Slice of Life May Issue

Slice of Life!

Female Health, Fitness & Happiness

May 2014

Happy May BABEs!!!!!

Babe of the Month!

Welcome to our ‘offally’ good May issue! I can hardly believe a month has whizzed past, in fact the whole year is once again flying by - where does time go?

It’s been another cracking month at BABE central, with some fabulous results after our April DETOX! I think we all felt a lot better for it, not just in a our waistlines but in our energy and general well being as well, which lets be honest is really where everything starts. We all know that trying to do anything new or different such as changing your diet or starting exercise is really tough when you’re feeling fatigued and run down!

In fact this detox really did get me thinking about my own journey to healthy eating. It’s been an interesting one as I would have had myself down as a healthy eater at least since my late 20’s, in fact even before that as I flitted from diet to diet filling myself with toxic CRAP and low-fat foods all in the name of health!

But over the last 5-6 years I have really made it my mission to eat a “clean” toxic, sugar-free diet most of the time, but it has been a long road, full of stumbles (some drunken;0)!) and failed attempts!

We are all different and I see this so clearly when it comes to our beautiful band of BABES! Some just come along and just nail it from the off. They work through the headaches and the cravings with laser sharp focus, and then there are the ones like myself who just find it tough!

Now for those of us who find it tough the chances are there are other underlying lifestyle factors that are holding us back, all of which will lead to an imbalance of hormones, sluggish digestion, food intolerances or Candida.

As I say my own journey has not been a straight switch to clean. It has taken me years and years to finally decide that

I no longer want to include gluten, dairy, caffeine or sugar in my diet on a regular day-to-day basis. The price I pay in fatigue, disrupted sleep, water retention, inflammation (shown by aching hands), reduced strength during my workouts and the brain fog just isn’t worth the few moments of consuming the offending foods or drinks!

Quite simply for me following the FFF enhances my quality of life! Eating this way means I have optimal brain function, balanced hormones – which means pain free, PMT free, regular periods and balanced moods, not to mention the promise of an easier transition into menopause in a decade’s time. Clearer, brighter skin, fewer aches and pains due to less inflammation, greater strength and fitness, 10x the amount of energy with a healthy libido, a stable appetite that stops me over eating without cravings as well as healthy pain free joints with strong bones and teeth!

Detoxing is a breeze for me because I no longer RETOX! Yes I have the odd drink (or two!) but generally that’s about it. It has taken a long time and many MANY failed attempts but I feel that I am now getting there!

What’s the message in all of this? Never stop trying, every failed attempt is a step closer to the life you want to lead! This is why we have launched the FeelFab Formula Lite (the FFF Lite), an easier gentler transition to the BABEs way of life for our members.

Girls it will be in your inboxes this month – so keep them peeled!

RACE FOR LIFE • Guildford Surrey Sports Park 25TH MAY• 11AM! JOIN OUR GROUP RF2105 babesontherun.co.uk

A ‘Babe’? Me? It wasn’t a word that entered my vocabulary – but here I am as ‘Babe of the Month’ after three months membership. I’d reached that point when I was totally fed up with myself: I knew what I had to do to reach a healthier weight and lifestyle, but I just wasn’t doing it. I’d hit a plateau on the 5-2 diet and needed to exercise as well as eat healthily.

I could fit camp in before work, so I might actually go (unlike with my gym membership). I soon felt so energized by the workouts that I started thinking about following the dietary guidelines too. The regular exercise together with the dietary guidelines fitted with the advice I’d had (but not really followed) on diet and exercise for health previously – particularly on a course I’d done at Penny Brohn Cancer Care.

It’s become my everyday diet now (with a bit of ‘give’ when we’re out or have friends over for a meal) and I feel a lot better for it. Going to camp 3 times a week has been fundamental to my success; I don’t want to miss it.

The support of our trainer, Cara, and of the Reigate group as a whole – and the sharing of ideas through the wider Babes community on the Facebook page – all help me. I can’t do it on my own. The benefits of weight loss with increased fitness and energy – just feeling better all round – make me want to continue. Working out at 6:30am doesn’t feel so bad any more!

