This delicious smoothie will have you dreaming of the tropics in no time. It’s a healthy treat you’ll enjoy anytime of the day and makes a great dessert served with a few of your favorite cookies. For a quick meal on the go when I am pressed for time but still want a nutritious breakfast I add my favorite green powder. Always use organic ingredients whenever possible.

Ingredients: 1 Pint vanilla frozen yogurt (or plain, just add more sweetener if needed); 1 Cup un-sweetened coconut milk (you can use canned or So Delicious coconut milk); ½ to 1 Cup milk or non-dairy milk alternative (almond milk is great in this shake); ½ Cup frozen bananas (cut in ¼ inch rounds); ¼ Cup fresh or frozen mango (cut in 1 inch pieces); ¼ Cup fresh or frozen pineapple (cut in 1 inch pieces); 1 Tablespoon agave sweetener (optional if needed); Toasted shredded coconut (optional for garnish); Pineapple slices (optional for garnish); Mint leaves (for garnish)

Place all the ingredients, except garnishes, in the blender. Pulse the blender on high, stopping a couple of times to stir and push down the sides. If the shake is too thick add more milk and continue blending until it reaches a creamy consistency and all the fruit is blended well. You can also use a little water instead of the milk if you like. If the shake becomes too thin just add a bit more frozen fruit or frozen yogurt. Experiment with your favorite frozen yogurt flavors and fruits to make your own special creation! Your kids will love helping in the kitchen too when you make these yummy treats.

Kate McAloon is a personal chef whose client list includes Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr, Tracy Anderson and Gwyneth Paltrow. Visit Chef Kate’s website www.chefkatealiveandcooking.com and the Kora Organics blog www.koraorganics.com (under Chef Kate) for more healthy organic recipes and articles.

Image: Peter Turner www.magiclanternpaperproducts.com.

We all experience a certain level of stress. In fact it is a necessary part of life but there will be times for all of us when it becomes overwhelming. One of the oldest and most natural ways of relieving stress is through Yoga which combines discipline of the mind, body and spirit through the control of movement and breathing. It’s this combination of physical and psychological equilibrium that can deliver the magic pill.

When we become stressed or anxious, our breathing becomes shallow and rapid. It comes from the chest rather than the diaphragm which kick-starts the physical stress response.  This results in the rest of the body tensing and, in turn, a complicated series of very real physical symptoms.

We may not even be aware that we’re suffering from stress as it shows itself in a variety of ailments such as headaches, fatigue and insomnia. We all react to it differently too.  Some people become angry and irritable whilst others are withdrawn.

If our ability to cope with stress is inadequate, our immunity to illness is reduced. Our emotional and physical health is connected so that when we are struggling emotionally, our muscles tense, drawing energy to particular parts of the body and making us sluggish and less dynamic.

During Yoga we focus on taking, deep, lung-filling breaths, leading to deep relaxation.  Once this technique is mastered, we can draw on it outside of the Yoga session which results in growing confidence in our ability to control our emotions at times when it feels they amy take over.

We do however need a certain level of stress to motivate us.  Through Yoga we can also harness this positive stress and transform the negative.  A vital element of Yoga practice is concentration on breathing and visualisation, which distracts the mind from our daily worries and allows us to focus on relaxing, positive thoughts.  This temporary respite for the mind, is carried through after the Yoga session has ended, leaving us feeling energised and with a sense of wellbeing.

The controlled movements of Yoga increase flexibility and muscle strength, reducing the physical effects of tension and allowing our bodies to function to their full potential. When stress is under control, we are able to think more clearly, feel in control and are more likely to remain physically healthy.

The discipline of mind and body achieved during Yoga, leads to an increased ability to cope in everyday life and stops us from resorting unhealthy ways of dealing with stress, such as over or under-eating, alcohol or drug abuse and even prescription drugs which can lead to side effects and dependancy.

Yoga is a time-honoured and natural way of developing a coping strategy for stress, so it’s well worth giving it a try if you haven’t already.

 

Thanks to the BBC’s UN correspondent Barbara Plett for this, a bona fide good-news story:

Bhutan has put the politics of happiness on the UN’s agenda.

This week the General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution that aims to make happiness a “development indicator”.

