Griffen Fitness - Newsletter

April newsletter

Greetings healthy people,

I hope you had a lovely Easter… with not too many chocolate eggs.

The Griffen Fitness and Real Foods Healthy Eating evening was a big success last Wednesday – thanks to all who came along. We tasted our way through nuts, seeds, goji berries, felafel and tabbouleh, fancy oatcakes and hommous and even some organic wine! Those who were first through the door also witnessed a rather amusing eggs-periment where we compared organic and non-organic eggs. Unfortunately the only non-organic eggs I could get my hands on that day were free range eggs from Scotmid, which actually are of a pretty good quality, so there wasn’t too much of a difference. Egg on my face, it could be said.

Signage Griffen Fitness studio is now officially up and running (boom boom), see photo left of local signwriter Robin Abbey installing the new hand painted signage. So if you’d like to get fit without going to a gym, do pop by the friendly Griffen Fitness studio on the corner of Balfour Street and Leith Walk. If I'm not there, telephone me, as I may be refuelling for action, at home at 7 Balfour Street and I can pop down the stairs to see you.

What’s in Season for April
It’s good to eat seasonal fruit and vegetables, so here's a list of what's in season locally:
Asparagus, broccoli, beetroot, carrots, cauliflower, leeks, mint, parsley, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, rhubarb, spring onions

Easy Recipe: Tempeh with Mushrooms
A little-known soy bean cousin of tofu, tempeh is rich in protein, calcium and iron. It tastes kind of nutty, and is used in Indonesian and Malaysian (and Australian) dishes. You can buy it frozen at Real Foods.

a block of tempeh serves 2
1 block (224g) tempeh, defrosted
8 – 10 mushrooms, try combining different varieties, roughly sliced
1 Tab olive oil
light soy sauce, to taste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
small handful of freshly chopped parsley or coriander
¼ courgette, ½ carrot sliced (optional)
big handful rocket, to garnish

-    Slice block of tempeh (pictured) down the middle to make two big blocks, then in half the other way, to make four slices. Chop these into stick shapes.
-    Sauté tempeh with oil in a non-stick frying pan, add veg, garlic etc, splash of soy sauce and water if it starts to stick.
-    Cook at a medium temperature, you can cover it for a bit to make sure the veg cook. Add the herbs near the end.
-    Serve with handfuls of fresh rocket and a slice of rye bread. A fab lunch!

Resisting Temptation: Try a Different Grain
Do you like sandwiches? Toast? What kind of bread do you eat? 95% of the bread that you find in supermarkets is rubbish, with added chemicals to keep it from going mouldy. It’s fun to splash out and try different breads. Rye bread from Valvona and Crolla is pricey, but much more filling and better for you. Support your local baker (not Greggs!) and try their speciality loaf. My rule of thumb is that the heavier the bread, the better it is.

Fad or Fab: Flexi-Bar, the Wobbly Stick
Vibration training is big business, and the Flexi-bar falls firmly into this camp. The Flexi-bar is a big wobbly stick. You hold on to the middle and give it a shake. It’s got weights at either end, so it wobbles as you work out and effectively you work against the wobble. According to their website at www.flexi-bar.co.uk,

“As you swing Flexi-bar, a vibration passes through your body. This vibration pushes and pulls the muscles out of equilibrium; a process known as the Tonic Stretch Reflex. During a Tonic Reflex Contraction signals are passed continuously from the muscles to the brain and back again, via the nervous system. These signals tell the muscles they are being pushed away from their centre and they must automatically contract to bring themselves back.” In a similar sense to a PowerPlate, muscles contract against vibration.

I had a bash on a ‘wobbly stick’ when these first came out a few years ago (in a blaze of publicity). Yes, I did have to use muscular strength to hold on, but no, I don’t think it’s going to catch on. According to the website, they are now reduced from £82.86 to £49.99. Nuff said.

Website of the Month: Weightloss Resources
Whilst there’s a lot of bumpf on the internet about diet and weight loss, this is a great site for no-nonsense information. www.weightlossresources.co.uk has been around for over six years and with time it’s getting more and more content. There’s interesting information on different fad diets, equipment reviews and nutrition.

Article: Get Fit and Enjoy It!

Getting fit and staying in shape is a long-term proposition. Once you get to the shape you’d like to be, you need to sustain your fitness by exercising regularly. Quite often weight loss is the motivation to start exercising and it’s easy to get fired up at this early stage. However keeping in shape means exercising regularly for the rest of your life! “eeek” you might be thinking, but it’s not as bad as it sounds.

The key is to find something that you enjoy doing. There are a few ways to do this. What kinds of activities did you enjoy as a child? Did you play football with your mates? Cycle to school? Go for long weekend meanders? Hula hoop? Skip rope? Make up dance routines? If you were a sedentary youngster, perhaps now is the time to start considering something you’ve always wanted to do. Summer’s coming and there are loads of charity challenges. If you’re seriously deconditioned (i.e. out of shape), perhaps start planning for a challenge in 2011. Ever want to trek the Himalayas? There’s lots of ways you can do it for charity. Having folk sponsor you is a very powerful motivator. I’m wondering if Eddie Izzard would have ever completed his extraordinary back to back marathons if he didn’t have a camera crew following him. Find a way where you can’t wriggle out of a commitment, and then (this is the important bit), be sure to prepare for it. Rope in a mate and chart your progress.

It’s never too late to learn a new skill, and I also teach adults of all ages how to get fit enough to start running, and then, exactly how to run. And the funny thing is that the fitter you get, the easier it becomes and the closer you get to your goal. And the looser your clothes get. Nice.

Also by enjoying your regular exercise you are more likely to stick to it and see results. Hate the gym? Don’t go! Look for alternatives… Or drop me a line.

And Finally…. Free Tickets!
If you’re into healthy living and eating (and if not, why not?!) you’ll enjoy the very fine Healthy Living Show at the Assembly Rooms, George Street on Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th June. We visited last year and there were loads of interesting stalls and talks. For your free ticket and to find out more info, check out www.yourhealthyliving.co.uk (free ticket offer available until April 30).

Have a happy and healthy month

:)
Tracy

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April newsletter