quarterly Magazine for a luxury lifestyle
APR - JUN 2014
stress
Less Issue
BEAUTY BIBLE AWARD p8
NEOM IDOL: LAETITIA MAKLOUF p10
FOOD TO DE-STRESS p26
Interactive! Click to go to page
Contents the stress less scents p4 beauty bible award p8 LAETITIA MAKLOUF p10 Fragrance focus: enchantment p14 Fragrance focus: cocooning p16 Fragrance focus: Real Luxury p18 de-stress techniques p20 neom spa treatments p24 food to de-stress p26 home interiors p30 move your body p32 de-stress book guide p34 About us p35
Editor’s Letter Welcome to the Stress Less Issue of the Neom magazine. I read a worrying statistic the other day that one in four people in the UK suffer from work-related stress. It’s not surprising, as working hours get longer and pressure increases, but there are ways to overcome it and not let stress define you. Because our campaign this season is focussed on de-stressing, we’ve lined up several inspiring features on the subject, and highlighted three of the key fragrance blends in our range which combine essential oils proven to balance and lift your mood. This issue the Neom team and some of our friends share our very own daily de-stress techniques, we speak to our Neom Idol gardening guru Laetitia Maklouf, and discover expert ways to turn your home into a stress-
free zone with home furnishings and colour therapy. We’re also really proud that Neom has won another award – this time for our Tranquillity Bath Foam – turn to page 8 to find out more. You’ll also find some inspiring mantras and images dotted throughout the magazine, back by popular demand after last season’s Happiness Issue. Despite some potentially stressful deadlines we’ve really enjoyed putting together our Stress Less Issue and hope you’ll enjoy reading it. Until our next issue, out in July, here’s to the Stress Less season!
Much love Nicola Elliott Neom co-founder
welcome to the
stress
Less season
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Our new campaign looks at ways to de-stress and feel renewed
Typically a time in nature for renewal and new beginnings, spring is the perfect period in which to look at your own life and take a leaf out of Mother Nature’s
book – let’s make this the stress less season, and stick to it! Our home fragrance and body care products include the highest level of essential oils possible, meaning all work as therapeutic treatments when you experience their aroma, and they boast only natural and organic ingredients. Most of our blends have natural stress-reducing qualities but three in particular were designed as uplifting and balancing de-stress treatments: Cocooning (mandarin, ylang ylang and chamomile), Enchantment (bluebell, guaiacwood and rose) and Real Luxury (lavender, jasmine and Brazilian rosewood).
neom magazine Apr - jun 2014
A little bit of stress can be healthy. A manageable deadline, a personal goal you want to reach; recent research has shown that it can actually help keep you alert and at your best. The stress we don’t like though is that overbearing pressure which has you feeling anxious and down in the dumps. That kind of stress can lead to mental and even physical issues. So this season, and with the articles in our Stress Less Issue, we’re concentrating on cutting out unnecessary stress and looking after ourselves.
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stress
Less Scents
enchantment The Fragrance The soft, floral scent of bluebell, sweet guaiacwood and rose for a sparkling, sunny scent to make you feel renewed and uplifted. The Treatment: Imagine a new day, full of hope and good will. This uplifting fragrance evokes that ‘fresh start’ feeling, making you feel happy and alert whilst quietly renewed.
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Cocooning
Real Luxury
The Fragrance Light and fruity mandarin with comforting florals such as ylang ylang, chamomile and jasmine for the ultimate me-time scent.
The Fragrance: Floral notes of lavender and jasmine combine with spicy Brazilian rosewood for a warming, sophisticated scent.
The Treatment: The perfect antidote to tired, weary bodies and for when you are feeling under the weather... ideal for when you are in need of some well-deserved me-time to allow your body to recover.