Liz

Slice of Life! Female Health, Fitness & Happiness

FAT’S! WHERE IT’S AT!

BY KIM RAINE

A few little things before we start...

1. Eating fat does not make you FAT! YES EVEN IF YOU HAVE Our

2.

SATURATED FAT is your FRIEND HIGH CHOLESTEROL bodies NEED 3. Cutting fat out of your diet fat! Cholesterol is the essential will make you sick, FAT & miserable ingredient to every one of our sex hormones, so 4. We have been eating fat without cholesterol and fat in your diet you will for thousands of years... end up feeling pretty awful as your vital • Fats sex hormone production (essential for management of energy, metabolism and of course reproduction) slows and the body begins to slow down leaving you craving carbohydrates, with low sex drive, increased weight gain and fatigue – not nice!

Not only that but the brain is the fattiest organ in the body. You need fat to stay on the ball and keep your cognitive function in check! Also increase your fats during times of high stress as the body will be working extra hard to produce the hormones it requires to keep you on an even keel, and it needs fat to do that.

A diet high in protein and fats is essential for optimal health.

provide us with a source of energy • It insulates the body (ask any Eskimo!)

• It protects our joints & keeps everything lubricated • Every single nerve in the body has a fatty covered sheath • It is vital for the absorption of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K • Cholesterol is the precursor & key ingredient in the production of our sex hormones • 60% of the brain’s dry weight is made of lipids (fat like substances)

By eliminating fats from your diet you are seriously putting your health at risk! Your mental health will suffer, your hormones will become unbalanced and you will struggle to lose weight.

Since medical science lead us up the garden path in the 60’s with the misleading information that saturated fats were the main cause of heart disease and should be replaced in our diets with vegetable oils and healthy ‘wholegrains’, health in the western world has taken a serious nose dive with heart disease, cancer and obesity at an all time high and spinning out of control!

I could go on but you get the picture!

So come on girls let’s be fatties!!!!

So here is a quick low down on the goodies & the baddies!

The baddies (booooooo!)

The goodies

The goodies

Fats to cook with…

SATURATED FATS! Yes just like your Granny did! These remain stable at higher temperatures.

• Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (A BABEs firm favourite) • Organic Grass fed Butter (Yeo Valley & Rachel’s Organic) • Coconut Butter • Organic Ghee • Lard, Beef Dripping • Goose Fat • Duck Fat I bet some of those have surprised you!

Fats to drizzle…

Monounsaturated Fats are best for salad dressings and marinades. Again the molecular structures of these oils change when cooked at high temperatures and the antioxidant benefits are destroyed, so they are best added after cooking.

Always choose oils from dark glass bottles to minimise harm from exposure to light and heat…

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil • Avocado Oil • Macadamia Oil

Fats to avoid…

Hydrogenated Fats are chemically produced and heavily processed fats that have been proven to cause damage to our body’s cells, chronic disease and weight gain. Polyunsaturated Fats like Sunflower Oil we often cook with actually change structure when they are heated. This process, called ‘Oxidation’, makes them highly inflammatory in the body, causing the health problems we talked about above. Slowly they are being banned and in future years to come I expect we will look back on them much as we do smoking now!

• Vegetable & Seed Oils – Corn, Sunflower, Soy & Canola • Low-fat Spreads, Margarines • Sauces & Spreads • Hydrogenated or partially Hydrogenated Fats & Oils...

Baked Products, Biscuits, Cakes, Pastries, Savoury Snacks. Processed Foods such as Chips, Crisps, Breakfast Cereals. Take-away, Packaged & Fast Foods.

babesontherun.co.uk

Slice of Life! Female Health, Fitness & Happiness

BY SUE FORD

LOVE YOUR LIVER TAKE 2!

BY HELEN WILLIAMS

Decide to be Mindful in May! Time is such a precious commodity nowadays, so why do we spend so much time wasting it?

Every day we are so busy being busy, we can forget that the most important thing we need to have time for, is ourselves.

