Jawbone Fitness Tracker Review

Today is a short and sweet one. Not loads of in-depth analysis to do on this product.

Fitness trackers are all the rage at the moment. From counting steps, sleep analysis and counting calorie expenditure. Its a statisticians dream! After a few PT Clients were raving about them I decided to test one out myself.

10,000 is the number of steps everyone should be doing every single day. Now Im always in the gym and doing various bits and bobs but walking 10,000 steps a day is probably a struggle for me on a non running day, so I thought this would be good motivation for me... Ive wanted to get out of my normal routine and walk more for ages! I always walk alot on holidays so why not at home?

The Jawbone fitness tracker is a slimline black band and doesn't look to bulky on the wrist...which some other brands do. Huge bonus for the fashionistas out there!

The tracker I found was very accurate, it was fantastic motivation and I had it set to a timer so if I had been sitting for 30mins it would vibrate to let me know. It prompts you to move more! I found this definitely helped me, and made me more active then normal.

Theres a little button on the band which you can switch into sleep mode or active mode. But the sleep analysis I found was really inaccurate though. It would say I was in a deep sleep when I definitely wasn't, It would say I was awake when I thought I had been asleep! Very inconsistent and I wouldn't read into the sleep analysis feature at all.

I never read too much into 'calorie counting'  anyway, there are so many factors that come into how many calories you burn when at rest/exercising/sleeping so telling me I've burned 1000kcal today will probably be inaccurate. I also found updating the data onto my phone a little bit of a hassle and it was very slow.

Spending £80.00 on a fitness tracker is a bit much...it's a glorified pedometer really and you can get them in Boots for a fiver.

Good for beginners but looking forward to trying a higher tech one.

Raw Blueberry & Lavender Cheesecake (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Birthdays.....mainly consist of cake right? My Mam is the ultimate cake maker...I dont care what anyone else says, hers are the best and I mostly get excited about family birthdays because I know I'm going to eat cake. No they are not vegan, healthy, clean, paleo, gluten free, dairy free or remotely good for you. But every once in a while won't hurt, you HAVE TO LIVE. We can't be eating kale, quinoa and avocados 100% of the time...I would go mad.

Mother Smith was actually a baker in her 20's so she makes everything from scratch such as pastries, cakes and breads and she's very good at sabotaging a diet! When I was younger she made novelty cakes, such as princess, clown, teddy bears and all sorts! Now we are older and allegedly more mature she goes for various chocolate cakes, and my god they are unbelievable...think of Bruce Bogtrotter in Matilda.

But what happens if you dont actually want a piece of homemade chocolate cake (which is rare). Upon my vegan journey my taste buds are changing, and I found myself wanting to make a more healthier natural cake then just a normal birthday cake.

So here we go, a Raw Blueberry & Lavender Vegan Gluten Free Cheesecake, made for a birthday and perfect for summer.

Ive just started to grow Lavender in the garden so I've been waiting for an excuse to use it in cooking!


Its creamy, hits the sugar craving spot and leaves you satisfied.

Ingredients 

Crust

1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup almonds
Pinch of salt

Filling

3/4 cup cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours)
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1/3 full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup blueberries
3 tablespoons of fresh lavender
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Method

For the base put the almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, add the dates and salt, pulse again until a thick paste forms.

Press the mixture into the base of a tray (5 inch) make sure the mixture covers very evenly and use greaseproof paper. Then pop into the freezer while you make the filling.

For the filling put of all the ingredients into the food processor and mix for a few minutes until a smooth creamy mixture forms. Pour the mixture into the tray on top of the base and then freeze again.

Freeze for 4 hours, then remove and leave to thaw out a little this can take 10-15mins

Top with fresh lavender, blueberries, edible flowers and coconut.