The Treatment: This blend has been dubbed the ‘cashmere blanket’ of our range. The essential oils work well together to create a gently relaxing mood perfect for pampering nights in.
i will let go of those things i cannot
change and concentrate on what I CAN
loves
The Beauty Bible
Tranquillity Bath Foam
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This season sees our award-winning Bath Foam receive another accolade
After being named Best Bath Foam in the Beauty Shortlist Awards and Best Bath Product in the Psychologies Positive Beauty Awards last year, Tranquillity has scooped a place in The Ultimate Natural Beauty Bible, published on the 20th March. Established by journalists Jo Fairley and Sarah Stacey in 1996, the Beauty Bible has become the biggest-selling series of beauty books in the world. The award - in the Relaxing Bath Treats category - means a great deal to us because it comes as a
result of thorough trials by a panel of testers. It’s the largest consumer beauty survey ever carried out, with some 20,000 women involved! A continual five star customer review product, the Tranquillity Bath Foam includes English lavender, sweet basil and jasmine essential oils, a calming blend designed to provide the perfect night’s sleep. Sleep Studies last year concluded that using the Bath Foam, alongside our Tranquillity Room Mist and Home Candle, resulted in a better night’s sleep for 91% of participants and all said they would recommend the Tranquillity scent to a friend. www.beautybible.com
neom magazine Apr - jun 2014
We’re so proud to tell you that our Tranquillity Bath Foam has won another award.
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NEOM IDOL
Laetitia Maklouf Q A
Our new campaign is all about taking time to destress – what techniques do you use to stress less? I love reading, but need to get more skilled at setting aside time for it! Ditching the ‘to-do’ list or the laundry to go off and do something life-affirming with my kids is always a de-stresser, but in my experience you can’t beat good old-fashioned physical exercise for reducing stress, and luckily for me I can combine it with gardening.
You rose to fame gardening on your balcony – do you think anyone can be green-fingered and what’s the best way to start if you have little experience, time or space? A balcony or windowsill is the very best way to start gardening, because you are obviously restricted in what you can grow, and that means that you can concentrate on one or two things, without getting overwhelmed. I don’t believe in green fingers... the only thing that plants need in order to live are light, water and nutrients; if you don’t
neom magazine Apr - jun 2014
Dubbed the Nigella of the plant world, Laetitia is our goto expert for making the most of our gardens from bulbs to blooms. For our Stress Less Issue she talks ditching the to-do list, family time and eating flowers
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give your plant these things, then it will probably die. No mystery. What you do need is enough interest and enthusiasm not to forget about your plants, that’s all!
Essential, of course. When things are busy it’s such a release to put work down for half an hour and go meet a friend, or have a cuddle with family.
Does gardening provide a good way to stress less? Yes. On a large scale, it can give you really good physical exercise. On a small scale, it either becomes so involving that you forget about everything else, or it can be like ironing (i.e. rather boring and repetitive) giving you head-space to sort stuff out in your brain.
What plans do you have, both personal and gardening-wise, going into spring and summer? At the moment I am frantically trying to baby-proof the house, as my little boy has just started crawling! We are hoping to extend our home, and I’ll be making some changes to the garden at the same time so that it works better for all of us - you can never have enough space to play (or itia Love t chill out with a drink!). s ae I’m also hoping to set aside more time for blogging, which I adore. a rw o o d
C ed
In spi rati
o
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&
L
We love your inspiring recipes and gift ideas using plants and flowers from the garden – are there any seasonal recipes you’ll be indulging in this spring? n Scented pelargoniums What’s your favourite Vio ile let, Chamom are one of my favourite Neom fragrance? plants - they come in a myriad I totally love Inspiration, a of different scents, from rose to very clever, subtle mixture which coca-cola (yes, really) and it’s the really lifts the spirits (violet, leaves that give off that wonderful chamomile and cedarwood)... but I aroma. I use them in cakes, drinks, haven’t tried them all yet! and to fragrance rooms. Laetitia is the author of The Virgin When life is so hectic, how Gardener and Sweet Peas for important to you are relationships Summer. She blogs at with family and friends? www.laetitiamaklouf.com
we are all that
