Hope William-Smith
ACAI BOWL GOODNESS
Pronounced (ah-sigh-ee) and native in Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil, the Acai berry is small purple fruit of the Euterpe genus which, when blended, looks and taste like ice cream and is a breakfast dream come true. Acai bowls are almost like a thick smoothie topped with other berries or fruit, seeds and nuts. Acai puree is often mixed with frozen banana or strawberries and thinned out with soy, coconut or almond milk. The Acai berry has been popularised by both its taste and health benefits and can be found in the freezer section of supermarkets and health food stores. Simply blend frozen sliced fruits with Acai berries or powder, milk of choice and 1/2 tablespoon of honey, then top with fresh fruit, goji berries, muesli clusters or seeds. Acai bowls are packed full of antioxidants and the ideal way to start the summer days.
GURU YOGA
GuruYoga is a yoga app like no other – the perfect companion to your daily stretching routine. Working in conjunction with the My Yoga Guru book, the app allows you to view all the yoga poses available in the book, create, save, and adapt your own sessions, view and pre-load sessions and monitor your activity and progress. In addition to creating your own sessions, GuruYoga also suggests session for you dependent on your level and available time. There is an easy to search database of single exercises which are divided by level and purpose. These include upper or lower body flexibility, concentration, relaxation, and breathing. Whether you’re into sun salutations, or more of a downward dog type of yogi, GuruYoga is a must have to reach your yoga goals.
THE BENEFITS OF DUMBBELLS
What can look like a complicated piece of gym equipment that comes with a hard use and muscles only manual is surprisingly easy for all. Simple dumbbell swings with any weight localise a group of muscles known collectively as your posterior chain – basically your hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and core. By strengthening these muscles with easy to do dumbbell exercises you are making your muscles leaner and more defined, whilst also protecting your lower back from risk of injury. Dumbbells are also perfect for your cardiovascular routine – to turn dumbbell swings into a cardio drill, use a light weight for a longer amount of time. Three to six sets of 20 to 50 swimming, or a timed circuit where you swing the dumbbell for 30 seconds, rest for 15 seconds and repeat this 10 times, will provide a challenging but do-able cardio workout.