Stace x

The Group Gym Review

With National Gym Memberships down according to The Telegraph there seems to be an awful lot of new budget gyms popping up everywhere. Pure Gym, Exercise4Less, The Gym Group and soon to be added to that list is Mike Ashleys Sports Direct Gyms. With Memberships ranging from £5 to £20 who could turn down an opportunity to actually afford it for once, and this is probably why there is such a push for these budget gyms at the moment. I have a feeling that this declining figure will soon be on the rise again and the more expensive gyms will be in fear of the new 'budget' Brands taking over the market.

I recently went down to the newly opened The Gym Group in Gosforth Newcastle to have a sneak peak at the new facilities and to see what you can get for bargain £12.99 a month.

First impressions are everything and instead of a normal reception area, there are glass booths you can go into to enter the gym, disabled access is also available at all of their gyms. Each member gets his or hers pincode to enter the gym, which allows the booth to open and for you to be transported into the otherside...very Austin Powers like.

There was a steady stream of people going in and out of the gym but with anything brand new and technical there was a few glitches and some customers who's Pincode didn't work were left waiting until a member of staff allowed them in.  I am presuming it was a teething problem due to this being opening week. The Gym Group already have over 60 gyms Nationwide and more opening soon (including another one opening in Newcastle City Centre next to The Gate) so this concept must be working.

The gym is all on the ground level and it is humongous! It has a great energy when you walk in, and you feel like everyone is there to work hard, unlike some other gyms where people only go to socialise and walk on the treadmill at 2MPH.

To the far left is the Olympic Weight Lifting and Free Weights section, with large mirrors along with wall, it allows for you to look at your form and technique. Im big on this, no it's not because I like looking at myself in front of a mirror but when lifting 65kg's and up...technique is everything...something slightly out of line and injuries do happen. There are also lots of machine weights too if you're just a beginner.

The Cardiovascular section is also fantastic. Treadmills, Cross Trainers, Bikes, Spin Bikes, Steppers and Rowers, theres plenty to choose from. Plasma screen TV's surround the gym so you don't get bored and with so much equipment even in peak times there was plenty still available.

Also available is a section for TRX and Core Training, Plyometric boxes, Kettlebells, Slambags, Swiss Balls and plenty of Personal Trainers to help you out too.


There is a wide range of classes available throughout the day and week. Just like all of The Gym Groups classes these take part in the gym. The only slight downside I can see to this is that for the body conscious or for anyone who gets embarrassed easily they might not like the idea of doing a class in front of the whole gym. The classes available at the Gosforth Gym include Spinning, HIIT, Bootcamp, Circuits, Tabata, LBT (legs, bums, tums) Boxerfit, Stretch& Relax, Abs, Suspension Training, Insanity, Pump and Kettlebells. So with a variety to choose from theres something for everyone.

In conclusion I would say The Gym Group have a fantastic concept here.  No tie in contracts and you can have a duel membership, so you can visit more than just one location (good news there is another Gym Group already open in Heaton) also they offer Corporate Memberships, great for looking after your staffs health and wellbeing. A word of caution, parking can be difficult in this area. However the gym is more suited and positioned for locals and people working in the area rather than someone who will drive into the location.

With a great variety of classes and equipment, it makes it easier to mix up your workout so you don't get bored and stuck in the same routine. Most of their Gyms are 24hours, fab for shift workers who don't normally get an opportunity to be a member of the gym, the Gosforth Site isn't 24hours but open all week from 7am till 11pm.

The low cost budget gyms are definitely taking over and dominating the industry now, with £12.99 a month membership you really can't go wrong! Big thumbs up from me for value-for-money and product offering.

Stace 

My Bargain Daytime Make Up Overhaul - NYX, REVOLUTION, RIMMEL, Real TECHniques, Maxfactor

No I wouldn't class myself as a Beauty Blogger, theres plenty of professionals out there with their  £1000 cameras to take ultra HD pics with...but saying that I am a girly girl and I can't be in lycra and tracksuits all the time! So thought I'd share with you what make up I do use when not running around wearing sports kit and training.