is the result of what we have
thought neom magazine jan - mar 2014
Buddha
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Fragrance Focus
Enchant ment
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The Enchantment Treatment Just like the walk in nature it was inspired by, Enchantment is a beautiful, calming blend and a hero fragrance in our Stress Less campaign. There are three key Enchantment scents: bluebell, guaiacwood and rose. One of the less well-known essential oils but still incredibly effective in its treatment benefits is guaiacwood - traditionally used as an aid to meditation for its ability to release tension – helping to unwind and shed unnecessary worries. Too busy to go for a stroll in the park this week? Don’t fret - arm yourself with Neom’s Enchantment candle... The beautiful blend of bluebell, rose and guaiacwood come together to create the most heavenly fragrance we’ve smelt in a long time.’ Grazia Daily May 2013
We chose rose essential oil for its similarly laudable calming and confidence-building treatment benefits. Just like the bluebell, the rose is one of those most beloved of blooms and its essential oil has been used for centuries as an allround tonic and natural mood-lift. Behind the Blend A delicate and floral spring fragrance, Enchantment really does evoke that aura of a majestic bluebell forest and its fresh, sweet scent. However, since it is impossible to extract an essential oil from bluebell flowers, and we would never use anything synthetic in our products, we had to come up with a way to produce the iconic scent. After much experimentation we pioneered a totally natural ‘bluebell’ scent by extracting oil from a part of a corn kernel which replicates its scent perfectly. We combined this with the rose – specifically, the Damask variety, grown in Morocco – and the guaiacwood oil from the Palo Santo tree, sacred in its native Paraguay. Enchantment is also peppered with other essential oils including geranium, neroli, lemon and even coconut oil for a rounded, woodland fragrance with powerfully relaxing properties.
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magine walking through an ancient forest on a spring morning, the sun falling in streaks across the bluebell-carpeted woodland floor as the birds chirrup happily above. You inhale the delicately sweet scent among the drowsy purple flowers and your shoulders drop an inch.
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Fragrance Focus Being a mum and holding down a full-time job, things often get very stressful. Having this candle lit when I get home fills the house with the most beautiful scent and I’m certain it improves my mood.�
Danielle Neom customer
Coco oning Stress
noun A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.
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Cocoon
verb Envelop in a protective or comforting way.
The Cocooning Treatment We chose the mandarin, ylang ylang and chamomile in our Cocooning blend for their admirable spirit lifting properties. There are actually three citrus essential oils in the blend - mandarin, lemon and orange – used to combat blue feelings and even boost immunity. Cocooning has been created with care to ensure that it could be used as a treatment throughout pregnancy too. Chamomile has a wonderfully cocooning effect, calming the nerves and even reducing feelings of nausea. Known as the ‘flower of flowers’ ylang ylang’s exotic fragrant oil is used in Indonesian wedding ceremonies and is celebrated for its calming and balancing qualities. Behind the Blend Unwrap the luxurious packaging of a Cocooning Home Candle or Reed
Diffuser and you will be gifted with the joyful scent of rich mandarin, a top note enveloped by florals ylang ylang and chamomile. Our mandarin comes from two sources - Sicily and Brazil - to ensure we can always make Cocooning products whatever the time of year with the very best ingredients. There are two types of chamomile – Roman and German – but it is the Roman variety that is the most aroma-therapeutic. We grow ours in Norfolk, employing traditional organic growing techniques while using the latest technology to steam distil the oil from the wonderful flowers – a process which produces an oil at first ink-blue in colour! While our Cocooning range has been embraced by new and soon-to-be mums - and our Feel Amazing Treats gift set includes a body oil perfect for stretching bodies - it has been used by many more to de-stress. It’s that little pick me up when you’re not quite feeling yourself, and don’t we all need a bit of cocooning once in a while?
neom magazine Apr - jun 2014
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here’s only one you – so it’s worth making an effort to be kind to yourself. During stressful periods, sometimes the best solution is to create a cocoon around yourself, taking time to rebuild and renew ready for tomorrow. Take a deep breath of our Cocooning scent with sparkling citrus and comforting florals and let your worries drift away.