Bhutan’s ambassador Lhatu Wangchuk told the BBC the next step was to help UN members better understand the concept.

He admitted some were sceptical when Bhutan started lobbying for the resolution 10 months ago. But ultimately it won 66 co-sponsors, including the UK.

The idea is based on Bhutan’s model of GNH, or Gross National Happiness, which measures quality of life by trying to strike a balance between the material and the spiritual.

The resolution invites member states to draw up their own measures of happiness and contribute them to the UN’s development agenda.

“It’s basically an approach,” said Mr Wangchuk. “Our initial idea was to bring the concept of happiness to the consciousness of the UN membership… because we know that GDP indicators are inadequate to address human needs.”

But given the conflicts that divide so many member states, isn’t one country’s happiness often another’s unhappiness?

Mr Wangchuk maintained that wars and disputes do not indicate happiness or otherwise. They are caused by the egos and interests of leaders, he said.

He admitted his vision is Utopian, but “if you don’t have a dream you’ll have nothing to work on”.

Asked if he thought UN diplomats were a happy bunch, he said many were overworked and needed to make better use of their time, one of Bhutan’s happiness indicators.

“I tell them they must have sleeping time, time with their families,” he said.

via BBC News – Bhutan spreads happiness to UN.

We’re really pleased to report that the Lovestretch message is getting out there to pregnant women. Dressing a bump for the entire nine months can mean relying on maternity wear which, after the birth, is destined for the back of wardrobe… Until another happy event beckons. What Lovestretch can offer the well-dressed mummy-to-be is a selection of lovely clothes to see her through her pregnancy and beyond.

The Bumpwear Project is a website that specializes in special clothes for this important time. It features our Language Los Angeles tie-dye tunic for festival-goers who don’t want to skip the fun this summer. If you know anyone looking for great clothes to keep their bumps dressed beautifully point them in our direction.

Now we’re into the hotter months, we thought we’d run our programme of top exercise tips by the celebrity trainer Dee Thresher. First up, banish those love handles:

There are many things a woman wants in her life but a muffin top is rarely, if ever, one of them. That pesky roll of female softness that spills out over the top of a low waistband can sometimes take quite a bit of work to smooth – never to eradicate, though, we need some of it for optimum health.

Exercise 1: Lie on your back on top of a soft surface and kee the shoulders on the floor. Place your fingers by your temples with your elbows wide. Drop your knees to one side then lift and lower the shoulders, targeting your waistline.  As you lift your shoulders advance this exercise by lifting and lowering the top leg as you raise your shoulders off the floor. Repeat 20 times. In the same position place your knee back down and drop the hand on the side of the feet and reach towards your feet by bending the spine downwards. Repeat 20 times, targeting the back of the waist.

Exercise 2: (You may use a hand weight with these exercises or a water bottle.) Lie on your back with a soft surface underneath. Lifting both legs off the floor and if possible your head also (resting on your shoulders), take one hand weight and start to “scissor” your legs. When you have the action of the scissors going, start passing the weight through your legs in a figure of 8 motion. Repeat 40 times in total and if required add a break half way through.

Dee Thresher wears a selection of Asquith London and Kelly Hoppen for Earth Couture.

A woman’s life often alters dramatically in her thirties compared to the previous decade. Priorities change to family and home life and the balancing act often leaves little or no relaxation time.

After a hectic day we are also are inclined to reward our achievements and hard work with a large glass of wine or something calorific to nibble on. However, it is imperative to remember that as a woman heads into her thirties her metabolism begins to slow, resulting in our bodies often looking more flab than fab. But there is no need to panic just yet as there are a number of specific exercises recommended for resolving this problem that don’t involve sweating uncontrollably into your Lycra.

The ideal exercises recommended for toning up are ‘strength’ exercises aimed to target specific muscle fibres that strengthen and tone the body (as opposed to purely raising your heart rate). What is also great about these exercises is that they can be done in your own living room if finding the time to visit your local gym is an issue. It is important to do five to ten minutes warm up prior to any exercise to prepare your body, and if it has been a while since you have done anything physical it is vital that you don’t do too much too soon. Focus initially on learning the techniques of each exercise instead of just focusing on how much you can do.

