Fitness with Tracy Griffen

February newsletter

Hello healthy people,

This newsletter focuses on the importance of eating raw food, especially through the colder months, as a way of boosting your energy levels and immune system. Read on for an article and even some raw recipe ideas.

It's important to me that I stay well (yes, I've avoided that nasty cold going around thus far) as I will be on holiday in Australia from 26th January – 16th February. All current clients will have goals and plans in place to see them through the three weeks, and yes, I will be checking that you have achieved them by mid-February!

Need help with your Get Fit New Year's resolutions?
There are still spaces available for DIY Fitness but act fast!
You can read more on DIY Fitness at www.tracygriffen.com/diy_fitness.html or email me for a booking form.

What's in Season for January / February

It's good to eat seasonal fruit and vegetables, so here's a list of what's in season locally:
Vegetables: beetroots, all cabbages: red, white and green, celeriac, chicory, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, Jerusalem artichoke, leeks, onions, parsnips, potatoes, spinach and chard.
Fruit: The last of the apples and pears

Easy Recipe: Raw Food Ideas

At the end of this newsletter is an article on why we should all eat more raw food. I can hear you thinking, "it's all very well to encourage people to eat more raw food, but how can this be done in the middle of winter in Scotland when very little is in season (see above)?" So, before you even think that question, here's my answer:

Have some salad with each meal. It doesn't need to be much, but a handful of rocket tossed on top of risotto or pasta enlivens the dish and adds valuable nutrients.
Sprinkle some seeds on top of your lunch.
This is the first winter that I've bought decent tomatoes (no idea of where they're flown from!). Chopped tomato on wholegrain toast with cracked black pepper makes a tasty snack – think a simple bruschetta.
Ripen an avocado yourself and make guacamole with freshly squeezed lemon juice and pepper. Yummy on pretty much anything.
Snack on a piece of fruit.
Juicing is another way of enjoying raw fruit and vegetables.
On the weekend, a bowl of olives is great for nibbling on. Source some good quality olives from a market, or delicatessen as a wee treat.
When the light levels improve try sprouting – spouts are a veritable smorgasbord of nutrients.
Grate two carrots and one raw beetroot, combine with a dash of olive oil, squeeze of lemon and sprinkle with seeds to create a tasty and filling salad with loads of vitamins. It keeps well for a day or two in the fridge too!

Fad or Fab: The Thigh Master

You may have one of these weird looking devices hidden in a cupboard somewhere. If you don't, don't bother rushing out and buying one. Advertised on TV infomercials in the 1990's, the Thigh Master promised viewers lean thighs whilst watching the TV. My advice is to stop watching TV and get outside for a walk. Or try walking stairs two at a time.

The Thigh Master works (you may remember from the ads) by placing the device between the knees and squeezing. You can get a similar benefit from squeezing a slightly flat rubber beach ball between your knees, offering resistance, or doing some inner thigh exercises without a device. It's another case of selling the public something that they definitely do not need… Utter piffle! Next month: sweat suits.

Walk of the month: Newhailes

Last summer my husband Andy and I were driving around plant nurseries and discovered one at Newhailes, near Musselburgh. Newhailes House is a National Trust property open only in summer, however the gardens are open all year round and are obviously quieter in winter. You can get to Newhailes easily by bus, bike (or car), and it hosts a lovely walk around through woodland and around the property. See the NTS website for more information.

Spotlight on Aloe: Aloe Moisturising Lotion

Winter can be cruel on the skin and I personally get very dry skin on my face from cycling and running out in the cold. I've experimented with lots of different moisturisers; from Napier's Starflower lotion to rather expensive Decleor stuff and the one I find the most effective is Forever Living Products Aloe Moisturising cream. It's not too rich or heavily scented and it soothes flaky dry skin. Best of all, it offers instant relief to my face and hands at a not too dear price of £10.59 for a decent sized 118g tube. Ask me and I'll order you a tube, and I'm sure you'll be happy or I'll give you your money back no questions asked.

Website of the month: Freedom for Chickens!

Last week Channel 4 aired a very interesting television programme hosted by celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on why we all should choose free-range chicken. The best thing you can do for chickens is be vegetarian, however if you are a chicken eater check out the website at www.chickenout.tv and learn more about where your chicken comes from. You can also sign up to support the campaign. After all, even chickens deserve the right to roam outside and have a nice life before they're sent off to the knackers yard.

Article of The Month – Raw Food Rules, OK?

There is a new food movement and the movement is raw! More and more people are realising that raw food is a key to weight loss, increased energy levels and clear skin.

How much cooked food do you eat? Technology advances in the kitchen means that we cook, process and store our food for longer. Cooking may make meat edible, certain vegetables tastier and prolong shelf life, but what does it do to the molecular structure of your food?

yummy raw fruit and veg Raw food contains enzymes that assist digestion, as well as nutrients to keep the immune system, and the body as a whole, in peak condition. Heating food to a high temperature destroys many of the important living enzymes in food. I remember someone explaining it to me years ago as thus; if you think of a plant growing, there is a certain amount of energy in the plant (through photosynthesis etc). By picking the fruit, you effectively have some energy captured in the raw fruit. As the picked fruit gets older, so too it loses freshness, vitamins and energy. If cooked, the elevation in temperature changes its natural state – it's texture and colour changes.

Here are some things to consider:

How natural is your food?
Has it been processed?
How was it grown?
How old is it?

If you keep your diet as unprocessed and untreated as possible, it's logical that you're going to feel fantastic for it.

Enjoy!

:)
Tracy

Next newsletter: An Antipodean special, hand-delivered to your Inbox the week of 17th February.

Tracy

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February newsletter

What's in Season for January / February

Easy Recipe: Raw Food Ideas

Contents