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Fragrance Focus
Real
luxury 18
The Real Luxury Treatment Combining some of our favourite essential oils – lavender, jasmine and Brazilian rosewood – Real Luxury was first created as a soothing de-stress treatment and has since been described as the cashmere blanket of our range. It’s not surprising really; jasmine is an uplifting essential oil which inspires confidence and overrides feelings of stress and tension. Rosewood is soothing and has a balancing effect on the mind and body, while lavender is ultra-relaxing and has been used for centuries for its calming, peaceful properties. Real Luxury is our go-to scent for precious stress-free nights in. Behind the Blend The distinctive jasmine scent proves a heady top note. A tropical evergreen which flowers and is picked in a short harvesting window at night, jasmine’s deep floral fragrance blends wonderfully with the spicy, woody notes in Brazilian rosewood. We chose French lavender as it’s a
little lighter and more delicate than the very classic English lavender fragrance. Less soporific than our other lavender blends - Tranquillity, with a powerful measure of English lavender, is the blend for a perfect night’s sleep - Real Luxury actually includes a further 21 essential oils alongside its three key ingredients, chosen to create a complex scent with thoroughly pampering properties. One of our most popular blends, Real Luxury is available across the range of Neom home fragrance and body care treats, including our award-winning Organic Body Scrub.
I love having a leisurely bath and using Neom’s organic body scrub... When I’m away from home, small luxuries like comfortable pyjamas, Neom’s travel candles and cashmere bed socks are essential.” Gemma Chan Model Neom’s Real Luxury Bath Oil is perfect – I love the lavender, jasmine and Brazilian rosewood essential oils – it’s a real anytime bath oil.” Savannah Miller Fashion Designer
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or those cashmere blanket evenings when you’ve returned home, shut the door on the world and now it’s metime, our Real Luxury blend, is a moment of utter indulgence.
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How We
stress less Some of the Neom team and our friends share their daily de-stress techniques
Nicola Elliott Neom Co-founder “For me it’s a 360 approach to keeping stress free. Swimming (an exercise that I actually enjoy), eating a clean diet with spirulina supplement every day, not too much alcohol and trying to really take time every day to stop, breathe and appreciate the little things. A walk in the sunshine, a coffee with a friend or an extra long bath, these are the things that keep me as calm as possible!”
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Jo Whiley broadcaster
“De-stressing for me involves surrounding myself with loved ones. I find that organising a lovely meal or a post-work catch-up with friends allows me to remove the tensions of the day from my mind and focus on other things. And if that doesn’t work, I can always rely on my cat Izzy to cheer me up.”
Oliver Mennell Neom Co-founder “A smile from my little boy is the ultimate stressreliever.”
neom magazine Apr - jun 2014
Nicki Wedgewood Neom PR Assistant
“I grab my costume, goggles and kick board and head to the gym. For me, the feeling of diving into a pool and submerging yourself in the blue depths and gliding underwater is the ultimate escape and de-stresses me without fail.”
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Ali Schofield Neom Copywriter “I get out for a walk in the woodland near Neom HQ every lunch time. It’s an unswerving commitment I make to myself no matter how busy, because whatever might be on my mind I always return to my desk feeling lifted and ready for the rest of the afternoon. I also swear by my weekly pilates class – it’s an hour where I don’t allow any thoughts other than ‘ooh, that hurts’ into my mind!”
Nicola Durrant Neom Treatment Developer “I need to eat well, with mood boosting food and love to make juices or smoothies - pineapple, blueberries and ginger is my current favourite. This year I joined a fit camp I’ve really enjoying committing to exercise three times a week. I might feel tired on an evening but post class I feel invigorated and find it easier to unwind.”
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Kate Morrell Neom Marketing Assistant “Eating well, exercising and making time for myself is key to me feeling as stress free as possible. I find that after a busy day a trip to the gym, a healthy meal, lighting a Cocooning Candle and reading a book or taking a bath really help me to un-wind and switch off. Plus I now can’t sleep without spritzing my pillow with Tranquillity Room Mist!”
Lucy Gill Neom PR Manager “After I have built up stress throughout the day - taking my son to nursery, battling traffic and working all day - my de-stressing hour is right after I have bathed, read and put to bed my toddler. Around 8.30pm. It’s time alone (something rare for me, but which I cherish). Sitting in quiet, taking a Tranquillity bath and not speaking to anyone or doing anything!”