Pilates is an excellent form of exercise that has a number of health benefits as well as having the capacity to strengthen and tone the human body. It is a unique combination of strength and flexibility workouts that can result in physical fitness improvements, flatter and tighter abs, better posture and is a great form of stress relief. Many celebrities trust Pilates as the key to maintaining a healthy and well toned looking body.

Yoga has become more and more popular over the past few years and is an excellent art that tones muscles and helps keeps you fit. There are varying degrees of yoga practices and there is often a misconception that it is for those who can fold their self into a human pretzel. This is definitely not the case and if practiced on a regular basis can dramatically improve your physique.

The most important thing to remember is that regular exercise helps protect against heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, back pain and promotes psychological well being. You will also find that day to day activities become easier and your energy levels will be higher. It is never too late to start practicing some form of muscle toning exercise three or more times a week and the benefits will soon be visible for all to see and for you to feel.

We love this look. Heymann’s cotton and silk dress, now on sale, plus a pair of classic leggings really do create a special magic together. The sale now includes pieces with a marvelous discount of up to 70% so don’t miss outfits likes these ones.

Have you ever watched a cat stretching? You can practically see the relaxation ooze out of every part of their bodies. There is a looseness about them which is enviable. But then, they don’t have to worry about clothes moving around or exposing various body parts. Their fur is neatly attached to their skin.

When we stretch in everyday life, chances are that the enjoyment comes to an abrupt end as soon as our top creeps up our torso or the trousers start to cut painfully into the belly region. That basically means that wearing clothes that restrict us in our range of movement due to cut, fabric or design bars us from the relaxing outcome of stretching cat-style.

What to do? What we are looking for is a second skin just our size that moves with us and doesn’t hold us back. And that’s were stretch clothes come in.  They allow our bodies – like a cat’s – to extend fully, to twist, turn, elongate and open.

We are already facing so many restrictions to our movement on an average day in the office, on public transport, carrying shopping bags and last but not least the rules our society lives by, we don’t need to make it worse by choosing clothes that cage us in. But even when wearing stretch couture, your body is building up tension, muscles shorten and the breath becomes restricted.

To become a cat and stretch to balance our body out again, yoga classes are a good place to start. Stretching our outer body creates space without and within. The combination of movements and breath can help us to let go of restrictions. In our practice, we can try to concentrate on the thought of letting go of all restrictions allowing broadness and space in. Enjoy the freedom of movement.

We wanted to share this fascinating conversation between Sylvie Guillem and AnOther magazine. If you love your dance, it’s a great read (follow the link at the bottom for the entire interview).

The legendary one-time étoile ballerina of the Paris Opera Ballet turned avant-garde dance master Sylvie Guillem has worked with some of the greatest choreographers of the modern age, and this week she appears in a unique collaboration with three of the most eminent: Mats Ek, William Forsythe and Jiří Kylián.

’6000 Miles Away’ is already being hailed as a masterpiece by insiders and it promises to be a transcendental masterclass in the language of dance from the 45-year-old dancer famed in her youth for a rebellious streak that earned her the industry nickname Mademoiselle Non.

In person the CBE-holding dancer is as formidable in character as her lean, toned muscular body, although her eyes and quick smile belie a profound depth of humility and humanity – after all, this is a woman who has shunned celebrity her entire life, despite being widely considered one of the greatest artists of her generation. In this rare interview with John-Paul Pryor the revered boundary-defying dancer and choreographer discusses her drive, her discipline and her penchant for saying non.

What would you say drives you to continually push yourself in your art form?

I think it comes from my personality. I’m still a kid trying to be astonished by things. I have kind of this curiosity to learn, and I’m always learning something new. It’s always about putting myself in danger – putting myself in an uncomfortable situation for a while – and that’s very rewarding because it’s always a step forward. I am used to a routine and discipline as well, of course, because that’s the base of what I do, but if I was not able to go out of that or to use it as a springboard then I would be bored. My problem with dance is that it can follow a recipe that is very efficient but it is only a recipe. In that instance, it will be good but it won’t be excellent – it won’t be exceptional, it won’t be extraordinary.

via Art Talks – Sylvie Guillem | AnOther.