beaquallure
aquAllure
High end Central London's first PoolBiking classes, taking place in Pimlico.
Follow for updates, get in touch to book your place!
www.aquallure.co.uk
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Boom Boom Athletica
aquAllure has partnered with activewear brand; Boom Boom Athletica. Founded by ultra-marathon runner Ann Johansson, who we met at Be fit. Boom Boom Athletica works closely with best-of-breed fabrics from Europe and quality is important to them. What makes them unique is that they use a small production run and personally design each garment to maintain a good quality but most importantly their products can be used in water.
We are proud to have partnered with Boom Boom Athletica and our trainer; Eleonora will be wearing the brand.
To celebrate our partnership, Boom Boom Athletica is offering 20% off.
Enter code AQUA at checkout.
Find out more: http://boomboomathletica.com
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Our Weekly Pick: Maple & Fitz
Founded by Canadian born Adria Wu, Maple & Fitz simply gives you an uplifting experience through it’s colourful, hearty & tasty food and friendly staff.
Our favourites are the the “caulk in Mumbai’ and Adria’s 5 spice tofu with almond butter which is truly addictive.
Find out more: http://mapleandfitz.com
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Skincare for the Active
The elements, environmental pollutants, regular sweating and showering can affect your skin. Pretty Athletic offers a unique range of high-performance, natural skincare products with targeted textures and active botanical ingredients.
Their products are soothing, cooling, protective, nourishing, hydrating and rich in skin-friendly antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Pretty Athletic products are manufactured in England and won a Bronze award for ‘Best New Beauty Brand’ at Pure Beauty Awards 2014.
Find out more: www.prettyathletic.com
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Be:Fit Highlights
aquAllure exhibited at Be:Fit London. We partnered up with New York beauty and wellness on demand app PRIV that offered back massages in our stand (Download their free app). We met the fantastic people from Neat Nutrition, Bella Kinesis and some of our clients came to say hello. On Saturday and Sunday we had the chance to speak to Victoria Pendleton and Denise Lewis. Visitors enjoyed complimentary massage by PRIV and tastings ofPurelosophy drinks.
Clockwise: 1. Our trainer talking to Be:Fit visitors, 2. Eleonora drinking a Relax Purelosophy, 3. Dorine enjoying a chat with the ladies from Bella Kinesis, 4. PRIV giving back massages, 5. Dorine meets Ann Johansson; founder of Boom Boom Athletica, 6. aquAllure class demo, 7. Sweat & Swagger come and say hello, 8. aquAllure meets Victoria Pendleton
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Complimentary Purelosophy drink
Purelosophy is a natural drink from Switzerland. Their range consists of two elements; alpine water and plant extracts. aquAllure will be giving out a complimentary Purelosophy this week.
The range of products assist you in staying focused and relaxed. Results are delivered fast and without unhealthy compromises. Purelosophy offers three different products: Renew, Relax and Power.
Ensure you do not miss your Purelosophy drink after class.
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Charity for Nepal
We are deeply saddened by the tragic events in Nepal. We will be giving a £1 donation to the Disasters Emergency Commitee for each class booked.
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A French woman secret to staying slim
At aquAllure, we are an international feminine team. We’re from France, Germany, Italy, England, and the Comoros! So we are learning a lot about each other’s habits, traditions and cultures which is very enriching and enlightening.
One afternoon, we were enjoying a conversation whilst eating our lunch in the garden when one of the girls stared at my salad asking me if that was the secret to French women staying slim. I laughed and said that it was a myth; France deals with obesity like every other country, and not all French women are slim. I happen to be, but that’s how I am and I like salad too!
Her question bothered me all day, so I did some research on the internet to try to understand where this belief originated. Apparently, a study was recently made by the French National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED)[1] showing that French women are the slimmest in Europe, with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 23.2 whereas the European mean is 24.2! Really?
I continued to explore deeper and I realised that it is not about being (and staying slim), it is about adopting healthy and good eating habits, and as a result, there is no need to be constantly on a diet! That is the secret.
It is widely known that France is the country of good food (and I must say I am kind of proud!): croissants, pains au chocolat, loads of different varieties of cheese, red, white and rosé wines, baguettes and different regional yet famous dishes like Gratin Dauphinois, Cassoulet, Bouillabaisse and so on. French people (not all of them I guess, but most of them) really like to cook.