Adam Lappin Neom Web Manager Peaches Geldof Broadcaster and model “To de-stress I like to take a hot bath with essential oils in, I really like lavender or rose, I’d be listening to Elliott Smith and I’d have lots of candles burning. With two boys under two it’s a rare occurrence, but when I do get some time of my own it’s absolutely bliss.”
neom magazine Apr - jun 2014
“I learned a de-stress technique from a friend that really works. When I’m feeling under pressure, I think about the positive moments in my life. It helps keep things in perspective when the day seems rough. Remembering my wife, my home, my family, is sure to brighten up any situation. I also keep an Enchantment Reed Diffuser at my desk which keeps me feeling composed through the day.”
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Spa your personal
Treatment
Treatment Developer Nicola Durrant comes up with the luxurious Neom signature treatments you’ll find at some of the country’s best spas. Here she tells us how you can reproduce the mood-enhancing spa experience at home
Feeling tired, stressed and in need of pampering? These are the questions that Neom therapists will ask during the consultation stage. They’re not being nosey; it’s important that they recognise your issues in order to deliver a really bespoke, luxurious treatment that works on your mood. Most of us would love to have endless energy but our systems can become overloaded and we need to stop and treat our concerns. Essential oils work on treating our whole systems: mind, body and spirit.
stressed?
How does stress affect you? Stress can be good as it leads to change and growth. When you start at a new job, initially the excitement and nerves can feel good, but if you continue to be exposed to a high level of pressure it can spiral out of control. This stress can result in physical or emotional problems, migraines, eczema, back ache. There are many essential oils which work on that feeling of tension so the next question would be, do you want to use oils to help you feel uplifted or wind you down? One of my favourite feel good fragrances is Enchantment. I would use the Enchantment blend as a treatment at the start of the day
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on the phone after 9pm. I would recommend reading No More Worries by Allen Carr, too.
If it’s winding down you’re after, then the aroma of Real Luxury is perfect for evening pampering. All the oils in the blend will help to soothe and calm while the special touch of uplifting cedarwood and lemon helps to ensure you don’t instantly fall asleep.
Our Tranquillity blend is made up of 14 types of English lavender. These esters are perfect to sedate, soothe and calm our systems; it’s a really powerful blend that I would only recommend when you want to induce sleep! I’m not really a bath person, but love a shower so post work-out on an evening I do use Tranquillity Bath & Shower Oil. Apply the oil direct to the skin, then enter a warm shower to experience a beautiful aromatherapy experience. Post shower I love to use the Tranquillity Body Oil, light in texture but ultrahydrating, and I use the Tranquillity Room Mist every night on my bedding and night clothes.
tired?
Do you want to go to sleep or need an energy boost? If you’re feeling in need of more energy or generally feeling a little blue the Cocooning blend, with uplifting citrus notes and calming florals, provides an excellent antitiredness de-stress treatment. Light the Candle at home and take some time out to pamper yourself, or enjoy the scent all day every day with a Cocooning Reed Diffuser on your desk. If it’s sleep you need, the first thing our spa team would do is ascertain the cause of lack of sleep. Is the problem physical or is it an emotional issue? I do have a tendency to worry, so my rules are no caffeine after 8pm and no talking
The more frequently you use essential oils the quicker your body will start to recognise the aroma and the faster it will encourage the body to react. I hope you enjoy recreating Neom’s spa treatments yourself and would encourage you to try one in your nearest spa – they really are the loveliest way to de-stress and have you feeling great again!
neom magazine Apr - jun 2014
– inhale the bluebell scent deeply and enjoy a feeling of fresh starts and renewed energy.
