It is often said that we are what we eat, and like most clichés it has a ring of truth to it. I know that when I eat junk food my body does not like it. Other foods are harder to define as good or bad though. They change from individual. I have always thought I had a food intolerance and I decided to find out once and for all by taking a York Test.
I take a First Step Test. It arrives via the post and consists of a lance to piece the finger, antiseptic wipes, a cotton bud wrapped in plastic to soak up the blood and a test tube to put it into. It also comes with step-by-step instructions which are easy to follow. I pierce my finger, massage it so it bleeds more and then put the cotton swap in the test tube when I am finished. It is relatively easy, even if you have to work up that little bit of courage to pierce the finger. After I have finished I post it away immediately.
Ten days later the results come back and I have tested positive for food intolerance. I suspected as much. I would rather not have an intolerance but it is better to know. Following the first step test you can then do a Foodscan or a Food & Drink Scan. They are quite pricey but worth it if you can afford it.
The First Step Test is available for the offer price of £9.99 (usually £19.99). Following the First Step, if your result is positive you can then progress to either the FoodScan, which tests for intolerances to 113 trigger foods for £250, or the full Food & Drink Scan for £299. For a limited time, if you progress to the full Food & DrinkScan after taking the First Step, the initial test price will be discounted from the cost of your full test.
Food & DrinkScan can be purchased from www.yorktest.com or by calling free phone 0800 074 6185.
When I got sent the press release for Siro-A they were billed as ‘Japan’s answer to the Blue Man Group’. It is high praise indeed considering how successful the Blue Man Group are.
There was buzz about Siro-A before the show even started and celebrities and paparazzi were both out in force. The show started with audience interaction, a hard thing to do with a British crowd, we tend to just sit there and be quiet, even if we think you are the most amazing thing in the world.
The show was a visual feast. Inventive, imaginative, stunning, fun and entertaining. Siro-A gave a performance that was not just good, but also highly intelligent. The audience loved them. They did not make one noticeable mistake all night and it was hard to work out how they managed most of the effects. The show is also funny and mixes real performers with projected images. The six talented people in the group are from Sendai, Japan, and this was their first performance in London.
Their use of lights and magic tricks add to the brilliant physical and dance skills that the group have. The VJing was also very ‘in’ and worked beautifully. VJing (visual djing) had been growing in popularity and the cool kids have known about it for years. I remember going to a VJing evening at the BFI in 2009.
If you want a good night then go along to the Leicester Square Theatre and catch this stunning visual feast. You can win tickets here.
SIRO-A
The multi-award winning, electronic multimedia dance theatre extravaganza presents its London premiere
1st Feb – 22nd April 2013.
“The lovechild of GamarJobat and Sirqus Alfon, this is a technical marvel. Conspiring to combine comedy, dance and technical wizardry with a healthy dose of thumping techno music, live performers superimpose themselves over projected material, … quality family entertainment”. «««« Three Weeks
Siro-A, is an exciting six strong performance group from Sendai, Japan, who have wowed audiences all over the world and are now, for the first time, bringing their unique performance style to London.
The name Siro-A, derived from the Japanese word ‘SIRO’ meaning white or colourless, means to belong to no group or impossible to define. And tough to define they are!
“At one point, I couldn’t tell the difference between live performer and projected image. This is a spectacular visual experience. This Japanese company overwhelm with staggering technological interactions between multimedia, performer and audience member.” «««« Broadway Baby
Often described as Japan’s answer to the Blue Man Group, SIRO-A perfectly fuse modern technology with mime, breath-taking optical illusions, and movement all set to a pulsating electro beat, mixed live every night. Their visually stunning show performed to 30,000 people at the Shanghai Expo, has wowed TED.com audiences in Tokyo and won Mervyn Stutter’s “Spirit of the Fringe” award at the Edinburgh Festival 2011.
New is a spectacular piece of family entertainment, fusing video mapping, laser lights and on stage DJ’s. It’s an interactive, multimedia, physical/dance theatre show combining live electronic music and human body performances with video projection technology and optical illusions. It’s an explosion of light, sight, sound, and movement, seamlessly breaking language barriers with a non-verbal performance that can be enjoyed by all people of all ages.
