Perfect Summer Cocktails

Sangria:

Ingredients:

-1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine

-1/2 cup brandy

-1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

-1/3 cup lemonade

-1/3 cup orange juice

-1/2 cup triple sec

-1 peach, sliced

-1 lime, sliced

-1 orange, sliced

-1/4 cup white sugar

-2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mixing it:

-mix the wine, brandy, lemon juice, lemonade, orange juice, triple sec,

sugar and cinnamon in a large pitcher, float the fruit and refrigerate

overnight

Bikini Martini:

Ingredients:

-3 parts gin

-1 part Blue çao

-1 splash Peach Schnapps

-1 peel orange

Mixing It:

-fill a mixing glass with ice cubes. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail

glass and garnish with orange

Pimm’s Cup:

Ingredients:

-1 ½ ounces of Pimm’s No.1 Cup

-2 ounces fresh lemon juice

-1 ounce simple syrup

-club soda or plain seltzer water

-fruit garnishes

Mixing it:

-mix lemon juice with syrup, add to glass with ice then add Pimm’s,

top off with club soda/seltzer water, stir, add desired garnishes

Electric Lemonade:

Ingredients:

-1 ¼ ounces vodka

-1/2 ounce Blue çao

-2 ounces sweet and sour mix

-splash of 7-Up

Mixing it:

-flash blend in a tall glass and garnish with lemon slice

Salty Chihuahua:

Ingredients:

-3 ounces tequila

-5-6 ounces grapefruit juice

-salted rim

Mixing it:

-rub rim of glass with a bit of grapefruit then swirl rim in salt, shake grapefruit juice and tequila with ice for 15 seconds, strain in glass with a few ice cubes

Minted Margarita:

Ingredients:

-1 cup mint leaves

-1/2 cup water

-zest of 4 limes

-3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

-2 tablespoons agave nectar

-3/4 cup triple sec

-2 cups Blanco or silver tequila

-sliced limes to garnish

-salt

Pink Citrus Daiquiri:

Ingredients:

-8 Lipton Pink Citrus tea bags

-100g sugar

-100 ml grapefruit juice

-100 ml orange juice

-4 shots of rum

-lemon juice

-orange peel

Mixing it:

-blend tea bags in 200 ml hot water, let cool then add other ingredients, garnish with orange peel

French 75:

Ingredients:

-1 ounce gin

-Castor sugar

-1 ounce lemon juice

-5 ounces champagne

Mixing it:

-combine sugar, lemon juice, and gin in a shaker full of ice, shake well

then pour into tall glass and top with champagne, decorate with cherry

Dublin Delight:

Ingredients:

-3/4 ounces vodka

-1/2 ounce Midori Melon liqueur

Mixing it:

-Combine with ice in a shaker and garnish with green maraschino

cherry.

Mojito:

Ingredients:

-2-3 ounces of light rum

-juice of 1 lime

-2 teaspoons of sugar

-2-4 mint sprigs

-soda water

Mixing it:

-lightly muddle mint and sugar with splash of soda water in mixing

glass until sugar dissolves and you smell the mint, squeeze lime into

glass, add rum and shake with ice, top with soda water, garnish with

mint spring

Pina Colada:

Ingredients:

-3 ounces light rum

-3 tablespoons coconut cream

-3 tablespoons crushed pineapples

Mixing it:

-put all ingredients into electric blender with 2 cups crushed ice,

blend at high speed for short length of time

Watermelon Margarita:

Ingredients:

-16 ounces seeded, blended watermelons

-1/2 lime

-6 ounces tequila

-3 ounces triple sec

-1 tablespoon sugar

Mixing it:

-blend all ingredients with ice until smooth

Roman Candle:

Ingredients:

-3 ounces Three-O-Berry Vodka

-1/2 ounce cranberry juice

-dash of grenadine

-1/2 ounce Blue çao

Mixing it:

-shake vodka, cranberry juice and grenadine in shaker with ice, strain

into martini glass, pour blue gently down the side of glass to

settle at the bottom

Cointreau Teese:

Ingredients:

-1 ½ ounces Cointreau

-1/2 ounces apple juice

-1 ounce Monin violet syrup

-3/4 ounces fresh lemon juice

Mixing it:

-shake all ingredients, frost ginger around the rim of glass

Hula Dancers Delight:

Ingredients:

-2/3 ounces Skyy Infusions Pineapple vodka

-1/2 ounce vanilla rum

-1 ounce Lychee Puree

-splash of fresh lemon juice

-3 ounces pineapple juice

-grenadine

-orchid

Mixing it:

-shake and strain into glass, add grenadine, garnish with orchid

POG Punch:

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 parts Skyy Infusions Pineapple vodka

-1 1/2 parts fresh squeezed orange juice

-1 part Guava Puree

Mixing it:

-shake all ingredients with ice, garnish with a floating orchid

and pineapple

Pama Kiss:

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 ounces Pama Pomegranate Liquer

-3/4 ounces Sour Apple Pucker

-1/2 ounces cranberry juice

Mixing it:

-shake with ice and strain in glass over ice, garnish with 3 raspberries

Royal Aperitif:

Ingredients:

-1 ounce Appleton Estate Reserve Rum

-1/2 ounce honey syrup (2-1 honey to water)

-1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice

-3.5 ounces champagne

-lemon twist garnish

Mixing it:

-combine all ingredients except champagne, add ice, shake and

strain into glass, top with champagne and garnish

Pisco Sour:

Ingredients:

-2 shots Pisco

-1 shot lemon juice

-1/2 shot sugar syrup

-1 egg white

Mixing it:

-shake all ingredients hard with ice for long enough to ensure

the egg white is well mixed, strain in to cocktail glass, add few

dashes of Angostura Aromatic bitters to frothy top of the drink

Mint Bailey’s Chocolate Martini:

Ingredients:

-2 ounces Mint Bailey’s Irish Cream

-1/2 ounces vanilla vodka

-fresh mint

-chocolate stick or syrup

Mixing it:

-mix ingredients in an iced shaker for 10 seconds, strain into glass,

garnish with chocolate syrup and mint

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Toni Mascolo is the embodiment of the phrase “I’ve made it”. As co founder of the famous Toni and Guy hair salons, his global empire grosses over £175 million a year. He has over 400 salons in more than 40 countries worldwide and is considered responsible for changing the face of modern hairdressing. Now, after over 45 years in the business, Jennie Moles talks with the hair dressing legend about his empire, his passions and the hard work that led him to the top.

Toni&Guy has been going for over 40 years. How do you maintain its success?

TONI&GUY started in1963. We are a company blessed with lots of talents starting from my brothers right through to the next generation. We are reputable as one big family growing our teams and staff organically. We have stuck to the principle of maintaining strong education and working as a team at all times and this has been our DNA all the way through. Obviously we believe in continuing to motivate our team incessantly, praising them and supporting them. This has been a fundamental strength in our company and has been part of our success.

How has the industry evolved since you started? What major changes have you witnessed?

Hairdressing is like fashion – always changing and evolving and we have to adapt to different demands, from the economy to fashion the whole structure is continuously changing.

Trends are constantly changing; how to you stay on top of what’s current?

As sponsors of London fashion week for over 14 seasons now, we are in the perfect vantage point to see emerging trends as they happen. My daughter Sacha Mascolo-Tarbuck and her artistic team create the hair for over 60 shows each year, so we are never short of inspiration.

Toni&Guy is a luxury brand. How have you adapted in order to retain clients during recessionary times, particularly in Ireland?

TONI&GUY are dedicated to offering the best hairdressing service on the high street, with expertly trained staff offering a great salon service. Our focus is always on offering value for money and I think clients appreciate that, even when money is tighter.

What do you consider the top hair trends at the moment to be?

As ever, what looks good is very much tailored to the individual and that is a fundamental part of our hairdressing. Hair at the moment has a looser, more lived in feeling and is worn with a lot more movement and texture – this plus pastel / bright colours are a key trend for Spring/Summer.

Being a worldwide salon group do the trends change from country to country?

As a global brand, our strength is in offering the same high standard of hairdressing globally and all of our staff are educated in our latest collection. As ever, suitability is key so staff adapt and tailor haircuts and clients to suit their clientele and local demographic.

What is the key to really great hair care?

It sounds really obvious, but investing in a great haircut is the secret to great looking hair, that and using a professional product that has been personally recommended for your hair type by your hairdresser. It’s a simple thing but makes all the difference.

Can you share some stylist secrets for fabulous hair?

If you are going to invest in any products, invest in a really great shampoo and conditioner to keep your hair looking and feeling great. We created our label.m professional haircare range because we want to give our clients the best possible haircare to take home to ensure that their hair looks salon perfect in-between visits.