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A STRESS FREE
DIET Natasha Corrett, creator of nutrition company and food delivery service Honestly Healthy, on how the food we eat has an impact on our stress levels
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This means that we promote avoiding a few things: Wheat and gluten think about the dough of a bread and how thick and gloopy it is before you bake it. That is what our bodies are having to process and it is incredibly difficult for the digestive system to manage. Cows’ Dairy The majority of us are lactose intolerant and past the weaning age we’re simply not designed to process the amount of dairy products that we are consuming in today’s age. Only around 35% of us are able to process lactose efficiently meaning that the rest of us are putting our stomachs through a thoroughly unnecessary level of stress. Meat Our bodies have to really work hard to break this down. Our gallbladders are put into overdrive and our liver has to go like the clappers. Unsurprisingly, this is
hugely stressful for the body and consequently very acid forming – needless to say, this added pressure then plays a prominent role in the development of cancers and other diseases. Refined Sugar We really can’t stress enough how much of a poison sugar can be to our digestive system. Bacteria such as Candida are in heaven when there are large quantities of sugar available to them. Living in the warmth of the large intestine and regularly fuelled by sugary treats, Candida will thrive leaching your body of vital nutrients and causing additional strain to the body. So why do we suggest that the above ingredients should be avoided? Well, namely because they are what we call ‘acid forming’ which can be directly related to anxiety and perhaps that feeling of ‘tension’ you get. To explain this a little further and give you a bit of the science, our bodies function at their best when our blood is at a pH level of 7.35. When we consume excessive amounts of acidic foods, this lowers our pH levels and means that we become more acidic. This can lead to bloating, poor sleep, fatigue, dry itchy skin and numerous other ailments – all of which require
neom magazine Apr - jun 2014
At the very core of Honestly Healthy comes down to one thing really – stress. We advocate alkaline food and all the elements that come together to create an alkaline lifestyle which have the power to counteract stress.
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additional energy from the body to combat, thus causing the body to be in a state of stress – meaning your body is in a constant battle with ingredients that it struggles to break down and utilise. This may sound a little daunting, but when you realise that there are healthier alternatives to all of the above, ie: ways to eat your pizza and your brownies the healthy way, then you realise that it is not daunting at all really. Instead, if you take ingredients such as green leafy vegetables, root vegetables, seaweed, sprouts, seeds, unrefined grains, tofu, apples, lemons and watermelon you are choosing ingredients that are easily digested by the body and that provide vital nutrition (including calcium and protein) that can be easily absorbed into the blood stream to nourish you from head-to-toe. By making things easier for your digestive system you are
relieving the stress on your body and allowing it to focus its energy on making you look and feel great. There is no denying that busy lifestyles can cause anyone to have that ‘stressed’ feeling so widely used in this day and age, so it’s so important to take time to relax and calm your mind (on top of eating the right things) too. We like to unwind with some light exercise like Pilates or Vinyasa yoga, followed by a delicious dinner of something like our Superfood Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (see our recipe) - followed by some raw chocolate mousse (chocolate always makes you happy and raw cacao is actually a superfood). Follow our routine and then snuggle up on the sofa after a soothing bath with a box set and a Neom Cocooning, Real Luxury or Enchantment candle and turn your mind fully OFF from all of the things that are buzzing through it from day to day. www.honestlyhealthyfood.com
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Nutritional Nugget Sweet potatoes are high in betacarotene and vitamin A which are rich antioxidants.
Pre-heat oven to 175°C / 350°F. Smother the whole sweet potatoes in 1 tbsp of melted coconut oil and a pinch of salt and put onto a tray in the oven for 50 minutes, or until the inside is soft when you put a knife into it. Take the sweet potato out the oven and cut it open lengthways down the centre. Open the potato without ripping the rest of the skin and scoop out the flesh and set aside in a bowl.
Serves 2 2 medium sized sweet potatoes 2 tbsp melted coconut oil 1 clove garlic grated ¼ cup of water 60g broccoli florets 1 red bell pepper cubed 20g parsley finely chopped ¼ tsp caraway seeds 1 lemon - juice & zest 7g fresh dill Pinch of Himalayan salt Optional: 20g feta cheese
Add the juice of the lemon and the flesh of the sweet potato, mix together and continue to cook for another 2 minutes until incorporated. Add the rest of the water to ‘loosen’ the mixture up and add the lemon zest and chopped fresh dill. Season with Himalayan salt. Carefully stuff the mixture back into the potato skins and serve with a sprinkle of sprouts or herbs to garnish. You could also add some feta to the top.
neom magazine Apr - jun 2014
SUPERFOOD STUFFED SWEET POTATOES
In a frying pan, heat the rest of the coconut oil with the grated garlic and caraway seeds. Leave to cook for 1 minute. Add half of the water and add the chopped broccoli florets, cubed bell pepper and parsley. Leave to cook for a further 2 minutes.