How often have you heard yourself say ‘I haven’t got enough time’? Well I’ll let you into a little secret – there are always 24 hours in a day. The problem is not the amount of time but the amount of things we are trying to squeeze into it. Some of these things are important, some may be important, but a lot are definitely NOT important!

When we begin to feel overwhelmed we start filling time with worry and anxiety, which then leads to us feeling stressed – yet another thing to think about!

Something that may help remedy this, is to take 10 minutes a day, simply to stop and let your mind settle. 10 minutes in 24 hours is nothing. Decide what things are really important for you to do and what jobs you have been putting off. Think of these as frogs.

My mission for you in May – should you wish to accept it is to: Eat a frog a day (they are not fattening!) and if you have more than one, eat the largest one first.

You may be surprised at the results Wishing you a Mindful May

‘The butterfly counts not months but moments and has enough time’ ~ Rabindranath Tagore

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Mention organ meats, in particular liver to many clients and their first reaction is YUK! However, I have to tell you in the world of “superfoods” this has to be top of my list.

2 or 3 generations ago organ meats were a common part of our diets but nowadays it’s not a regular choice in most meal plans – maybe that’s down to squeamishness or they’ve been frightened off but I believe it should be included in your family meals at least 1 or 2 times weekly.

Liver is one of the most nutrient dense foods in existence (in fact it is 11X more nutrient dense than cooked veg) and including it and other organ meats as part of your diet is one of the best ways to improve your health and prevent many types of chronic disease caused by nutrient deficiencies.

Liver is one of the most concentrated forms of vitamin A, a very important nutrient for the health of our gut lining and for healthy skin, and a potent source of the other fat soluble vitamins D, E and K. It’s the richest source of the whole family of B vitamins, especially vitamin B12, which is involved in

vital body functions. The brain and nervous system are very vulnerable to even deficiency of small amounts, with symptoms like fatigue, depression and poor memory.

In addition amino acids, iron, zinc and other minerals are all available in a highly absorbable form.

A popular misconception is liver is a storage organ for toxins and so you shouldn’t eat it. Yes your liver does process and neutralise toxins as we discussed in the last issue but it does not store these toxins.

(By the way... the toxins the body cannot eliminate are likely to accumulate in the body’s fat cells).

Finally, remember to source your organ meats from animals that have been pasture/grass fed (these animals have been shown to have a much higher level of omega 3 fatty acids).

Try out one of our fabulous recipes this week and start to eat organ meats regularly!

Slice of Life! Female Health, Fitness & Happiness

Taking time out for yourself can help cure many mid-life challenges.

After years of prioritising husbands, families and careers, many women begin to feel that they don’t know who they are any more. It’s almost as if we have given so much of ourselves to others over the years that our true self has become diluted and, for some, unrecognisable.

This can lead to a lack of confidence, assertiveness and independence that prevents us from moving forward.

This article is all about re-gaining a sense of self, a feeling of knowing who you are at your core. The key theme is to be willing to take more time for you and don’t be afraid to be a little bit more selfish than you may have been in the past. Remember, you can’t please everybody all the time, so be willing to set aside time for yourself regularly. During the mid-life years, you may find that you have more free time than before, but that doesn’t mean you need to use all of it for the benefit of other people. I often talk to women whose older children have left home and find that they simply don’t know what to do with the free time they

3

BY FRANCESCA STUTELY

25INSIDE!

now have available, and as a result, they experience various mid-life issues.

One way around this is to make a list of the things you’d like to devote more time to. This could be anything from enjoying a quality cup of coffee in a relaxing coffee bar each day to making time in the evenings for a special hobby or interest. Don’t cheat! Make sure the things on your list are genuinely intended for your enjoyment and your enjoyment alone. None of them have to be anything dramatic or expensive – just something that genuinely makes you happy. Once your list is complete, pick one item each day and set aside time for it. Don’t just say you’ll do it when you get a chance; actually schedule time in your diary for it, otherwise it’s far too easy to lose track of time by work and requests from other people. Once this becomes part of your daily routine, you’ll be able to go to sleep at night having had at least one genuinely enjoyable moment during the day, which will make all the difference to your overall happiness and enjoyment

REASONS TO DO YOGA!

babesontherun.co.uk

Better Flexibility

YOURS, WITH HINDSIGHT, LINDSEY AGNESS

BABY BORN TO RUN WE WERE

I HAVE CREATED MY

I AM

THE BOSS

CONFIDENT

AGE

of life. Before you know it, the mid-life issues you’ve been experiencing will be a thing of the past!