Do you have any celebrities that you admire style wise?

Most celebrities have great looking hair as they have a professional stylist on hand to keep them looking great – there isn’t a particular celebrity I admire, again it’s all about suitability and I try to make all of my clients feel like a celebrity.

What is the secret to making your hair style hold/ last? (Especially on a night out).

Preparation…prepping the hair with lots of styling product and a great blow dry will leave your hair looking perfect all night – a professional blow-dry always looks great and lasts for days so a great treat if you are planning a big night out.

Do you still cut hair yourself?  If so what inspires you?

Hairdressing has always been a hobby to me and like all hobbies, I enjoy it!  I love the atmosphere in the salon and take pleasure in meeting with the staff,  it gives me energy and strength. Being on the ground also enables me to know what requirements the business needs and I can act on it there on the spot.

You’ve been hailed as the king of hair dressing. How does this feel?

It gives me a sense of satisfaction and also motivates me to want to do the best possible job for the industry and to grow my own business.

What is a typical day like for you?

No two days are the same, but obviously all linked to hairdressing and my business and I enjoy every minute of it

How do you spend your down time?

I love watching football and am a season ticket holder at Chelsea FC.  I also enjoy walking, playing a bit of golf, but mostly cooking Italian food.

Being the founder of one of the world’s most successful salons and still running the business must be very time consuming. How do you make time for other things that are unrelated to hair?

To have a successful business and a successful private life, you need to have a balance. However, I am very lucky because I don’t find running my company or hairdressing as a job  - it’s more like a hobby.

What has been your proudest moment since the conception of Toni&Guy?

There have been so many that I cannot choose just one but some of them are:  My daughter Sacha winning newcomer of the year at aged 19 (youngest winner ever) at the British Hairdressing Awards in 1990. Being awarded an OBE from the Queen back in 2008.  TONI&GUY reaching Superbrand status for the fourth year running and also reaching Coolbrand status for two years running.

Do you have any regrets?

I do not have any regrets. I’d do it all over again and wouldn’t change a thing!

What does the future hold for Toni Mascolo and for Toni&Guy – the brand?

I am very ambitious and everyone that works with me is just as ambitious as I am so the future looks very bright for TONI&GUY. We are entering a new era and are at the beginning of a new journey which we have just embarked on.  On this journey, we will see our company move to the next level creating the biggest product company on the planet for professionals whilst continuing to grow the brand, expand our salon networks worldwide in areas we have never been before, also opening more and more hairdressing academies throughout the globe.

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Before even applying the first touch of makeup, many women struggle with preparing their skin. From breakouts to blackheads, it can be a tricky road to healthy looking skin. And during the summer season, when skin is in and we have it on show, we need to know how to tackle it. Karim Sattar, who has done make up for celebrities like Jane Fonda and America’s Next Top Model winner Carrie Dee, says the highlight of this summer is healthy skin. “This summer is all about beautiful and modern skin and there are a few different things you can do in order to achieve a healthy looking glow without spending a fortune. First, I love cleansing pads for the face. You can take them anywhere and they moisturize your skin, remove your make-up and work great for when you have a little outbreak.”

Sattar says another way you can nurture your skin is through food. “I really love what natural ingredients can do to optimise your look. By mixing one spoon of olive oil, a small amount of honey, half a cup of yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon, you have a facemask that’s just fantastic. It moisturises your skin to make it appear more subtle and juicy.” And if you make the classic mistake of getting too much sun this summer, Sattar offers a simple step to use some of these same ingredients to sooth the sting. “For a fresher appearance after sunburn, just put a little yoghurt on your shoulders. And if your lips become too dry, put a small amount of honey on them to make them smooth. All dairy products can really be used as a moisturiser.”

To top off the smooth look for your skin, from your face to your arms and legs, Sattar says that body butters and face mists are must-haves for your beach bag. “Body butters have a lovely fragrance and are amazing for both extra dry areas of the body as well as regular areas. Face mists are also great because they are a moisturising spray, which you can apply under your make up, over your make up or as you are applying your make up. They come in small bottles that make it ideal for frequent travellers.”

Once your skin is moisturised and healthy, it’s time to start thinking about what make up to apply in order to match the breezy and colourful summer days. First, pay attention to your lips. Instead of opting for the same old clear lip-gloss, Sattar urges us to be bold and dive head first into the summer’s newest trends. “Regardless of your favourite colour lip-gloss, women need to try orange this year. Orange lips are an absolute trend in the upcoming season.