“A brilliant, bright and beautiful show… some of the most manic and animated human performers you are likely to see anywhere. It’s mime, but not as we know it!” Total Theatre
Now for the first time SIRO-A bring their physical extravaganza to London to the main house of the Leicester Square Theatre from 1st Feb – 22nd April 2013.
SHOW: SIRO-A
VENUE: Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BX
Fresh from her fantastic SuperBowl performance, Beyonce Announces The Mrs.Carter Show World Tour. She entertained the masses last night at the SuperBowl half time, and even teamed up with her Destiny Child members. She put in an amazing performance and now will be touring the world in case you want to see her at a venue near you.
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour Starring BEYONCÉ
2013 Tour kicks off in Europe April 15th
North American Tour Begins June 28th
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour starring Beyoncé kicks off in Europe on April 15, 2013. With stops in twenty European cities, including Dublin, Ireland; Berlin, Germany; Paris, France and a four-night stint at The 02 in London, UK, this is Beyoncé’s first multi-city tour in over three years.
Beyoncé’s North American Tour begins on June 28 in Los Angeles, California. The tour will travel to over twenty cities throughout North America this summer, including Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center, Atlanta, Georgia, at the Gwinnett Center, Houston, Texas at the Toyota Center, Toronto, Ontario at Air Canada Centre, and Boston, Massachusetts at TD Garden.
On June 28, Beyoncé returns to Los Angeles, California as part of the BET Experience At L.A. Live at the Staples Center. She is set to headline the first of the three-night STAPLES Concert series. And continuing her successful run at international music festivals, following a headlining night at Glastonbury in 2011, she is confirmed to headline at the world’s largest music festival, Rock in Rio, on its first night, September 13 at the “City of Rock” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rock in Rio has set records for its massive crowds and its powerful media drive.
The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour promises to be the entertainer’s most ambitious undertaking to date. It is expected to be bigger in scope than any of her previous shows. Slated to run for almost one year, the second wave of the tour is planned for Latin America, Australia and Asia.
Following her historic performance tonight at the Pepsi SuperBowl XLVII Halftime Show, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Beyoncé officially returns to a full-time touring schedule, her first since the I AM…WORLD TOUR in 2009, with a new, bolder state-of-the-art production.
Fans can join the Beyhive Blog for free at www.beyonce.com to access exclusive content, pre-sale tickets, VIP packages and more, including an exclusive MasterCard package to the Bey Stage. A limited number of tickets to The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour will be available early for purchase in the US and Europe.
Beyoncé’s last tour, the critically acclaimed and incredibly successful, “I AM…WORLD TOUR was ranked #1 on Billboard’s Hot Tour chart. The show thrilled more than 1.1 million fans at more than one hundred shows in 32 countries and six continents across the globe.
Beyoncé is one of the most widely recognized and highly respected women in pop culture. A solo recording artist, actress, philanthropist and businesswoman, she has released four #1 solo albums and has sold over 75 million albums worldwide. Her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including 16 Grammy Awards. Billboard named her the Top Female Artist and Top Radio Songs Artist of the 2000s decade. The Recording Industry Association of America also recognized Beyoncé as the Top Certified Artist of the 2000s.
The critics have consistently praised her energetic stage shows likening her to the best entertainers of the past with her own brand of sass and class that makes her the artist of the future. “Beyoncé has a breathtaking need to entertain,” said Ben Ratliff of the New York Times and Chantal Eustace of the Vancouver Sun summed it up writing, ‘Beyoncé twisted all the theatrics into her musical performance flawlessly, demonstrating her many talents as an artist.”
On February 16, HBO will premiere Life Is But A Dream, an intimate feature-length documentary film directed and produced by Beyoncé for Parkwood Entertainment. The film provides unprecedented access into the on and off-stage world of the entertainer.
The North American tour is promoted by Live Nation Global Touring and is produced by Parkwood Entertainment.