To find out more about the most common mid-life challenges amongst women and how to overcome them, just visit www.agewithattitude.co.uk, where you’ll be able to request a free copy of my new guide, “An Introduction to the Eight Attitudes Shared by Successful Mid-life Women”, packed with practical tips and inspirational advice on everything from taking care of your health to dealing with empty nest syndrome.

Calm Amongst the Storm

Aids Digestion

Do you get out of bed in We are what we eat, the morning and feel a bit we all know that, however Yoga de-stresses the body stiff in your muscles and it’s not always what we and the mind. There will creaky in your joints? If eat, but how our bodies always be some form of you do then Yoga is stress in our lives, however digest our food. for you. Yoga postures it is not what happens to us, In yoga, with all the (asanas) are great for it’s how we deal with it that bending, stretching allowing a deep stretch makes the difference. Yoga and twisting, the torso in the muscles. When not only gives the body not only gets a great a posture is held for a workout, it’s a “work workout, it also is an a minute or more the in” as well. Regular aid to digestion. The muscle has time to Yoga practice helps us twisting postures or lengthen and elongate; see the bigger picture asanas are fantastic for when practiced regularly of life and not sweat “squeezing” the internal it creates more strength the small stuff. Both the organs, giving them a and tone. As Yoga is practice of the postures massage. This is a great a whole body workout together with various aid to the digestion both the ball and socket pranayamas (deep process and helps rid joints, the shoulders breathing techniques) the body of toxins and and hips, are worked help tame the mind and waste products. to every angle, keeping relax the body at the our machine used same time. People often and “oiled”. report surprise about CHECK OUT how good they start to FRAN’S YOGA VIDEO HERE feel on a regular basis.

Slice of Life! Female Health, Fitness & Happiness

BY NICKY DONOVAND

RUNTOLIVE

Many people we get in the shop take up running because they are time poor. After all, running is simple, convenient and the perfect accompaniment to all the BABEs activities you are doing. But for quite a few, the thought of running is scary!

Essentially, it’s one step in front of the other. Then repeat. Until you are done.

And there’s the crux. Define ‘done’.

With Fartlek and speedwork and hill reps and threshold and tempo and RPE and effort and pace and race and time trial and HR Zone and always watching the clock and COMPETITION, we can make it really complicated.

For a beginner then, it’s not surprising when faced with so much information it can become overwhelming and ‘I can’ quickly becomes ‘I can’t’!

Often beginners are inspired by others to run. Maybe a running friend offering encouragement or a great role model, Jess Ennis or Paula Radcliffe

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

1 min run : 1 min walk • Repeat 10 times in the session • 3 Sessions/Week

75 secs run:1 min walk • Repeat 10 times in the session • 3 Sessions/Week

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

90 secs run: 1 min walk • Repeat 10 times in the session • 3 Sessions/Week

Run/walk for 25 minutes.

• You decide when to run and walk • Keep the walk breaks short but as often as you feel you need them • 3 Sessions/Week

WEEK 5

WEEK 6

Run/walk for 25 minutes.

• You decide when to run and walk • Keep the walk breaks short, try to halve the frequency from the previous week • Your target is to run for 5 minutes without stopping • 3 Sessions/Week

Run/walk for 30 minutes.

• You decide when to run and walk • Keep the walk breaks to the absolute minimum • 3 Sessions/Week

come to mind here. But running is not a team sport and trying to keep up with your encourager at this point can be overwhelming and distressing.

Running needs you to be selfish. That is one of the best parts of the sport. In our busy lives, when do we ever have time just for us?