This means anything with orange pigments including saffron, bronze, honey, corn and nectar. Use all those shades that would normally be kind of unusual for the lips.

After tackling the summer trends, Sattar reveals the basic essentials he believes every woman needs, starting with concealer.

Concealer is a really good way to start your day, even on areas of the face that are far away from the lower eye. You can use it on inside corners to cover dark circles but I also like it around the nose and mouth to diminish the appearance of lines. It’s a great alternative for women who don’t like liquid foundation.

And for your eyes, it’s all about volume. “Super volume mascara is a must. For the summer season, big and curly waterproof mascara is lovely because it separates your lashes and brings volume to them.” Lastly, the mixing of bronzing shades can be the perfect touch to your already beautiful skin. “You can mix different bronzing colours to make one final cheek colour, which can also be used as shimmer or as an eye colour. I’m a big fan of making a product versatile. I’d rather work with four or five products the whole day than have an entire purse full of make up.”

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Top Tip: Apply the oil while your skin is still wet, then pat lightly with your towel for baby soft skin.

Nuxe Body-Contouring oil for infiltrated cellulite

The essential oils help drainage of water and toxins, unblock bloated tissue, and leave the skin beautifully smooth

€26.50

Tom Ford Portofino Body Oil

Luxurious, heavenly scented and silky, this is a great treat made of olive fruit oil, grape seed oil and date seed extract.

€50

Omorovicza Budabest Gold Shimmer Oil

This shimmering oil with gold particles highlights the skin and leaves it soft and smooth. Also contains Mineral CosmetologyTM, a patented mineral delivery system which leaves skin firmer, more supple and younger-looking.

€60

Coco Mademoiselle Velvet Body Oil

For a glorious sheen, with a scent to match, this body oil is the ultimate treat. The sheer, dry oil texture gives skin a beautiful satiny sheen and leaves it feeling as soft as velvet.

€45

Naturelle D’argan

The Naturelle D’Argan ‘Sublime Radiance’ shimmering dry body oil contains Argan Oil, Hazelnut Oil and Sesame Oil. Rich In omega 3, 6 & 9, Vitamin E and polyphenol, this shimmering oil illuminates the skin while drenching it in moisture.

€19.95

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I have done it all. Week long fasting, colonics, food combining, ayurvedic analysis, chewing techniques, eating for blood types, high level vitamin supplements, liver flushes. You name it, I have tried it. I have now incorporated all of these to create a way of eating that works for me and which I feel is encapsulated in two simple words, ‘eat light’.

I try to stick by a few self made rules in order to stay healthy, which is more important to me than being slim. This is my eating and exercise plan and I hope that it is of interest to readers looking to change their eating habits. I can still get as tired as we all are at times, but I have alot more energy with this plan. In no particular order here is what works for me:

Know your Ayurvedic type.

I am Pitta Vatta which means I need to eat little and often. If you are Pitta and don’t realise it you may be eating three square meals a day and may need four smaller ones. Ayurveda is a system native to India and I had this analysis done while traveling there but it is available in Ireland too. It is an interesting tool as everyone is different so one way of eating will suit one person and not another. It is important to bear in mind that this is why these bestselling diets rarely work and why it is important to adapt your diet to your own particular needs and lifestyles.

Eat organic.

Everything I eat is organic or else full of good energy. I shop small and local McCambridges and the Saturday market over Tesco and I feel this helps everything including the end product. You should buy nothing that your grandmother wouldn’t recognise so avoid anything packaged or processed in a supermarket. Food should be clean with no additives. I eat fresh natural yogurt like Glenisk, homemade breads, fruit, vegetables, artisan cheeses, organic pasta, lentils, and freshly juiced juices. Basically simple and clean and food you make can yourself. No prepackaged dinners from M&S or made up cheesecakes full of preservatives. A better alternative is to have a few squares of pure dark chocolate. An excellent book on all this is ‘Food Rules – An eaters Manual’ by Michael Pollan.

Drink lots of water.