Cooking is important, it is part of our culture: we like going to the market and choosing the products we’re going to use; we like to invite friends over and make them a lovely dinner, from entrées to desserts to wine. When you take your time to cook, you get to know the ingredients, the tastes, the flavours, the properties and the calories too! It is a discovery, and it is always very interesting! Cooking is also about sharing: taking time to sit, to eat with friends and family, to share a warm moment and being fully informed of what you are eating. If so, your brain will tell you when and where to stop eating; scientists say it takes at least 15 min for your brain to feel fullness. Eating slowly, taking time to chew and taste all the ingredients is the way forward!
We also have some rules since the dawn of time (maybe not, but I’ve heard them since I was a child):
- Eating at the same hour everyday, 3 times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- No snacking!
- Breakfast should be substantial, lunch should be significant and dinner should be light (petit déjeuner de roi, déjeuner de bourgeois et diner de pauvres: literally, King breakfast, bourgeois lunch and poor diner).
- Eating food in a certain order (for example, dairy products at the very end of the meal!).
So the secret is to eat everything with full conscience, take your time when you can and relax. Embrace your body shape and type, because that is who you are and what makes you beautiful! Don’t forget to forget the rules from time to time too ;-)
Have a healthy French weekend with aquAllure !
Marine D.
[1] French research institute specialized in demography and population studies in general.
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Water Girl
These past few days, the weather in London wasn’t exactly what we’re expecting from a Summer…Gloomy London was under siege by rain showers while the temperatures were ailing and you were dreaming of a holiday while going through your friend’s facebook album entitled “Greece 2014”. Frustrating, I know. The Thames is not exactly blue, neither is the sky…But the Summer is not over yet! Azur is the colour to extend your summer and to put some blue in your eyes, literally. Whatever their colour, electric blue eyeliners (1) are playing duets with mascaras of the same tint (2) for a blue look reminiscent of your holiday at the beach. And it is not only about makeup…Check out our total blue look to be a real water girl, whether you’re going to your aquacycling class, your swimming lessons or just to enjoy a nice bath in the Atlantic Ocean or the North sea!
(1) DIOR Crayon Eyeliner Waterproof, Captivating Blue, 254 Navy. £27
(2) DIOR Waterproof Mascara, catwalk blue – Bright Blue. £24,50
(3) Blue beach bag. £25
(4) MELISSA ODABASH, Sumatra Bikini in blue.£86
(5) Summer oasis “Ombre Stripe” Blue beach towel. £25
(6) MARC JACOBS BEAUTY, Enamored hi-shine nail lacquer iridescent deep ocean blue, 132 Blue Velvet. £18
(7) HAVAINAS top blue sky flip flops. £16
Have a Côte d'Azur weekend with aquAllure !
Marine D.
#blue#swimsuit#beauty#makeup#aquAllure#aquacycling#beach girl#beach#swimming#azur#look#lookoftheday#london#watercolor#holiday#swimmingpool
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The Urban Kitchen: a healthy, convenient lunchtime alternative
The aquAllure team always asks itself the same question every day at lunchtime: what are we going to eat? It is so hot these days that we are all looking for a good, refreshing and healthy meal. But here’s the thing: either you are making a Niçoise salad or buying an avocado wrap, it can really quickly become boring, and not that healthy! We always lack of ideas and/or motivation, I know.
Two weeks ago, we met the incredible team of The Urban Kitchen at their office in Bermondsey. They were happily cooking for their customers in a friendly, relaxed environment, and it smelled so good that we started to be really hungry.
Toral, the lovely founder of The Urban Kitchen kindly gave us two perfectly packed lunches that we were dying to try! We rushed back to the office after a productive meeting, and opened our boxes with excitement. The first meal was a lemon, honey and dill chicken salad and the other was ginger haddock fillets; you can’t buy those from The Urban Kitchen, aquAllure got a special treat! However, the ingredients they used in our lunch can be found in other meals, and as usual, it was made with great care and love for healthy and balanced food.
The lemon honey and dill chicken was tasty and refreshing with the immune-boosting lemon and the crunchy antioxidant fennel. The slightly sweet taste of honey went really well with the chicken, enhanced with healthy and aromatic fresh herbs. Just delicious! Exactly what we were looking for in those hot days: low fat, fresh, tasty and nutritionally balanced!
I must admit that I don’t like ginger, so I was a bit reluctant to try the fish. But The Urban Kitchen masters the art of cooking; ginger was there, you could taste it, but it was very light and balanced. This word – balanced - really defines the Urban Kitchen! The fish was very soft, lying on a crunchy range of different vegetables, making us discover new flavours and textures.