Recently I bought a few bits and bobs to update my makeup. I still have my firm favourites with high end brands such as MAC, CHANEL, Urban Decay, Benefit, Smashbox, Bobbi Brown and YSL but these are products I wear for evenings out or special occasions. I don't want to wear this stuff everyday and I seriously needed some 'day' makeup.

I purchased some NYX Makeup, REVOLUTION Eyeshadow Palettes, RIMMEL MATCH Perfection Foundation, Real TECHniques Makeup Brushes and Maxfactor Flipstick Colour Effect.




NYX:

• Eyeshadow Base in White
• Above & Beyond Full Coverage Concealer
• Dark Circle Concealer
• Matt Finishing Powder
• HD Studio Finishing Powder
• HD Studio Concealer Wand
• Matt Finish Spray

My firm favourites by far were all the concealers, they are fantastic and rival high end brands. With full coverage without the cakey look, they did really conceal little flaws and cover my dark circles. Something I've suffered from for years, and struggled to find a concealer good enough to cover the bags so now these products will remain in my daytime make up bag forever!

The Eyeshadow base was ok, it did crease a little and made it a bit harder to blend various eyeshadow colours together. So this could do with a bit of improving, I was hoping that the white base would make colours pop out with vibrance, but can't say I noticed any difference.

Both the powders were okay, a little cheap smelling (if you know what I mean) they did give me a matt finish but after a few hours left my makeup a little cracked and dry. Maybe thats just my skin?

Would be great to see what other people thought of it.

Another favourite though was the Matt Finishing Spray, this is great for sweaty betties or people who suffer with oily skin. I sprayed mine on after I finished all my makeup and buffed it in slightly. This made my makeup stay put but also made my makeup matt for the rest of the day. Loved it! Really impressed with this new brand so I want to try other products by them for sure.



Rimmel Foundation 

Im a little bit of snob when it comes to foundation, Ive had such bad experiences with cheaper brands. From drying my skin out and cracking, to not lasting even 2 hours, blotchy patches and oily sticky skin has made me only wear high end products as the cheaper ones just haven't been good enough.

But for the first time I have found a foundation bargain which makes my skin look 100% better. With a SPF 18 this gives the skin a little protection and also gave me a dewy look so I looked wide awake and fresh. The coverage is great, and I didn't even have to wear concealer. I bought 100 Ivory...I'm so pale! (I blame that on the sun never shining in Newcastle.) Normally I struggle with pale foundations and I always end up with an embarrassing orange line... very TRASHY! But thankfully this foundation didn't and will remain in my daytime makeup bag.

REVOLUTION Eyeshadow Palettes

These are available in Superdrug, and have a whole section of different types of eyeshadow palettes....heaven! I bought the Redemption Romantic Smoked and the Redemption Iconic 2.

With Romantic Smoked having hints of olive, nudes and purples, I loved the colour combinations you can create with this palette. The Redemption Iconic 2 is like a cheaper version of Urban Decay NAKED palettes (which are my ultimate favourites for an evening look) the golds, bronzes, metallics and smokey colours are beautiful and will look extremely complimentary to most skin tones.
I would say they definitely have a fantastic range with good products but isn't exactly on par with the Urban Decay palettes. The colours don't have a strong enough pigment for me, I love eyeshadow colours to pop out, which the NAKED palettes do, and I found I had to really build the product up to where I wanted with these. Obviously these are ALOT cheaper then Urban Decay and I would recommend them to anyone on a budget or who wants to experiment with their eyeshadow colours. Good for day time wear for me and for £4.00 each you can't go wrong!

Real TECHniques Brush Set

Wanted these for ages as my Sister raves about them all the time. The makeup brushes that I use are MAC, Bobbi Brown and BareMinerals...all amazing, so these have alot to live up to.
Theres 4 brushes in this pack, Foundation, Contour, Concealer and Buffing brush which comes with a handy pouch to protect them.