Try to drink at least six large glasses of water a day or herbal teas high in anti oxidants. Water is an excellent laxative, gives energy, keeps skin clear and is essential for good health. In terms of fluids with food, it’s a no no. Try to drink between meals and not at meals. I break this rule with wine as I actually find wine can help digestion but I drink very little. Never eat after 6pm if you can help it. The food sits in your stomach all night and is extremely bad for you. I always feel heavy after a night out with a late dinner. Eat your biggest meal in the morning; breakfast should be with protein, lots of fruit and positive carbohydrates. Lunch again should be large with key primary or vegetable proteins and then a light meal at night. Below is a menu that works for me.

Food-combining.

Food combining means many things but the key is not to eat proteins with carbohydrates which can be difficult in our culture. At least try to avoid the bad white carbohydrates in favor of better carbs like brown rice. Carbohydrates are very important but we can limit their heaviness by having oatcakes instead of pan bread and good organic porridge over processed cereals in the morning. Select your carbs well and you will see a big difference in terms of energy, wellness and if you’re looking for weight loss this is the single most important thing to watch. Simple things like choosing a chocolate mousse over a chocolate cake at the end of your meal is a much lighter choice. I rarely eat cakes and biscuits but will have a few squares of organic dark chocolate every day with a soya yogurt or some fruit as a treat and these small things I find make a big difference.

Eat mainly vegetarian.

I eat meat twice a week at the very most, all other meals are vegetarian. This is good for the animal population, for my health and for the cost of my food for the week. There seems to be a perception that if you don’t have meat in your meal it is not a proper meal. This is not true. Eating fish and vegetarian options are less heavy and much better for you than red meat so you feel better, highlighting my basic core principal ‘Eat Light’.

Exercise.

Exercise should be a part of your life plan not something you have to do. I exercise in some form or another five times a week and am training for the Icelandic marathon in August. That involves 3-4 jogs of 6 miles at a time and building up every week. The wellness you feel when you exercise at that level is fantastic and helps you emotionally, physically and professionally. Exercise is a key component in being well. In Galway we have the prom, amazing yoga centers, endless nature and the sea. I say get out this summer and jog the prom and jump in the sea for a swim and see how amazing you can feel.

Eat fruit and vegetables.

At least 5 of each a day – I try to get most of them in a fresh hard core organic juice because I find plodding though a salad a bit difficult. Increase you fruit and vegetable intake and you will see a difference in your skin, energy and wellness. It will also affect your bowel movements. A healthy bowel is a healthy body and when the food passes through with ease it shows a balanced diet. On this point, regular colonics or home-administered enemas can be great.

Vitamins.

Most women in America consider the vitamin box as important as the skin care range. I encountered a beautiful Iranian woman in India clutching a green magma powder. We got chatting and she gave me a list of all that she was taking and information on the all important green powder, Dr Hagiwara Barley grass powder which detoxifies and alkalises the body. Right now I am taking amino acid, magnesium, zinc, fish oils, rhodiola, spirulina, echinechea, source of life multivitamin and of course a daily dose of green magma which I solely attribute to my lack of tiredness which I had since the birth of my child. What vitamins you take is up to you. Ask the wonderful team at Evergreen for a few suggestions and you will have added energy and vitality.

Try to avoid wheat and dairy.

Not a total ban but a lot of people are lactose and wheat intolerant and don’t know it. Soya and rice products are a great substitute. The body does not need all this and finds it hard to digest. Give your body a rest for a while and see how much better you feel and how much more energy you can have.

Eating during pregnancy.

This is not an opportunity to make your way through the whole repertoire of McVitties biscuits. If the food is not good food it will need to be worked off at some stage. This is the time in your life as a woman where you should eat the best and most nutritious food available. I followed the Indian doctor Gowri Motha ‘The gentle Birth Method’ and the chapters on food I found the most beneficial. I would encourage anyone who is pregnant to get the book and adhere to her sound practices. This is a time to nourish yourself and your baby. Lots of light high energy, high protein foods, fresh juices, fruit and vegetables. I know it is hard but it will stand to you in every way and especially make the birth easier and also the post partum recovery better. In terms of exercise try to keep this up even just a simple walk of the prom as the fresh air is so important.

Finally, food is a great joy and a great gift so enjoy it! Eat good quality products created and produced with integrity and feeling from local wholesome suppliers – their energy will give you energy and we all need energy. We are ideally positioned in Galway to have an optimum life and wellness through the surrounding natural beauty. Let us take advantage of that and commit to a wonderful exercise plan for the summer that will have us looking and feeling the best we have in years. The practices that we adopt today will help us in the future, not just for a longer life but a healthier and in turn happier life.