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Coming
HOME Sam Hood, creative director at designer homeware store amara. com, on why the home is the best place to start in order to stress less
W
e all lead busy and hectic lives so it is good to try to create and maintain a stress-free home that will hopefully result in enhanced mood, less stress and better sleep! First impressions are key; the first thing you see when you come home should be something you love, whether it is a piece of art, a vase of flowers or a special souvenir that creates a feel-good focal point. Piles of stuff such as old newspapers on the floor give you thoughts of mess and chaos, not of relaxation. The same goes for bags waiting to be dropped at a charity shop, giving thoughts of obligation and then guilt. Have a designated area
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for things entering and exiting the home, perhaps in chic containers a tidy house is a tidy mind after all! Anxiety can build in small spaces with too much clutter so a cleaner, tidier home can help. Reduce clutter to make the room feel larger offering a feeling of space rather than of claustrophobia, a table or bookshelf in the same colour as the wall can make it almost disappear to visually increase the space. Mirrors too are good at creating the illusion of more space. Think of mood lighting - switch stark standard bulbs to full-spectrum ones which mimic natural light better to give a soothing, natural atmosphere. Light up locations, not
Top 5 Tips
whole rooms, such as spot lighting next to the sofa where you read.
from colour therapist, Lilian Verner Bonds, on choosing the right kinds of colours for a stress-free home:
Simplify your colour scheme using restraint with patterns and bold colours and if you mix patterns, keep their colour schemes similar, and if you like lots of colour then keep patterns to a minimum. If you have too many bright colours or contrasting patterns in a room, your eyes will be drawn all over the place making it difficult to relax. Generally we find cool shades of blue and green and natural earth tones to be relaxing because they remind us of nature. If painting is too much of a commitment why not try adding a few accessories such as cushions, throws and lamp shades in calming colours.
The colour we associate with reducing stress levels is blue. Surrounding yourself with a beautiful rich blue - whether this be a physical object (for example, a cushion) or something which you visualise - will work to de-stress and calm the mind.
www.amara.com
If negativity is a source of stress for you, you’ll find that opportunistic orange may help you to happen upon hidden chances, therefore changing your outlook on life. If you’re feeling a little imbalanced, greenery throughout the house may help you find a little harmony, as green is the colour of balance. It is important not to overexpose yourself to too much of one colour as this may have a detrimental effect on your wellbeing. www.iac-colour.co.uk/lillianvernerbonds
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Home fragrance is a quick and easy way to create atmosphere and maximise the mood. I love fruity and floral fragrance for refreshing and energising – I love Cocooning with its fruity mandarin and Enchantment for its sweet floral combo of bluebell and rose.
Accents of yellow throughout the household will help to promote positivity and increase happiness levels, as yellow is the colour of cheerfulness.
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MOVE your BODY
James Daly is a renowned personal trainer and strength & conditioning coach whose clients include professional athletes. Here he talks through exercise and key training methods to help you live a stress less life
Regular exercise, healthy eating and adequate rest are three big components of a healthy lifestyle that will help to reduce stress levels. Most of us have or will suffer
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from bouts of stress and/or anxiety. Stress is relative and it can be triggered by one single event or be the cumulative effect of a number of different things in our lives.
It is safe to say that nobody wants to feel stressed or anxious. The good news is that there are plenty of measures we can all take to help prevent the onset of stress. Studies demonstrate that elevating endorphin levels induced by exercise have been linked to psychological and physiological changes. These changes include ‘exercise induced euphoria’ and the stress responses of hormones.
Allocate just
right just 2% - only 30 minutes per day. However, physical and mental wellbeing is not just about regular exercise, healthy eating, adequate rest or “doing stuff”. Health and happiness go hand in hand... Kicking back and taking a small amount of time from your busy schedule to unwind is necessary. If we feel relaxed and happy then we often feel more positive and productive in our daily lives. So sit back, strike up a Neom candle and... relax
2%
of your day towards meaningful exercise
You may well lead a busy and hectic life, but we can all sometimes forget that our health is our greatest wealth. I advocate prioritising YOU, so allocate some time to look after yourself. A healthy and positive you will not only improve your quality of life but also that of those around you. Exercise can be incorporated into any busy lifestyle. You don’t need to try and find a whole hour to train - nor should you. Allocate just 2% of your day towards meaningful exercise, that’s
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James Daly’s top training methods for stress relief and overall health
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}
5
top
training methods for stress relief and overall health
Choose one that suits you: Weight Training: Lifting weights is a really effective way of reducing stress. Pick up a barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell and perform some full body exercises. Ensure that you carry out each and every exercise with the right technique.