Curious about this healthy lunchbox delivery alternative? Check out their website at http://www.theurbankitchen.co.uk/ or enter the competition to win 2 tickets for the our Lunchtime Lift class on Friday 29th of August:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Have a great week with aquAllure !
Marine D.
#health#summerfood#healthyeating#fennel#bodyandmind naturaleating fresh balance nutrionalbenefits#win#competition#urbankitchen#lunchtimelift
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WIN 2 TICKETS TO AN EXCLUSIVE LUNCHTIME LIFT HEALTH AND FITNESS EVENT
aquAllure has teamed up with London's exquisite lunchbox delivery service, THE URBAN KITCHEN, to create an innovative new lunchtime wellness event for health conscious Londoners.
To celebrate this exciting new partnership, we are giving away one pair of tickets to the exclusive launch of Lunchtime Lifts on 29th August.
Lunchtime Lift aims to energise Londoners after a busy week at work and prepare them for their weekend with an invigorating aqua cycling class, a nutritious gourmet lunch from The Urban Kitchen and plenty of beauty and wellness giveaways.
As well as a 30minute aquAllure Poolbiking taster class and a healthy lunch, the prize features two goody bags with health, fitness and beauty gifts from Pretty Athletic, Melissa Odabash swimwear, Purelosophy, Misfit Wearables, GYM TOTE and many more.
So what are you waiting for healthy Londoners?
It only takes a minute to enter below. Good luck and see you in the pool!
Click the Link below to enter the competition, it only takes a few seconds!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Have a great weekend!
The aquAllure Team
#bikinibody#london#BEaquAllure#theurbankitchen#competition#win#toning#centrallondon#poolbiking#aquacycling#fatburn#fitness#getfit#fitnessfood#lowimpact#fitfam
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The orange peel (and it’s not to put in your Cosmopolitan)
Only 2% of unbelievably lucky women don’t have cellulite. For the rest, it is just a nightmare especially in the summer where you want to show off your new swimsuit at the beach. I know.
Cellulite is – it will be quite technical right now – a pile of adipose cells which are saturated. It blocks liquids flow, especially lymph whose role is to carry toxins towards the organs able to treat them. As a result, the toxins accumulate and it leads to an inflammation. Concretely, it means swellings and this non aesthetic orange-peel skin aspect. Not attractive.
Sports are, of course, the best way to get rid of cellulite IF and only IF you exercise regularly. I must admit that I am not very sporty, but I do walk a lot or cycle around London and there was a time when I used to run twice a week. I stopped running for a while, because - let’s be honest - I always have an excuse and my cellulite is still there, hooked like a limpet on a rock! Now it is really too hot to go out and run (another excuse) so I found myself at our aquacycling classes, enjoying the freshness of the swimming pool.
Aquacycling is also a good workout to get rid of cellulite; combining the principles of stationary cycling with the healthy soothing powers of water, it helps to burn fat – up to 800 cal per 45 minutes session – to reduce the orange-peel skin aspect, to tone up and can also help to lose weight. Again, only if you are doing it regularly!
Don’t forget to drink a lot, to eliminate toxins and to make sure you stay hydrated and try to eat as many fruits, vegetables and natural ingredients as you can. Sugar and too much animal proteins are not your friends in this battle!
So now that you are doing sports on a regular basis, drinking water night and day, and eating celery branches for your afternoon tea, cellulite is almost defeated. It’s now time to draw your secret weapon: caffeine.
Caffeine tightens and provides antioxidant to the skin, as well as help to reduce appearance of cellulite. I am not talking about drinking litres of coffee, but making your own bath anti cellulite scrub with coffee grounds. All you need is coconut oil (6tbsp), sea salt (3 tbsp) and coffee grounds: with a gentle massage of this mixture on the area where cellulite is located, you will stimulate blood flow and enjoy a smoother, firmer skin. Repeat every time you shower for better results.
Elle est pas belle la vie?
Have a caffeine weekend with aquAllure !
Marine D.
#cellulite#caffeine#poolbiking beaquallure orangepeel diy scrub anticellulite summer fresh swimmingpool beach sports
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Happy feet !
I have a confession to make: until last Tuesday, I had never ever done a pedicure in my life! I have always neglected my poor feet because to me, they were not that important. They were always covered with blisters, plasters and callous and were always very painful at the end of the day, especially because I walk a lot in beautiful sunny London these days. But I didn’t really pay attention, like if they were not entirely part of my body. Odd, I know! But then, I went to one of our aquacycling class, and as our bikes are equipped with antibacterial strap sole, you can pedal barefoot. I started to blush when I saw all these women with beautiful feet and perfect pedicures. I looked down at my dry feet, my ripped toe nails and my callous and felt the urge to just…do something. The way I’ve been treating them should stop right now (and the shame I was feeling too)!