The Concealer brush was great, very accurate and able to manoeuvre the concealer into places my fingers can't get to, great for using if you've made a make up error!

The Foundation brush wasn't great....it ate up my foundation and I had to use triple to what I usually wear so I ended up finishing my foundation off with my fingers.

Contour brush was FAB. Loved this and was able to buff and blend my contouring for a professional HD finish. It takes a lot less effort then a blending sponge and I felt I had more control over the products.

Buffer brush was great for finishing off my look with setting powder, really liked this one too, but not as much as my BareMinerals Buffing brush...nothing will beat that.

Great products and again a little cheaper quality though, so would recommend to everyone who sees spending £25 on a make up brush ridiculous....which lets be honest...it is! So apart from the foundation brush these will defiantly be staying in my day time makeup bag.

Maxfactor Flipstick Colour Effect

With double ended colours these are perfect for taking away on holidays! I bought the Salsa Red 25 and the Folky Pink 10. In the pictures here I've put them onto my hands so you can see the colours (no filters used)



Salsa Red has a lovely Mid Red/Pink at one end and a Coral/Pink at the other.

Folky Pink has a glittery Peach and a deep Pink at the other.

Both really lovely and are fantastic for saving space in your makeup bag. The coral from Salsa Red is my favourite, it's such a pretty colour and really suites my skin tone. Unfortunately they dried my lips out though, so I needed to wear a balm underneath to keep them hydrated. The pigment is quite strong so I didn't have to use loads of it....a bonus! I will definitely will be taking these with me on holiday.

So after some searching I eventually found some firm favourites for daytime makeup looks, let me know if you've found any other brands which are perfect for day wear too!

Stace x

Trespass Triflex Sunglasses Review

Lets be honest quality sunglasses are a must, whether participating in Sports or not, everyone needs them...and protecting your eyes is vital to good health. 

Trying to run in them or play sports is another thing though... and finding the perfect fit for your face and finding the right style for you can be a little tricky. As a former athlete training everyday in various conditions, Ive had countless bad experiences of running sunglasses in the past, ones which have stretched, buckled, scratched, put dents in my face, bounced all over and even slipped down my face and fallen off!

Thankfully Trespass have read my mind and asked me to review one of their most popular Sunglasses. 

Just to give you a bit of background...Trespass are a well established company, specialising in outdoor products for hiking, walking, running, camping, skiing, cycling, golf and many more! 

Their products are all high quality and long lasting, founded and based in Scotland they know a thing or two about extreme weather conditions! 

Trespass have won the British Apparel Export Award 3 times, International Trade Award at the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce twice, Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lloyds TSB Jewel Awards in 2009, Inducted to the Hall of Fame at The Entrepreneurial Exchange 2010 and Winners of the KPMG Scottish Leaders of the Year 2012, to name a few accolades in their trophy cabinet.

They were Official Providers of Casual Uniform for the Scotland Team at the Commonwealths 2014. Also have a Partnership with the British Children's Ski Team, BUCS Team GB Winter Team and the Ski & Snowboard Show in London every year.

This company screams quality and their Awards prove it. 

The Triflex Sunglasses I was asked to review certainly lived up to my expectations.

I'm sure some of you are wondering how can I be so happy with one pair of sunglasses? Trust me it is a problem to find the right pair! 

The Triflex Sunglasses are just what I needed for outdoor sports, my running and various activities. They are completely comfortable, so light that I didn't even feel them on my face. They have a UV 400 protection so I knew I would be protected against the bright sunlight and harmful rays. The sunglasses are designed so that sun rays don't get through the side of the glasses, another design bonus as others I've used haven't had this. They also have an adjustable nose pad so can be adapted to fit most people.

To my delight the sunglasses didn't slip once, bounce around or scratch my face. I didn't have to fiddle round with them like I have in the past with other brands and when I looked down they didn't fall off either. They certainly do what they promise and I can completely focus on my workouts whilst not being interrupted by sunglasses problems . 