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or swimming a shot. Slower paced stretching exercises are a really great addition to your training regime. Bodyweight Exercises: We can all learn to master our bodyweight. Planks, press ups, pull ups, squats, lunges and bridges are just a selection of amazing bodyweight exercises. When performed correctly bodyweight training can improve your overall strength and conditioning. And you can do this at home too. Mindful Meditation: Last but not least is this popular form of meditation that encourages one to be aware and present in the ‘now’. Many people find that mindfulmeditation can help reduce the external ‘noise’ and negative thoughts which plague our minds. If you struggle ‘switching off’ and carry stress then you may find this method particularly beneficial.
HIIT: High Intensity Interval Training is fast paced/high impact and fantastic for blowing away stress. Research has shown that small bursts of training (such as HIIT) can be more productive and effective than long drawn out training sessions. HIIT can be performed by sprinting, skipping, boxing, cycling or taking part in any other cardiovascular exercise that rapidly increases your heart rate, for a very short period of time. Try ‘Tabata’ which is a proven and effective form of HIIT. Choose one of the suggested exercises and give it a 20 second blast followed by 10 seconds complete rest. Repeat this 8 times in total. Don’t hold back! Phew!
Disclaimer Please consult your GP before
Flexibility & Mobility: Improving your flexibility and staying supple is good for mind, body and soul. Give yoga
taking part in any physical activity. Seek advice from a fitness professional to ensure that all exercises are performed safely and carried out effectively.
For more stress busting healthy lifestyle tips and exercise advice you can follow James on Twitter @TEAMJDPT or visit: www.jamesdaly.co.uk
More Sleep More Baths More Good Times
LESS stress
3
of the Best…
De-stress books
Portable Sunshine: An Alternative Guide to Stress Management by Peter Nutall B. Sc Published in February this year, Portable Sunshine explores the idea of learning to deal with stress in the comfort of your home and taking those experiences - or portable sunshine with you throughout the day. We like Nutall’s idea to engage all our senses in combatting feelings of stress, known as Total Sense Therapy, and there are case studies to give you ideas on how to work out your own at-home de-stress techniques. Even more reason to light that Enchantment Candle, then!
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Buddha’s Book of Stress Reduction: Finding Serenity and Peace with Mindfulness Meditation by Joseph Emet Detailing 15 meditation exercises, Joseph Emet offers a practical guide to reducing stress. He makes the point that accepting when things are out of your control is crucial. Mindfulness is such an important de-stress technique – we’re careful to stop and appreciate the little things daily - and it’s an empowering thing to be reminded that ultimately it is up to us how we let potentially stressful situations make us feel.
The 10-Step Stress Solution — Live More, Relax More, Reenergise by Neil Shah Another practical guide for 2014, this time from Neil Shah of the Stress Management Society, the 10Step Stress Solution focusses on gaining control of the parts of your life you may feel overwhelmed by. From the office to the home, there are some excellent tips to remember every day, including using breathing techniques to calm your nerves, yoga exercises and time management skills to ensure you maintain that often elusive work/life balance.
ABOUT NEOM LUXURY ORGANICS Established in 2005, Neom is an award-winning organic home fragrance and body care brand. By harnessing the natural therapeutic properties of plants, distilling their essential oils and using them as ingredients in their highest possible concentrations, our products all function as treatments to work on boosting your mood, relaxing, refreshing and de-stressing.
Our award winning range now includes some 100 home fragrance and body care products sold in 16 countries with fans including Kylie Minogue, Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Pendleton among the many other devoted customers and beauty editors alike.
neomorganics.com
neom magazine Apr - jun 2014
Our hand-poured candles are made from 100% natural wax with no paraffin and only natural cotton wicks and every ingredient we produce or source comes from sustainable, organic annual crops.
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