EUROPE:
April 15 Belgrade, Serbi Kombank Arena On Sale Mon. Feb 11
April 17 Zagreb, Croatia Arena Zagreb On Sale Mon. Feb 11
April 19 Bratislava, Slovakia Slovnaft Arena On Sale Fri. Feb 8
April 22 Amsterdam, Holland Ziggo Dome On Sale Fri. Feb 8
April 24 Paris, France Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy On Sale Mon. Feb 11
April 25 Paris, France Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy On Sale Mon. Feb 11
April 26 Birmingham, UK LG Arena On Sale Sat. Feb 23
April 29 London, UK The O2 On Sale Sat. Feb 23
April 30 London, UK The O2 On Sale Sat. Feb 23
May 01 London, UK The O2 On Sale Sat. Feb 23
May 03 London, UK The O2 On Sale Sat. Feb 23
May 07 Manchester, UK Manchester Arena On Sale Sat. Feb 23
May 11 Dublin, Ireland The O2 On Sale Mon. Feb 11
May 12 Dublin, Ireland The O2 On Sale Mon. Feb 11
May 14 Antwerp, Belgium Sportpaleis On Sale Fri. Feb 8
May 17 Zurich, Switzerland Hallenstadion On Sale Mon. Feb 11
May 18 Milan, Italy Mediolanum Forum On Sale Fri. Feb 8
May 20 Montpellier, France Park & Suites Arena On Sale Mon. Feb 11
May 22 Munich, Germany Olympiahalle On Sale Fri. Feb 15
May 24 Berlin, Germany O2 World On Sale Fri. Feb 15
May 25 Warsaw, Poland National Stadium—Orange Warsaw Festival
May 27 Copenhagen, Denmark Forum On Sale Mon. Feb 11
May 28 Oslo, Norway Telenor Arena On Sale Mon. Feb 11
May 29 Stockholm, Sweden Ericsson Globe Arena On Sale Mon. Feb 11
NORTH AMERICA:
June 28 Los Angeles BET Experience/Staples Center On Sale Mon. Feb. 11
Jun-29 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena On Sale Mon. Feb. 11
Jul-2 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion at San Jose On Sale Mon. Feb. 11
Jul-5 Oklahoma City, OK Chesapeake Energy Arena On Sale Fri. Feb. 15
Jul-6 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center On Sale Mon. Feb. 11
Jul-9 Ft. Lauderdale, FL BB&T Center On Sale Mon. Feb. 11
Jul-10 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena On Sale Mon. Feb. 11
Jul-12 Atlanta, GA Gwinnett Center On Sale Sat. Feb. 16
Jul-13 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena On Sale Fri. Feb. 15
Jul-15 Houston, TX Toyota Center On Sale Mon. Feb. 11
Jul-17 Chicago, IL United Center On Sale Mon. Feb. 11
Jul-18 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center On Sale Fri. Feb. 15
Jul-20 Detroit, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills On Sale Mon. Feb. 11
Jul-21 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre On Sale Mon. Feb. 11
Jul-22 Montreal, QC Bell Centre On Sale Sat. Feb. 9
Jul-23 Boston, MA TD Garden On Sale Mon. Feb. 11
Jul-25 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center On Sale Fri. Feb. 15
Jul-26 Atlantic City, NJ Boardwalk Hall On Sale Fri. Feb. 15
Jul-27 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena On Sale Fri. Feb. 15
Jul-29 Washington, DC Verizon Center On Sale Mon. Feb. 11
Aug-2 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun On Sale Fri. Feb. 15
Aug-3 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center On Sale Mon. Feb. 11
Sick of your workout? Really want to get in shape? Frost has teamed up with the 2013 USN Makeover Challenge to bring you five free workout videos. They guarantee a better body in 12 weeks. Enjoy and let us know how you get on.
1. The Perfect Exercises to Firm up your Legs and Bums
The 2013 USN Makeover Challenge presents to you their legs and bums workout video. Taken from the highly proclaimed work out challenge, these exercises will tone your legs and bum in a routine that will take you less than half an hour.
2. Lose those love handles and firm up those Abs – exercises from the USN Makeover Challenge.
Taken from the 2013 USN Makeover challenge, these ab and love handle exercises guarantee results. The USN Makeover Challenge is a weight loss programme that will help you shape up and get fit fast.
3. Be Proud of your Arms with these must-do Exercises from the USN Makeover Challenge.
Taken from the 2013 USN Makeover challenge, these bingo wings and bicep workouts guarantee results. The USN Makeover Challenge is a weight loss programme that will help you shape up and get fit fast.