MONTHLY METABOOSTER The Eighty 8’s 8 Kettlebell or Bodyweight Swings 8 Low Squats – Get Down BABEs! 8 Of your BEST Press-Ups! 8 Burpees!

A cheeky little number to boost your metabolism & get your blood pumping!

Repeat 3 times with little or no rest – time yourself & let us know how you do!

8 Bentover Rows – Right Side 8 Bentover Rows – Left Side 8 Static Lunges – Right Leg 8 Static Lunges – Left Leg 8 Tuck Jumps or Jacks – No taking the easy option!

8 Belly Blasters!

WEBSITE I LOVE this website...

Babes on the Run (BotR) assumes you are injury free and fit to exercise before embarking on these workouts. If you are unsure check with your doctor before starting. BotR accepts no responsibility for any injury, mishap or embarrassment caused during this workout ;)

PLUG WHAT DO YOU WANT TO READ?

www.naturalfoodfinder.co.uk

It’s fantastic for looking up the good the bad and the ugly with foods – e.g. if you want to know whose butter is Grass Fed & Organic it will tell you! Check it out!

babesontherun.co.uk

If you want any subject covered then feel free to email your questions & ideas!

We have always said that running is as much a mental sport as physical.

With those barriers to overcome don’t impose other stresses on yourself when starting out (or returning from injury for that matter, the same things apply here too). Keep it simple! ;o)

EVENT INFO Race for Life 5k GUILDFORD SURREY SPORTS PARK

SUNDAY 25TH MAY 11AM! URN: 8188858 GROUP ID: RF2105

Slice of Life! Female Health, Fitness & Happiness

BIG SHOUT OUT TO ALL YOU SEXY BABES BOOKHAM BELLES

HELLO???

No, No, I’m not doing anything important...!

NO WAY!!

I couldn’t possibly do a FULL PRESS-UP!!!

MULTI-TASKING! DAWNAY DIVAS!

EARLY MORNING SWINGERS

WELL DONE

TO COACH CARA & SAM MURPHY

BOTH COMPLETING A MARATHON THIS MONTH & RAISING LOADS OF MONEY FOR MACMILLAN & THE ROYAL MARSDEN!

GREAT WORK GIRLS! REIGATE BABES BOOKHAM BABES!

OUR LOVELY NIKI

GOOD LUCK TO THE QUEEN OF BABES ADMIN, NIKI babesontherun.co.uk

WHO IS FINISHING HER PT QUALIFICATION AS YOU READ!

GO NIKI!

OUR LOVELY COACH CARA Slice of Life! Female Health, Fitness & Happiness

Warm Chicken Liver Salad with Rocket, Feta & Cider Vinegar

Traditional Chicken Liver Pâté

Ingredients:

Method:

Ingredients

Method

• 2 25g/8oz fresh chicken liver • 2 tbsp. coconut oil • 1 slice linseed bread, cut into 1½cm cubes • 55g/2oz feta cheese, crumbled • 2 grilled red peppers, sliced • 1 pkt. rocket & spinach salad

• Rinse

the livers in a sieve under cold water, then dry on kitchen paper.

Remove any membrane & separate the liver into small lobes. Place the livers in a small bowl & season well.

• Melt 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil large frying pan. Add the cubed bread & fry until golden brown on all sides. Tip onto a plate to cool.

• Prepare the dressing, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl & taste. It should be quite a zappy powerful dressing, add a little more vinegar if needed.

• Add the peppers & feta to the dressing.

• Heat the frying pan again with the remaining coconut oil & wait until the pan is smoking. Add the chicken livers in a single layer & fry until golden on each side, yet still pink in the middle.

• Add the rocket & spinach to the dressing with the chicken livers, toss together & serve on 2 large plates.

• 2 40gms chicken livers • 1 clove garlic, minced • 3 thick slices bacon, chopped in cubes • 1 large diced onion • 185gms of butter • 4 tbsp. parsley, chopped • 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar • Fresh nutmeg (optional) • Salt & pepper to taste (Himalayan or Celtic sea salt)

• H eat a large pan to medium-high heat & cook the bacon for about 3 minutes.