Everything is interconnected and wellness is something we can all feel. Choose your foods wisely and look at portion sizes, eat less and train your stomach to eat smaller. We all eat too much and we don’t need it all. Adopt a daily food practice that is ecological, ethical and beneficial to all. Most of all cherish food and like the French women do, eat sensibly six days of the week but then go for it on the seventh with the finest and the best and savoir every mouthful of that fillet mignon. Balance in your approach to your eating plan is as important as any other component. We have only one run at life and we should be at our optimum weight and fitness. We owe this to ourselves and if we are lucky enough to have children, to our children too.

Menu Plan: A Typical Day for Aoibheann

Breakfast 7am

Hot lemon and ginger first thing with 10 vitamin supplements

Homemade granola, lots of blueberries or fruit and natural soya yogurt

Mid morning 10am

Health bar and herbal tea

Lunch 1.30pm

Goats cheese salad with small bowl of vegetable soup healthy brown soda bread

Soya fruit yogurt

5.30pm

Hummus with oat cakes and organic apple

Green and black organic chocolate as a treat

I always have an organic vegetable juice with spirulina

Lots of water and 8 green magma tablets for extra energy

Drink very little alcohol max 3 glasses wine a week

No smoking

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Reduce your warm-up time
The new school of thought in the fitness world is that you no longer need to pre-stretch before you get into your main workout. The reason behind this is that even after five to ten minutes of a warm-up, your muscles are still not warm enough to get the full benefit of a stretch. Gradually increase the pace of your cardio and you’ll be set to go!

Weights? Yes please!
So many women fear the sight of weights under the impression that they will make them really muscular. On the contrary, they can help a lot with your weight management and give you an attractive feminine shape and tone. Doing a simple weights routine can help you increase your muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat, so it makes perfect sense. Watch your body tone up when you combine a weights routine with your cardio workout (and good eating of course).

Set a workout goal
As well as having an overall exercise goal, before you hit the gym ask yourself what do you want to get out of your workout today to achieve this goal? You may feel like a good sweat up and need to burn off the Christmas excesses, so lots of cardio would be ideal. If you have been doing lots of cardio and would like to strengthen and tone up, then weights should be your focus.

What first – weights or cardio?
This all depends on your workout goal. You are the freshest at the beginning of your workout, so do what you want to focus on first while you have the most energy. For example, if you have been doing lots of cardio and would like to do more toning, do your weights first after your warm-up and then do your cardio at the end with whatever energy you have left.

How many times a week should I be training?
This all depends on what your goals are and how much time you have to give to your exercise. If you have a big goal e.g. losing three stone in weight, it would be ideal to work out five times a week for at least 30 minutes each time, allowing two rest days to recover. If it is a fitness goal, do at least three days a week, again allowing one to two rest days if your workouts are high intensity. However, if you have heavy time demands between work and home, do the most you can and adjust your expectations of how long it will take you to achieve your goal. Your exercise should be taking away your stress, not adding to it.

What time of the day is best to exercise?
Whatever works for you and your commitments and whatever time you prefer. Don’t worry about detail, be active and enjoy!

Limit your rest periods
A lot of time is wasted in the gym resting in between sets. Yes, the muscle that you are working out needs to rest before hitting it again, but why stand still?  Do another exercise that works a different muscle group in between and watch yourself get fitter… faster!

Interval training Vs Continuous training
Continuous training is working at the same pace for a set period of time or distance. Interval training is working at short, high intensity bouts followed by lower intensity rest periods. If you want to be more time-efficient and get fitter quicker, interval training is the way to go. It also burns more calories as it requires more of an effort so it can help with your weight management too. It’s tough, but it’s worth it!

Change your programme regularly
You may hear this time and time again but it’s so important to change your type of exercise regularly. Doing the same thing every time you go to the gym will lead to diminishing returns as your body will be no longer challenged. It will also be very boring for you! On a micro level, do a different exercise every time you go to the gym. On a macro level, change your programme structure e.g. type of cardio, weights reps and sets, every four to six weeks and enjoy the benefits.

If you don’t know, talk to a pro
Gym instructors, class instructors, personal trainers…they all have the knowledge to help you get the most from your workouts. Go and have a chat with them; there’s only so much you can know yourself and you may catch some of their infectious energy!

Work your major muscle groups
In fitness terms, your body has four major muscle groups – chest, back, shoulders and legs. To get the most out of your workout, make sure you are challenging each of these areas at least twice a week for a full-body routine and for a more balanced, stronger and shapely figure.