4. USN Present to you the Full Body Workout from their 2013 Makeover Challenge.
Fitness Challenges don’t come more rewarding than this. These full body exercises combine cardio and strength and are taken from the USN Body Makeover Challenge where the exercises and health benefits guarantee results.
5. The Best Circuit Training for your Body from the USN Makeover Challenge
These full circuit training exercises are taken from the USN Body Makeover Challenge and can be performed anywhere which is perfect for people always on the go. The USN Makeover Challenge is a proclaimed weight loss programme that will help you shape up and get fit fast through a series of exercises and diet plans.
– Sparkling celeb-studded bash celebrates iconic brand and new Diet Coke hunk –
Last night saw the fashion fabulous crowd of Diet Coke fans gather at London’s Sketch to celebrate the brand’s 30th birthday. Guests including Pixie and Peaches Geldof, Pearl Lowe and Danny Goffey, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Laura Whitmore, Zoe Hardman, Jamelia, Ben Grimes, Jade Parfitt and the Made In Chelsea cast enjoyed a sparkling night that looked back at the brand’s dazzling 30-year history and also saw the unveiling of a new Diet Coke hunk.
The biggest surprise of the night saw pulses race when Andrew Cooper, the new Diet Coke hunk entered the room to the famous Etta James “I Just Want To Make Love To You” soundtrack. Back, and sexier than ever, the new hunk ad is set to become one of the most talked about campaigns, and men of the year.
Event host, Hilary Alexander treated guests to a journey across Diet Coke’s 30 years, talking through the exciting campaigns and collaborations that have helped the brand become a cultural icon. She also officially opened a specially curated three decades themed exhibition, which allowed guests to view some of the most exciting moments from the brand including celeb-led campaigns ‘Just for the Elle of it’ (1987), Whitney Houston’s Diet Coke advertising campaign (1988), Paula Abdul’s ‘There’s just one’ (1992), the first hunk Lucky Vanous’ test shots (1994) and Heidi Klum’s Oscar dress from the Diet Coke Heart Truth campaign (2009).
Quirky designer and stylist Patricia Field was there and showcased her limited edition range of ‘Diet Coke City Collection’ bottles. These follow in the line of previous campaigns such as Moschino, Karl Largerfeld, Jean Paul Gaultier and Diane Von Furstenberg, firmly cementing the brand as the ultimate fashionista accessory.
Music for the night saw style superblogger Bip Ling hit the decks, combining the ultimate party track favourites from the past three decades in a mega mix specially created for Diet Coke. VIP’s including Lilah Parsons, Jack Derges, Phil Clifton and Wretch 32, also enjoyed three-decade themed cocktails entitled ‘80’s Just For The Taste Of It’, ‘90’s Diet Coke Break’ and ‘00’s Love It Light’ all made using Diet Coke as well as decadent canapés.
We live in a golden age of television. Film and Television used to be completely separate, but now Martin Scorsese is producing Boardwalk Empire and movie stars frequent TV. The quality just keeps getting higher. Frost did a survey of our readers for the top television shows on right now, and here they are.
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is crack in television form, and aptly so as it is about a chemistry teacher who starts to sell meth after being diagnosed with lung cancer. It is by far one of the best things on television. I have never met someone who had a bad word to say about it.
Homeland
Like most people I was addicted to Homeland and I am already excited about the new series. Homelands big advantage is the chemistry between the characters. Brody, played by Damien Lewis, was supposed to be killed off in the first season but the chemistry between Lewis and Claire Danes’s Carrie was too good and he was kept on.
The Good Wife
One of the finest legal dramas. Julianna Margulies is brilliant as Alicia Florrick. The Good Wife is now in it’s fourth season and still going strong.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is exciting and original. It is also not scared to kill of it’s lead characters. It is brilliant television and I am not just saying that because some of my friends are in it.
Boardwalk Empire
Boardwalk Empire is set in Atlantic City, New Jersey during the Prohibition era. It stars Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson and Kelly MacDonald as Margaret Schroeder. It is produced by Martin Scorsese and you can tell. Every scene is beautiful and the costumes are great. Has a great mixture of real and fake characters.