The Unisex Triflex sunglasses are very Modern looking, a little Sci-Fi infact, but I loved them! The bright white frame and the ice blue tint on the polycarbonate glasses is such a nice touch, but somehow when you look through them it's perfectly clear with no blue haze at all. 

In my view they are perfect for all Sports and in particular Runners, Cricketers, Rowers, Cyclers, Hikers, Golfers and even people who like posing on the piste. 

In conclusion....A must have in the Sports Bag. 

Stace x

Peau Naturelle - Organic Blemish Facial oil review

I've recently wrote how I prefer putting more natural products on my skin. Since I've turned Vegan purely for health reasons it would be a bit contradictory of me to put chemicals on my skin. I do once in a blue moon (like fake tan because I'm paler then porcelain cup) but I like to stick to more natural products most of the time.

Peau Naturelle is a brand new Skincare company. Passionate about natural and organic products they strive for powerful products which do 'what they say on the tin' without the hefty price like other skincare brands.

The lovely people at Peau Naturelle sent me their Organic Blemish Facial Oil for me to try out and review.

The Blemish Oil is one of their signature products, and a lot of time and research was put into perfecting the final product, all made by hand too. In it contains only 5 ingredients! Have you ever seen only 5 ingredients on a skin products ever?!

The 5 ingredients are:

 Grapeseed Oil, Jojoba Oil, Lavender Oil, Lemon Oil and Tea Tree Oil.  

.......And that is it.

Now I've been told before by many other brands that their products are entirely natural only to find out when I read the packet, the ingredients contains a long list of chemicals and then at the end appears a tiny snippet of natural product. The companies are well within their rights to do this though, and claims of being a natural product can be allowed legally, so long as the product contains 10% of some sort of natural product. That means a whopping 90% can be filled with chemicals.

Bit of a con isn't it!?

I applied the Peau Naturelle Blemish Oil at Night, I like my skin to have a lot of product on in the evenings to soak it up through the night and work its magic. It moisturises, repairs, protects and fights blemishes. The Tea Tree, Lemon and Lavender are naturally anti bacterial, whilst the Grapeseed and Jojoba are moisturising providing hydration into the skin.

The Oil itself smells really lovely, you only needing a small amount so the bottle lasts for ages.

My skin surprisingly didn't feel greasy at all, the oil absorbed really quickly into the skin. I woke up in the mornings feeling moisturised and hydrated. While the pillows weren't ruined (like they have been in the past by other oil products). My skin has become a lot clearer and I get less spots!

Some peoples perception about putting oil onto the skin is that it will create more spots and make your skin worse, which isn't the case with this product at all. My skin can be naturally oily anyway, that pesky T-Zone can be a nightmare on an evening out! The Oil didn't make it worse, thankfully! And because I applied it at night before bed, it felt pampered and protected, my skin was not oily when I woke up or during the day. A fantastic product so thanks Peau Naturelle!









http://peaunaturelle.com

Kern Fitness Review - A New Revolutionary Training Method

This week I've had the privilege of visiting the newly opened Kern Fitness, invited down by it's lovely owners to get a sneak preview and test out and review their new product. Before you switch off and think oh not another gym... It's a personal training company with a twist...or shall I say shock!

Kern Fitness combines personal training with Electro-Muscular-Stimulation (EMS). EMS stimulates the natural action of the nervous system and activates the muscle directly through electrodes. The principle of EMS is to send electrical stimuli into the deep muscle fibres through electrodes. Agonist and antagonist muscles are trained simultaneously and these electrical stimuli reach deep layers of all muscle groups at the same time so enables the user to train the whole body effectively. 

The owners are certainly experienced and suitably qualified. Cecelia is a Physiotherapist who's completing her PhD in Neuromuscular Diseases and her Husband German is an Industrial Engineer with a MBA. Both very qualified and very passionate about the business. 

