are not in the mood for tapas you can have breakfast, or a salad. The menu offers something for everyone. Here is what we had. Which was a lot.

Half & Half, a selection of cured meat and cheeses: chorizo de pueblo, cecina de leon, Spanish cheese taster,

This was an amazing selection of meat and cheese. Very generous portions. Delicious. Some of the meat was even cured with Rosemary.

Smoked Cod with Roasted Red Peppers Salad.

This salty and smoky salad tasted great. Quite different.

Aubergine, Honey and Pinenuts.

I loved this dish. The aubergine was perfectly cooked with honey and pinenuts on top. The texture and taste was just perfect.

Meatballs with chilindron sauce.

These meatballs are ‘like grandma used to make’. Family food in Spain. The meatballs are pork and beef, with tomatoe, garlic and a hint of chilli. Great, honest food.

Baby squid sandwich.

Delicious for those who love seafood. Also a very generous portion. The bread was great too. The squid was fried and delicious.

Topside veal with roasted vegetable puree.

This was perfectly cooked with a yummy puree.

Tapas

Snow Crab Meat with mayonnaise and trout roe.

Baby Squid with Alioli.

Ensaladilla with tuna, egg, green olives and Piquillo.

Creamed cheese, sun blushed tomatoes, rocket and basil.

Green Asparagus, smoked salmon, quails egg and avruga.

The tapas were AMAZING. Just really good. It is hard to choose a favourite so I won’t. I loved them all. Definitely try a few.

Dessert.

Cream Catalana.

Double cream, cinnamon, vanilla and lemon.

Great puffy dessert. A bit like foam but with more consistency. Is light and tastes amazing.

La Tarta de la abuela. Chocolate, vanilla and biscuit.

Good chocolate tart. The crunch biscuit on top was a great touch. I, of course, also loved the chocolate. The entire mix of this dessert works well together.

To Drink

La Terraza Cocktail

Gin, cranberries and lime.

All of the cocktails are made in house and a lot of thought is put into them.

Agua de Valencia

Cava, vodka, gin and orange juice.

Another classic. The oranges are imported from Valencia to make the cocktail perfect. No shortcuts are taken. The original 1950s recipe was also sourced by Pedro Carvalho. You can taste the attention to detail and love that goes into the cocktails.

Sangria Cava

This amazing drink was packed with delicious juicy fresh fruit and was very refreshing. You could really taste all the different fruit flavours (Orange, strawberry, blackberry and mint) as they marinated into the cool cava. A truly special drink. The only way I can describe is that it was like sipping the sun. I can really do with another one of these right now!

Sangria White

Ditto. Both Sangria drinks were tasty and perfectly suited the mood. They also came in great jug glasses.

Berry Cavarinha

Blackberries, raspberries, lime sugar, chambord, cava.

La Terraza Cocktail

I loved this cocktail. What a great combination.

We were impressed by Iberica La Terraza. The food was great as was the atmosphere and the cocktails. Prices range from low to high so you can go and have some cocktails and food no matter what your budget is. In fact, the only problem I have with Iberica La terraza is the smoking. There were a few people smoking around us and as a non-smoker I don’t want to breathe in other peoples smoke. Only a few people were smoking though so I do recommend that you head down to Canary Wharf for an excellent Spanish experience. If the weather is ropey then don’t worry, the restaurant has heaters, blankets and a big umbrella.

Cabot Square London Borough of Tower Hamlets, E14 4QQ. Nearest Tube: Canary Wharf.

020 7636 8650

Blue Badge Style Founder Named One Of Bright Shiny News’ Inspiring Women

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Frostie

Fiona Jarvis, founder of Blue Badge Style, the first app and online guide to a stylish lifestyle for the less-physically-able, has been profiled on Bright Shiny News. In the interview, for the Inspiring Women section of the website, Jarvis talks about how she has overcome the difficulty of needing a wheelchair and continues to live stylishly.

Bright Shiny News is an online woman’s magazine who’s main purpose in life is to entertain readers with bright shiny things! The inspiring women section profiles a different successful businesswoman every week. The article, written by Monique Fok, talks about Jarvis’ life experience: from working in the city to being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and on to setting up Blue Badge Style.

Fok writes: “It is actually an understatement to say that Fiona survived the MS bombshell; Not only has she won the battle beautifully, but she has also established the Blue Badge Style, which provides a website and app guide to the stylish lifestyle for everyone, including people with disability.”

Blue Badge Style is the only company that looks at disability from the point of view of style & design, taking a stylish, pragmatic and cost-efficient approach to inclusive access, working with venue management teams, designers and architects to improve the awareness of disabled facilities. “Style is the overriding premise of Blue Badge Style, along with a positive outlook” says Fiona Jarvis, “disability need not stop you from enjoying the good things in life!”.

The Blue Badge Style website provides style advice to the less-physically-able. Whether it’s the best places to eat and drink, fashion tips or interviews with other stylish less-able people, it can all be found at Blue Badge Style.

The Blue Badge Style free app is the first and only app to give you information on where to go near you based on not only how stylish the place is but how accessible it is for disabled customers.The app works as a” Michelin-like” star system for the less able. It identifies cool venues near your location and uses a bespoke three tick rating system to grade it out of 5 for each category: 1.Access, 2.Facilities and 3.Style, so that users know exactly what to expect from each venue. You can then easily see the best places near you, read a review, check the Blue Badge Style rating and get directions on how to get there.

Fashion Designer and style icon, Simon Carter explains, “This app can quickly locate stylish restaurants and bars that are nearby. It also warns you if there is a problem with disabled access or facilities. I’m able bodied and I’m going to use it!”.

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