Griffen Fitness - Newsletter

May newsletter

Greetings healthy people,

I’ve started Twittering, which seems like a right royal waste of time, but being an explorer of all things new I thought I’d give it a go. Look for tracygriffen on www.twitter.com to read my tweets.

Other new things this month include a Highland WeightShed Boot Camp in the pipeline for autumn, a new regular ‘Leith Life’ column in The Leither magazine and a new fitness blog to be unveiled very soon… The diary is still packed with individual Personal Training clients, but I’m always able to book ahead if you’re interested in getting in shape for summer. I am currently booking a fortnight in advance for days and have a short waitlist for evenings.

Tune in to Leith Life: Healthy Living in Leith on 98.8FM Leith FM, or online at www.leithfm.co.uk at 3pm next Monday 4th May.

What’s in Season for May
It's good to eat seasonal fruit and vegetables, so here's a list of what's in season locally:
Asparagus, beetroot, broccoli, carrots, leeks, lettuce and salad leaves, mint, parsley, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, rhubarb, rocket, samphire, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, wild nettles and garlic

Easy Recipe: Spinach and Feta Pie
A friend of ours, Ted, dropped off some lovely allotment spinach one Friday evening, so I made a pie for our tea. It’s not a low fat recipe (about 24g fat, 15g protein per serving), but if you leave the pastry on your plate and enjoy the filling on it’s own, it cuts the fat down to 14.5g fat per serving.

Makes 4 servings
200g - 300g spinach, rinsed with any stringy stalks pulled out
1 Tab olive oil
4 spring onions, chopped
150g Feta cheese, cubed
4 free range, preferably organic eggs, beaten
filo or puff pastry
milk for brushing and sesame seeds for the top

- Preheat your oven to 210 degrees, and grease a baking dish with a little butter.
- Combine the lightly beaten eggs with the cheeses and pepper (salt not required as feta is salty).
- Saute the chopped spring onions in 1 Tab olive oil, allow to cool then add to the egg mixture.
- In the pan that had the spring onion in, wilt the spinach. All you need to do is put the rinsed spinach in the pan on a low heat with just the water that is clinging to the leaves. When wilted, allow to cool and add to the egg mixture.
- Place the rolled out pastry in the baking dish, fill with egg and spinach mixture.
- Fold over the top of the pastry to seal it. Brush will milk and scatter with sesame seeds.
- Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Serve with a fresh salad.

Resisting Temptation Hint of the Month: Improve Your Energy Levels
Coffee aka ‘rocket fuel’ can have an evil knock on effect. Whilst it feels like it’s boosting your energy levels in the short term, in the long term it may sap it. Did you know that adrenaline is released into your system when you drink caffeine? Adrenaline is responsible for your ‘fight or flight’ response, not really something you need sitting at a desk!

It is not uncommon to see on a food diary an individual drinking a strong cup of coffee with breakfast, then complaining of mid morning energy dip and needing a ‘boost’, i.e. another coffee (often accompanied with a high GI snack, i.e. a biscuit). This in turn creates another energy peak, then sudden drop.

It is exhausting to continue through the day like this, so give your system a break by giving caffeine a body swerve… If you really can’t live without coffee, try waiting until just after lunch and have one really good cup of freshly brewed coffee. You will experience the dip later on in the day and will be less likely to combat it with more caffeine.

Fad or Fab: Use your Noodle
aqua noodles Last month I featured weights that fill with water, this month I’d like to discuss weights you can use in water. Foam resistance devices are a common sight in aqua aerobics classes, and I know my class at Drumsheugh Baths always gets a good workout (you can tell from their faces!). Foam dumbbells come in all shapes and sizes, but one of the most versatile pieces of kit in the pool is the humble foam noodle. Costing a few quid, you can do a whole host of exercises, from chest pressing to tummy exercises whilst floating on the noodle, to balance exercises standing on the noodle. Exercise in water is easy on the joints and great for older folk and those recovering from injury. In fact, I suggest exercise in water for anyone recovering from a lower body injury (or knee problem) as the water is buoyant and you can still get a good upper body workout without compromising the injury. Fabbo!

NEW! Website of the month
There are so many good (and awful) fitness and health website out there, each newsletter I’ll be sharing my favourites with you:

Bike Belles is a new website launched by Sustrans and aims to get more women cycling. It addresses issues such as staying safe and looking good whilst cycling and is a great place to get started if you’re new to cycling.

Spotlight on Aloe: Aloe Gelly for blisters and sunburn
Last month husband Andy and I took part in a half marathon. I ended up with a huge blister on one of my tender feet. As I am a distributor of Forever Living Products (quality aloe for your health) I have both an aloe plant and a steady supply of aloe gel. Aloe gel was applied liberally to the blister and within three days it had healed, despite no rest on my behalf. It’s also brilliant for another occupational hazard of Personal Training, sunburn. I’m at that point in life where I’m aware of the risk of wrinkles, so smoothing on refreshing aloe gel after a hard days running around Edinburgh parks soothes everything. I always take some gel on holiday as it’s ‘first aid in a tube’. Add to that, all Forever Living Products come with a 60-day money back guarantee. Try a tube for £10.59, with free delivery in central Edinburgh.

Article of the Month: Your Questions Answered

Every wondered about Personal Training? Below are some commonly asked questions:

What can a Personal Trainer do for me?
If you have every wanted to be slimmer, have more energy or enhance your physical performance, then a Personal Trainer could be for you. In addition to delivering an effective exercise programme and motivating you, a PT will also look at lifestyle issues and nutrition that contribute to making your exercise programme even more effective.

Do I need to be fit to start Personal Training?
Nope! That’s the great thing. Using a Personal Trainer is a highly effective way to get fit in the first place. Whilst athletes and professional sports people often use a PT, it is not necessary to be in top condition to start with. Each person is unique so has their own personal challenges to conquer, whether it’s running for a bus or running a marathon.

How many sessions do I need to book in?
I recommend new clients book and pay for a five-session block to start. This gives us enough time to cover all the material you need to know to be independently exercising with your own personalised fitness programme. If, after five sessions you need more motivation and guidance, you can book in for more sessions. You can also book in for ‘top up’ sessions after your initial five.

Why do you not work from a gym?
I truly believe that any exercise that is done in a gym can be done at home or outdoors (with perhaps the exception of lifting mega heavy weights). It’s also beneficial to get outdoors to really blow the cobwebs away!

Add to that, any PT working from a gym has to pay a sizeable fee to the gym each month. I prefer to show my clients how they can be free of gym fees forever. It’s a simple matter of having the knowledge, equipment and technique.

Will it hurt?
Perhaps! If you are returning to exercise after an extended break or have never formally exercised, sometimes you might feel muscle soreness. However stretching and nice warm baths can alleviate this discomfort. I do not believe in ‘no pain no gain’, but it is natural for muscles to feel a little tender when you push yourself harder than you are used to. It’s a sign of progress as your body adapts to exercise and gets stronger.

The first fitness session is the easiest, and each session gets more difficult. This allows your body to adapt as you to get used to exercising a bit harder.

Do you have any Personal Training questions you’d like answered? Email me.

And Finally… Edinburgh’s Got Talent

Danny Macaskill is a hugely talented 24 year old Edinburgh-based trail rider. Watch this clip and see how many Edinburgh locations you can spot. Amazing stuff.
And here’s an inspring BBC story about him.

:)
Tracy

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May newsletter