Already Usain Bolt and Professional Premiership Football Clubs have been using this new training method. And recent evidence shows that it can increase your fast twitch muscle fibres by up to 30% so no wonder professional athletes are jumping on board this new training method.

It can also quickly increase strength by 12% and decrease body fat by 8% after only 12 sessions. 

So how does it work? If any of you have ever used a TENS machine, think of this, but a really big one! And instead of lying on the couch like your Physiotherapist tells you, you will be exercising at the same time. For those of you who haven't heard of this before it feels like little impulses are going through the muscles and your muscles are slightly contracting, its very gentle and don't think its like getting electrocuted, so no need to worry at all.

The goal for Kern Fitness is to achieve fast results with limited time. A session takes around 30mins to complete and thats it! 20mins workout and 10mins to get set up....In and out, so its perfect for busy lifestyles and people who don't normally have time to workout. They also recommend no more then 2 sessions a week, again really good for busy bodies but also fantastic for elite athletes so they can fit other types of training in too. 

They state that their method of training is the equivalent of 3-4 hours of conventional training. The reason for this is for every second of EMS Activation your muscles are stimulated 85 times, generating a resistance that you have to work against. 

My personal trainer on the day was Carra Jay, a lovely girl who certainly knew all her stuff about the company, the equipment and the science behind it all. I basically interrogated her, I'm very cautious of new fitness trends, but you can't argue with science, and I wanted to know the in's and outs of everything. 

Carra explained that I would have to change out of my gym kit and into the clothing they provided. The clothes have a special material that conducts the EMS for full efficiency (a heads up to the ladies, don't wear a sports bra with a wire because you're not allowed to wear it). Next came my body armour, full of wires and straps and looking like something out of the Transformers or in a Sci-Fi film I was connected to the Miha Bodytec Machine and ready to go. 

Carra explained that there are various programmes I could do, but for this time we would do a basic induction programme. The electrical stimuli sent to activate the muscles is personalised to each persons threshold of what they feel comfortable with, and gradually the intensity was built up. The stronger the impulse intensity, the more muscle fibres are recruited and the stronger the muscle contraction.

It was a strange sensation for me but having used TENS machines before in my Athletics career and on my own personal clients I was used to it, I just wasn't used to exercising at the same time though!
We gently went through various exercises like squats, lunges, chest press, bicep curl and then after a while light weights were added for even more resistance. EMS is fantastic for anyone who's injured too because its non impact, it doesn't require jumping up and down with dramatic large scale movements. This type of training is more about resistance, slower controlled movements with a focus on body posture, breathing and performing the correct techniques. A little like Pilates in a way, except everything is one to one, so you really get the best out of your session. 

So the good news, I was completely sold to it. One of my pet hates as a PT and Sports Therapist is seeing instructors allowing clients to perform exercises incorrectly and telling them to jump higher or go quicker. All when the basic postural positions and movement techniques are incorrect, it's a recipe for disaster and will end up in injuries. Carra corrected my movements at any time I was out of line, and I felt really looked after which was fab customer service! 

After my session I was advised to lie down for a moment for all metabolic boost. This is when all of your muscles are stimulated by the electric current at once, it felt a little like my muscles were vibrating on their own. A really odd experience but nice! 

After my session I changed out of the provided clothing and into my gym kit. They explained that I might be a little sore, and writing this the day after I am! I feel muscle soreness or DOMS as I like to call it, in my Glutes, Core, and Biceps. Nothing that I haven't experienced before, and I'm one of those people who likes to feel sore the day after because I feel I have worked really hard. And although I feel I didn't do much in the session, I did feel a little drained immediately after the session but it's not the type of exhaustion you experience after finishing an Insanity Class or something similar but generally fatigued overall. The day after though I feel like I've done a heavy weights session. 