I thought that writing an article about feet health and care this week would be a good idea for me to start learning on how to take care of my feet the way they deserve. So, for all the ladies that like me, are mistreating their feet, here’s what you can do to stop the disaster and show off beautiful healthy feet!
As part of my investigation, I had to have a pedicure to get me started! Next to Dolphin square where we are holding our classes, the beauty salon and shop Appuru is a haven of peace and tranquility where Karen and her team take care of your body and mind. Appuru, which means apple in Japanese, strive to offer luxury products and treatments, all fair-trade, organic and natural; they try, as far as possible, to stock and use only products that are free from parabens, petrochemicals, sulphates, formaldehyde and toluene, synthetic fragrances and other skin irritants. And it feels great: healthy skin care, whether it is for your feet, your face or your body, starts with healthy products! After years of poor treatments, I thought that was the least I could offer to my feet. I loved Appuru already, and their Pinks boutique chic organic pedicure achieved to convince me!
http://www.appuru.co.uk/
When I entered the shop, I immediately felt very calm; the green and brown asian tones reminded me of nature, the wide range of natural products on the shelves gave me the desire to try them all and to discover all about the lovely brands behind them! Karen, the owner of the shop who’s been working in the beauty field for 20 years, gave me a warm and friendly welcome. Here I was, immerged in her world: she opened the shop in 2008 but it is only in 2011 that she started offering the luxurious beauty treatments, from hair removal to manicure to massages and make up! And everything is from natural, fair-trade or organic products! Who could ask for anything more?!
Karen made me choose my Zoya nailpolish from a colorful basket: didn’t know which one to choose…the sparkly punchy orange one or the bright matte pink one? I finally went for a classic pretty tone called “Cola” that I absolutely loved. It also made me discover the Zoya brand that has recently been awarded as the longest wearing natural nail polish by an independent panel in Women’s health magazine. Zoya nail polish is also free from toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthalates) and camphor. Just perfect!
I then met Katherine, the beautician that was going to take care of my feet. I followed her downstairs, while Karen was making me a herbal detoxifying Voya tea with organic seaweed. How lovely!
As I was taking my shoes off, I apologize to Katherine for the hard work my feet were going to give her! I then sat on a luxurious treatment couch, and put my feet in a whirlpool bath. A natural relaxing soft music was playing, and I could have just fallen asleep straight away! But that was the time for my pedicure to start, using only Pinks boutique products, a brand with ethical values and a strong belief in beauty, nature and truth. I also really enjoyed the light smell of these products, really refreshing and pleasant.
The pedicure steps are as follow and lasts for 45 minutes (40£):
1) Whirlpool bath
2) File the nails and get rid of the cuticles
3) Scrub callous and hard skin
4) Bath scrub (Pink’s Boutique Himalayan salt)
5) Stimulating and refreshing oil massage
6) Application of a shea butter foot balm to moisturize and nourish.
7) Nail polish application !
And you’re ready to go! Well, I wasn’t as I didn’t bring flip flops with me and couldn’t put my shoes back on as you have to wait at least for 30 minutes. I took my time to admire my brand new healthy and glowy feet, to discuss with Karen again and to write down all the good advice Katherine gave me to take good care of your feet and toenails.
To make sure a pedicure lasts, you need to protect your skin by always moisturizing your feet after showering; it is really important as your skin and nails are weaken by the sun and swimming pool chlorine. What you eat is also important for the strength and beauty of your nails: make sure you have all the necessary nutriments in your day (proteins, vitamins, omega 3, iron and zinc).To finish, you can file your nails and scrub hard skin then put a restorative oil for the night, once a week. The whole pedicure is recommended every 6 weeks.
I really enjoyed the experience and will definitely come back in 6 weeks to keep my feet happy and healthy! And now, I can show off at the aquacycling classes! Thank you Appuru!
Have a happy weekend with aquallure !
Marine D.
#pedicure#feet#swimmingpool#aquacycling#beauty#healthyfeet#happyandrelaxed#beaquallure#appuru#nails#nailpolish#summer#sunny#natural#organic#fairtrade
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Underwater beat
A lot of people, including me, love to listen to music while exercising. It gives you this little push, this extra motivation and this dynamism you need to outdo yourself. And it feels great! Every day, in London’s streets, you can see people running or cycling with their MP3 glued to their ears, sweating and smiling when they hear their favourite song, giving them the urge to speed up. Why this privilege would be only for dry sports? Now, you can also listen to music underwater thanks to a wide range of waterproof MP3 players!