If there is no gas in the tank, the engine won’t work
Don’t go to the gym hungry; make sure you have had a small snack at least an hour before going e.g. piece of fruit, oatcakes with humus, healthy fruit and nut bar. You will get a lot more out of your workouts if your body is properly fuelled up for it. If you’re working out first thing in the morning, have a piece of fruit or a small glass of fresh juice. Don’t forget to drink water before, during and after your workouts.

How do I know if I’m working out hard enough?
RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion – this is your own rating of how hard you think you are exercising. On a scale of one to ten, with one being easy and ten being really tough, if you’re a regular exerciser your workout should be between six and nine (ten if you really like to go for it!). If you’re new to exercise, you should be rating yourself between five and seven. If you’re not getting out of breath, feeling hot and sweaty, you need to work a little bit harder to make a difference!

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Tips to quickly cleanse and feel great again

Eat a diet high in fruit and veg and have plenty of oily fish. The veg increase your vitamin and mineral content and the fish will give you lots of essential fatty acids. These combined will give your liver and kidneys the nutrients that they need to get rid of any accumulated toxins and kick start a healthier body.

• Uncooked foods, such as salads and fruit are high in antioxidants, phytonutrients and vitamin C – essential for regeneration of cells and helping the liver to deal with any toxic burden it may be dealing with.
• Lots of whole grain foods – like porridge, brown rice, quinoa, lentils, beans, pulses will speed up any bowel sluggishness that may have accumulated from any overindulgent feasting.
• Lots of soluble and insoluble fibre foods like porridge and brown rice will also pull unwanted toxins out of the body when passing through the bowel.
• Avoid processed, ready-made, fatty or creamy foods – these just heighten the feeling of being full, bloated and toxic.  Limit a high meat intake, and make your dinner plate more colourful with lots of veggies – steamed or roasted, some salad and just a sliver of meat.  Meat adds to that full feeling and slows the digestion down.
• Throw herbs and spices into everything (well almost everything, maybe not into juices). These are fantastic antioxidants and are highly beneficial, each having their own unique qualities.  Use fresh herbs where possible, but dried will also do nicely.
• Sprinkle sea herbs into food (especially soups, stews, curries, sauces); they’re full of minerals, are highly nutritious and add a slightly salty taste to food
• Buy local and organic; if you get it at a farmers market or veg shop it will possibly be cheaper than ordinary fruit and veg in a supermarket. And anyway, who needs fungicides, herbicides and mineral depleted food from mineral depleted soils to add any extra burden to the body?

Juicing

• Bring juices into the diet; it’s a great start to the day. Juices are the quick hit that we need to get over the post Christmas slump.
• There are many varieties of juice – get ideas for different mixes from juice bars, adn there are also lots of books available on the subject. Try to include lots of veg in your juice, and always have a lime around just in case it doesn’t taste like you planned, a quarter of a lime will sweeten up a juice perfectly.  Other foods to improve the flavour of a juice are pineapple, mangos and apples.
• A great juice recipe is 2 apples, 1 beetroot and 4 carrots; you’ll be surprised at how good it tastes. This juice is also nicknamed ABC, which will help you remember the ingredients!
• Making smoothies is also excellent, these don’t have to have yogurt (but if you do a natural and organic one is always best). Their main benefit is that all the fibre is still in the drink and nothing is lost. These are great made from fruit mixes and should include berries as often as possible, as these are super foods, full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and much, much more…..

Juice Retreats

If you really want to experience an ultimate juicing experience, why not go on a juice retreat, a gentle and effective way of restoring health with powerful results? The Juice Retreat offers three-day residential programmes where you can revive and renew your body, mind and spirit in a fun and supportive way. Essentially a detoxification programme, the retreat is based on a juice fast and is combined with supportive therapies to enable you regain control of your body and reclaim ownership of your health. This provides you with an opportunity to start afresh, cleansing the body at the deepest level, giving you confidence and equipping you with the knowledge of how to sustain a healthy lifestyle. The unique programme has been created to guide and support you physically, mentally and emotionally through a practical and instructive journey in body health and maintenance. During the weekend course, sessions in yoga, massage, meditation, nutrition discussion and lectures, breathing techniques, massage training, instruction on cooking and advice on recipes are also available.  Check www.juiceretreat.ie for details.

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