I feel better posture wise and I'm very aware of my movement patterns. EMS is fantastic for engaging and activating the muscles, so for anyone who suffers with muscle weakness and unable to actively trigger a muscle themselves this is very very good. Whilst quite pricey at £25 a session, there are price reductions with various packages on offer and in London its double this price. Although you do get what your pay for and this is an exceptional new product and service with brand new innovative technology. Il also be advising this concept to Physiotherapists and Sports Therapists as I think it's a very good Rehabilitation tool. From busy people, elite athletes to anyone suffering with injuries this would be perfect for improving performance, gaining strength, improving posture and musculoskeletal movement patterns, losing weight and improving muscle stability. 

http://www.kernfitnessuk.com

Stace x

Health Benefits of Chilli

With the North East Chilli Festival coming up this weekend on the 4th and 5th of July, I thought this would be the perfect time to tell you all about the health benefits of Chilli! 

We are a little odd finding pleasure in pain but a well known study by Psychologist Paul Rozin suggests that we humans love a bit of 'constrained risk' which we experience sensations like fear and pain but end up enjoying it because we know that they aren't harmful. People love to live on the edge!

High Levels of Vitamin A and Vitamin C to fight Infections 

Vitamin A helps with the synthesis of red blood cells and is an essential component of rhodopsin, the protein that allows retinal receptors in the eye to absorb light. It is also necessary for proper growth and development and to support immune system health. 

Vitamin C is required by the body to help synthesise collagen, promote the healing of skin wounds and aid in the development of strong bones. It also acts as an antioxidant by preventing free radical damage to DNA. A diet rich in vitamin C may lower your risk of hypertension, cancer, heart disease and osteoarthritis. 

Chills can be good for your Heart 

Studies show that Countries who eat the most spicy food have much lower incidence of heart attack and stroke. Potential reasons could be that Chilli peppers can reduce the damaging effects of LDL (bad cholesterol) and Capsaicin may fight inflammation, which has been flagged as a risk factor for heart issues.

Reduce Inflammation

Chilli's may also assist with good digestion. Though many associate Chilli with causing upset stomachs, it actually prevents acid reflux and kills the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers.

Clear Congestion

Capsaicin is the source of the Chilli's heat and the hotter the pepper the higher Capsaicin concentration there is. Eating Chilli's can cause some people to break out in a sweat and make the eyes water and nose to run. This reaction can clear out airway congestion! So perhaps add some chilli to your meals when you have a cold.

High in Minerals

Chilli's are high in many minerals such as Potassium, Phosphorus, Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Magnesium and Selenium. 

Lower Blood Pressure

Vitamins A and C strengthen the heart muscle walls, and the heat of the pepper increases blood flow throughout your body. All of this equals a stronger cardiovascular system.

Lose weight

In another study they found that 1g of chilli reduced cravings for salty, sweet and fatty foods and increased energy expenditure. Capsaicin is also a thermogenic compound and increases the metabolic rate, which aids in the fat burning process.

Pain Relief

Probably the best-known current medicinal use of capsaicin is in creams that can be applied to help ease the symptoms of arthritis, shingles, back pain, neuralgia and post-surgical pain.

Cancer Treatments

The American Institute for Cancer Research reports that eating rich capsaicin sources like chilli peppers may help inhibit the growth of cancer cells, though more research is needed.

Diabetes

Regularly eating hot chilies reduces insulin requirements, which may have implications in the prevention and treatment of diabetes.



So good to know that eating the hot stuff is good for us after all but do be careful though, with anything in life overdoing things probably isn't good for us. 

Everything in moderation! 

I've been making my own flavour oils, one of them is Chilli of course! If you want to do the same pick a good quality Virgin Olive Oil, and gently warm it through over the hob with what ever fresh ingredients you like. Do this for 5-10mins, making sure it doesn't get too hot or reach boiling point. This will ruin the flavour. Pour into a sterilised glass container (Kilner do some great ones) and leave for 2 weeks for the flavours to infuse. My Chilli Oil knocks the socks off!  

http://www.chillifest-ne.co.uk/index.php

Stace x