Our favourite one at aquAllure is called Neptune’s headphone. They conduct sound through bones, the same way dolphins and whales communicate. And there is no better place to try it than at Dolphin’s square swimming pool! The Neptune’s headphones strap on to swimming goggles and rest in front of a user’s ears, sending sound waves to the inner ear. The mp3 player comes with 4GB of storage – enough capacity for 1,000 songs.The Neptune costs £100 from finisinc.com
Now you have the device. But what about the music? Several criteria are to be taken in consideration for your playlist to be the best; the rhythm, music type and lyrics of a song are very important: “"If you synchronize your movements with the rhythm of the music of one or two BPM beyond your comfort zone, it will improve the pace of your work without any real noticeable difference in your efforts " says Dr Costas Karageorghis from the School of sport and education.
So here’s the aquAllure playlist to burn calories without even noticing!
Can’t hold us – Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis
My number – Foals
Midnight city – M83
Get lucky – Daft Punk & Pharell Williams
Anything could happen – Ellie Goulding
Roar – Katie Perry
Single ladies - Beyoncé
Move – Little Mix
Levels - Avicci
Raise your glass – Pink
Have a dynamic weekend with aquAllure !
Marine D.
#music#pool#Poolbiking#aquAllure#aquabiking#aquacycling#aquaspin#aquafitness#fitness#london#BEaquAllure#swimming pool#summer#get in shape#getfit#fit fam#fitness motivation#musica#music inside#inner earphones
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If you are not a confident person, pretend to be one
Caitlin Moran
#Motivation Quote#fitness motivation#workout wednesday#caitlin Moran#confident#confidence#motivation#BEaquAllure
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#fruits#fruits salad#fruit salad#smoothie#smoothie season#kiwi#pinapple#strawberry#strawberries#healthy breakfast#breakfast#summer breakfast#summer#summer body#healthy eating#healthy food#break#summer break#tasteful#sweet#healthcare#wellness#wellbeing#getfit#get fit for summer#get in shape#shape#fitspiration#fitspire-yourself#fitspo
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Prends en de la graine! And preferably chia...
The aquAllure team were having lunch the other day, and we were talking about our latest food obsessions; in the middle of two green salad leaves and half an egg, Mel, our operational manager said she was crazy about chia seeds. Chia what? I know, that was also our reaction. But as she was explaining how much it helped her feeling better and healthier, we all started to listen very carefully.
Chia seeds come from South America, and were used for more than a thousand years. They look like very tiny shiny beach stones and as they don’t have a strong taste, you can use them in almost anything eatable, from sweet to savoury.
These seeds contain more omega 3 fatty acid than salmon, a wealth of antioxidants and minerals, a complete source of protein and more fiber than flax seed. In fact, chia means “strength” in Mayan and chia seeds are also called “Indian runner food” because of their amazing nutritional values. These benefits manifest as: much better digestion, protection from cardiovascular diseases, lower cholesterol, positive effects on blood sugar – particularly recommended for diabetic people – and antioxidant property. It is also very helpful when you are on a diet as it helps regulate your appetite.
You can put chia seeds in any kind of dishes. Mel likes to sprinkle chia seeds on her cereals, or put them in her yogurt or on her salad. Sometimes, chia seeds are grinded so that they can be incorporate in cakes, muffins, or bread. There are now loads of recipes with those tiny shiny seeds that you can find on the internet but here’s Mel’s favourite breakfast recipe: 30g of organic oat + 1 tbs of chia seeds + 1 tbs of flax seeds + 1 tbs of oat bran + 1 tbs of agave syrup + hemp milk together with goji berries and you’re good to go to your poolbiking classes !
You can find chia seeds in Revital stores, and some restaurants or take away food chains are now adding this new food craze to their preparations. For example, Crush in Pimlico is making salads with chia seeds!
Have a healthy weekend with the aquAllure team!
Marine D
#chia seeds#breakfast#lunch#graine#healthy eating#healthy food#healthy breakfast#healthy lunch#healthy#health#healthcare#healthier#diet#weight loss#wellness#wellbeing#fitness lifestyle#fitness friday#fitness life#getfit#get in shape#fitspiration#fitspire#fitspire-yourself#fitspo#protein#omega 3#south america#fiber#healthy dishes
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