Griffen Fitness - Newsletter

May newsletter

Hello healthy people!

Here we are in May, with long days and slightly squiffy weather. I have recently purchased a hula hoop and gone a bit hula mad. It’s a fab abs workout, and you can read more about the history of the hoop below. So, let’s get on with it:

Champion Corner Champions Corner
I have been inflicting aforementioned hoop on unwary clients and seen some fabulous results. Considering it took me the best part of a Friday evening (about two hours) to master the hoop, Roxanna and Scarlet did brilliantly to relearn how to hula within two minutes each! Margaret, Colette and Claire all kept the hoop up for over one minute thirty each, a veritable hula marathon.

Other notable achievements this month: Rowan losing over a stone, and Lucie smashing an amazing 42 seconds from her Bruntsfield Links run time… Keep up the good work, and let me know your success stories.

Blood Pressure Check
Would you like to check your blood pressure? Please let me know and I can measure your blood pressure at one of your fitness sessions (at the beginning not the end!).

What’s in Season
It's good to eat seasonal fruit and vegetables, so here's a list of what's in season locally:
Artichokes, asparagus, broad beans, cauliflower, cherries, elderflowers, lovage, mint, new carrots, new potatoes, parsley, raspberries, rhubarb, rocket (easy to grow in a window box) and sorrel.

Oatcake Topping of the Month
Whilst my other half perused the sausages in Edinburgh’s finest sausage shop, Crombies on Broughton Street, I happened to discover their impressive chutney shelf. Try Crombies Balsamic vinegar and sun dried tomato chutney (£1.85 a jar) on oatcakes. I like it by itself, but if you can also enjoy it with some sliced tomato and perhaps a sliver of mature cheese.

Easy Recipe
Did you know that asparagus is a member of the lily family and contains more folic acid than any other vegetable? Nor did I, but I do know three easy ways to enjoy it! Enjoy it whilst it’s still in season…

To prepare the stalks, rinse under water then bend them individually until they snap. This is the easiest way to work out where the woody bit ends and the yummy bit begins.

STEAMING
Place asparagus in a steamer and steam for only a couple of minutes until it’s bright green. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and ground pepper.

PAN METHOD
You need a heavy bottom non stick frying pan for this one (or a BBQ). Cook the prepared asparagus on a very hot pan with nothing in. It will get slightly charred and contain it’s flavour. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and Maldon sea salt.

OVEN-ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH SIZZLING HALLOUMI
Serves two

Bunch of asparagus
Handful of cherry tomatoes
1 Tab olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
Sprigs of thyme
½block halloumi, rinsed (see recipe in Dec 06 newsletter for info on this Cypriot cheese)
¼ lemon, squeezed

Dressing
¼lemon, squeezed
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ Tab capers, chopped
½ Tab parsley, chopped
- Heat the oven to 180C / gas 4
- Place the tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper into a oven proof dish and bake for 15 minutes
- Prepare asparagus as above and chop into thirds
- Roll to coat them in the tomato juices, and roast for a further 10 to 15 minutes or until tender
- Cut the halloumi into 1cm slices.
- Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and, when hot, cook the halloumi slices until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve roast asparagus and tomatoes with halloumi and dressing on top. Lovely served with a green salad and steamed new potatoes.

Exercise-Related Events
Enjoy Fitness Outdoors
This is an event I am running for The Tangerine social activities club:

“Would you like to learn to exercise effectively? How to make the most of your workout? Come and try interval training in Bruntsfield Links. Fitness Instructor Tracy Griffen show you some training techniques used by professional athletes. Tracy always guarantees that fitness sessions are fun as well as effective. Suitable for all abilities and fitness levels.

After the workout you will get to enjoy a freshly squeezed juice/smoothie from Juiced up (www.juiced-up.co.uk). What better way to end the evening?”

You can book for this at www.thetangerine.co.uk, go to Events Calendar.

Let me know if you’re interested in a fitness related activity for your organisation, work or social group.

Essential Website
I’m a fan of non-diet guru Janice Small, who writes No more Diets, a fantastic blog full of lots of sensible non-diet information. Because who wants to be on a diet for the rest of their life?

Exercise of the Month
You guessed it! Hula hooping! A wonderful workout that’s somewhat addictive and strangely uplifting. It will trim you tummy and get your heart rate up into the ‘fat burning zone’ that we’re always aiming for.

Article: The Humble History of the Hula Hoop

Hula hoops are back! It’s official… hula-ing is the next fitness craze. I for one am more than happy to jump on the bandwagon. Spinning a humble hoop around one’s waist is a fabulous way to trim and tone wobbly belly bits. But where did it all begin?

Around 3,000 years ago, Egyptians made hoops out of grape vines and propelled them along the ground with sticks. In ancient Greece hooping was recommended for weight loss. In 14th century England, hooping was popular but then discouraged as it was blamed it for heart attacks and back dislocations. The word "hula" was added in the early 18th century as sailors returning from Hawaii noticed the similarity between hula dancing and hooping.

In 1957 the hula hoop was reinvented in the US by the Wham-O toy company. Of course they tried to patent it, but as it was such an ancient concept, the most they could do was trademark it. This was enough, and the humble hula hoop went on to sell 100 million in just two years! See the Coen’s brothers brilliant film ‘The Hudsucker Proxy’ for 1950’s hooping references and the classic line “You know, for kids!”

As a child of the eighties, hula hooping was one of the best bits of my lunchtime. So it was with genuine joy that I realised that hula hoops have made a comeback… for adults! See www.hooping.org for more information and also how to make your own hoop. The workout hoop I use is heavier and bigger than the child’s lightweight (and tiny) hoops that you find in toy shops.

Perhaps we should look to children’s activities more for workout inspiration as skipping and trampolining are also great workouts. Not only are they fab pulse raising (cardiovascular) workouts, but are also fun…

Tracy

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May newsletter