• Add the onion, garlic & 1/4 of the butter & soften for another 3-4 minutes.

• Prepare the livers by cutting out the white stringy part.

• Add the livers to the pot & cook for about 7 to 10 minutes with a little more of the butter.

• Once cooked through, add vinegar, parsley, salt, pepper & fresh nutmeg to taste.

• Remove from heat & pour mixture in a blender or food processor & blend until smooth.

• Pour the smooth mixture in a serving dish.

• Melt the remaining butter & pour over the pâté evenly.

• Cover & put in the refrigerator to cool until the fat hardens.

For the dressing: • 1 tbsp. unpasteurised cider vinegar • 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil • 1 large clove of garlic, crushed • ½ tsp. dried English mustard powder • Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Enjoy as a snack on celery sticks, on lettuce leaves or directly off the spoon since it’s so good in its own!

Slice of Life! Contributors...

Kim Raine

Sue Ford

Be Kassapian

Helen Williams

Lindsey Agness

Clinical Hypnotherapist

Be in the Kitchen

Surrey Nutrition Clinic

Life Coach Age with Attitude

Nicky Donovand

Babes on the Run

Kim is the owner & chief herbal tea maker at Babes on the Run. She is responsible for the creation of it’s unique ‘FeelFab’ Formula, as well as the ‘30 Days of Fat Loss’ series of programs. Kim has interned with some of the country’s top health professionals as well as training & mentoring other fitness professionals herself.

A Clinical Hypnotherapist, LifeCoach & NLP Coach who believes wholeheartedly that nowadays we live life at such a fast pace that we do not spend enough time taking care of our minds or bodies.

Having initially trained at “Leith’s School of Food & Wine”, Be’s career includes working with the Roux Brother’s including a stint at Le Gavroche, latterly returning as Senior Teacher & Demonstrator at Leith’s, co-writing Leith’s “Seasonal Bible” & working on the TV series “Chef School”.

A Functional Nutritionist who helps women who feel fat, tired, stressed out, bloated & depressed by addressing their hormonal imbalances & uncovering hidden stressors so they can rediscover their mojo. Using functional nutrition she seeks to identify & correct underlying causes of disease that can lead to chronic health issues instead of just treating the symptoms. Not to diagnose or treat but to identify the root cause of physiological imbalances within the body.

Lindsay has been working in the area of change for 25 years & has recently pooled all of her experience into her “Age with Attitude” brand.

Nicky is owner of Run to Live specialist running shop in Ashtead, has a degree in Sports Science & is a qualified Gym Instructor. She believes passionately in exercise being beneficial to both mind & body & through beginners groups has encouraged over 500 people to take their first running steps as adults.

babesontherun.co.uk

sue-ford.co.uk

beinthekitchen.co.uk

surreynutritionclinic.co.uk

agewithattitude.co.uk

runtolive.co.uk

Specialising in using hypnosis for improving sporting performance managing anxiety, stress More recently Be issues & reintroducing launched her own life balance. successful cookery school “Be in the Her aim is to help people Kitchen” with the aim make the life changes of sharing her love of they choose. cooking & good food.

Run to Live

Francesca Stutely Francesca Stutely wellbeing

Fran uses her unique combination of Yoga, The Rosen Method bodywork, & NLP to create perfect well being in the mind, body & soul. Yoga exercises the body, The Rosen Method releases Age with Attitude aims tension & emotion from to help mid-life women the unconscious body, & make positive changes NLP techniques work on in their lives. In 2008, the unconscious mind.

Lindsay wrote her first Fran studied & lived in book Change Your Life the USA for several years with NLP, which has now She completed her first & has now settled in sold over 40,000 copies, 10k (The Wimbledon Jim Javea on the Cost Blanca, & in 2012 qualified as Braben Memorial 10k) in in Spain. She is a keen the UK’s first Female NLP 2003 & in 2005 moved open sea swimmer, has Master Trainer. up to marathon distance completed 2 marathons (London). & does the occasional triathlon! francescastutely.com