Dexter
The show about a serial killer who only kills other serial killers is genius. The next season will be the eighth and possibly last. All of the characters are amazing. Michael C Hall as Dexter is brilliant, and real life ex-wife Jennifer Carpenter plays his sister, Debbie. Who is possibly one of my favourite characters on television.
Covert Affair
Season Three of Covert Affairs was my favourite yet. Piper Perabo plays the CIA operative who falls in love easily. Season three had you on the edge of your seat. A show that has come into it’s own.
Revenge
Trashy TV at it’s best. It is like Dallas, but with a grudge.
Whitney
Hilarious comedy from comedian Whitney Cummings. It may not be well known in the United Kingdom but it deserves a wide audience for its cracking scripts that leave you laughing so much it hurts.
The Killing
I have to admit I have not seen this yet but promised to put it in as everyone else I know loves it, and is jealous that I have never seen it and have it to look forward to.
Suits
Brilliant legal drama now in its second season. On the run from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross, a brilliant college-dropout, finds himself a job working with Harvey Specter, one of New York City’s best lawyers. The relationship between Mike and Harvey is brilliant and, like The Good Wife, it has a strong female lead as one of the partners in the law firm.
The Big Bang Theory
The show is now the most watched show. It is funny and smart and the characters of the awkward physicists are likeable, lovable and rich in depth. Endlessly watchable.
How I Met Your Mother
Getting ready for its ninth and final season, where we will finally find out who the mother is. It is both popular and a cult classic. Ted searches for the woman of his dreams in New York City with the help of his four best friends. The cast of Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders and Neil Patrick Harris are all brilliant.
True Blood
Sexy, naughty, violent. In a world where vampires have “come out of the coffin”, Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress, discovers a new world of different creatures when she meets Bill Compton, a vampire.
Mad Men
A drama about one of New York’s most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm’s most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper. This show is a big hit and the costumes have sparked a thousand fashion trends.
Sherlock
A modern update finds the famous detective and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London.
Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant as Sherlock. The last episode of the last season was endlessly debated.
Downton Abbey
Beginning in the years leading up to World War I, the drama centers on the Crawley family and their servants. This was a runaway success on both sides of the Atlantic, making huge stars of all of the cast.
Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23
Chloe is a New York party girl with the morals of a pirate who bullies and causes trouble for her naive small town roommate June. Krysten Ritter and Dreama Walker are brilliant and James Van Der Beek sends himself up beautifully.
New Girl
After a bad break-up, Jess, an offbeat young woman, moves into an apartment loft with three single men. Zooey Deschanel is deserving of her own show.
Suburgatory
A teenage girl moves from the city to the suburbs. Jane Levy is brilliant and sarcastic, the script is amazing. Witty and brilliant.
A lot of things make being a woman seem unfair. Periods, unequal pay, the biological clock, having your breasts stared at. But life is unfair and you just get on with your life. I mean, there is only a certain amount of time a person can stress over things, but yesterday I read something that I think is worth stressing over. Whilst reading the March 2013 edition of Easy Living magazine, in an article entitled, ‘How Can That Fit Through There?’, I read the following:
“In August 2012, new guidelines were drawn up for GPs, urging them to encourage mothers-to-be to have a natural labour with as little pain relief as possible in a bid to save the NHS money – given that an epidural costs £200.
Frankly, if the NHS needs to cut things then a women in the worst pain imaginable trying to push a baby through a 10cm hole is not the most humane choice. If men gave birth, would these ‘guidelines’ have been put through? I don’t have children, but I have been in a relationship for three years and it is on my mind whether or not to have them. This piece of information is not encouraging. I doubt any of the taxpayers money was considered when it came to Kate Middleton and her morning sickness (and neither should it).
If women stopped having children the world would stop. We need to be given more respect for the ordeal of being pregnant for nine months and then giving birth. Childcare is also expensive. Maybe this is the governments answer to the population crisis? Anyway, it feels like an attack on women and completely inhumane. If someone gets drunk and falls over do they get pain relief? Yes, and they should. I don’t want to live in a country where a doctor will see someone in pain and not give them pain relief. If the government really wants to save money why don’t they cut the £400 per month food allowance MPs get while families rely on food banks to feed themselves. Or the money to pay their rent and mortgage. Most of the population does not get paid expenses on these things.
We are not ‘all in this together’, some of us have a great deal more pain to bear.
