Griffen Fitness - Newsletter

May newsletter

Greetings healthy people,

Spring has definitely sprung and Edinburgh is in full spring swing…

You can see a photo of the newly repainted Griffen Fitness shopfront to the left. It’s turning out to be a fabulous light and airy space, and we have our first workshop there tomorrow (a WeightShed Boot Camp Graduate workshop). Drop me a line if you’re interested in hiring the studio, it’s available Fridays to Sundays and is big enough for nine (one instructor, eight participants).

The official launch of the studio will be held on the eve of Leith Gala day, that’s Friday 11th June. Please RSVP if you’re interested in coming along and taking part in Edinburgh’s first ever flash mob… skipping rope (there will be fun and games for non skippers too). I’ll be publishing updates on Twitter and also on the weekly Griffen Fitness blog.

The studio is also coming in useful as I’m training for Pro-Am team members for the Festival Cup. This polo competition is to be held at Gleneagles on August 14th and my job is to get the team fighting fit. Watch this space for updates…

The Guardian newspaper recently asked readers for their questions for Council Leader Jenny Dawe. I was curious about what Edinburgh council is doing for cyclists, and was lucky enough to have my question put to her. Click on the following link and go to the fifth soundbite down to hear what she has to say:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/edinburgh/2010/apr/21/edinburgh-council-leader-jenny-dawe-readers-questions-trams-airport

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, jersey royal potatoes, mint, parsley, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, rhubarb, rocket, samphire, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, wild nettles and garlic

Easy Recipe: Wild Garlic Pesto
I read about making wild garlic pesto in The Leither magazine about a year ago and have been curious to make it ever since. Wild garlic is in season at the moment and so on my way to an Inland Revenue Business information day (the fun never stops), I pulled off the cycle path and picked a big bag of the stuff. There’s lots growing by the side of the cycle path at Goldenacre and Ravelston Dykes. In fact, once it starts growing it spreads everywhere. I picked whole plants and after washing well, used the young leaves and stalks (and a few of the smaller bulbs).

After washing and picking out the good bits, simply place in a blender with a slug of olive oil. Give it a zizz and add grated parmesan cheese and pine nuts to taste. I also added homemade wholemeal breadcrumbs to mellow out the taste. Absolutely delicious on bread or pasta. A dollop on a tomato based pasta dish will add some zing, or make simple pesto pasta by tossing it through plain cooked pasta.

Resisting Temptation: Compare Biscuits
Addicted to biscuits? Try reading the nutritional information on the packet before you buy. For instance, did you know that McVities Digestive biscuits have over 3g fat each? If you’re a digestive fan, I suggest try a different biscuit. Fig rolls are the champion of sweet biscuits, and even Rich Tea have less than half the fat of digestives. Compare your biscuits at http://caloriecount.about.com/tag/food/biscuits

Fad or Fab: Hydration Update
emergenc-C What you drink is almost as important as what you eat. You may recall a Fad or Fab last July on sports drinks, where they generally got the thumbs down (as many contain aspartame, artificial colours and rubbish that you don’t need). My drink of choice has always been water, and for a bit of a lift, I would add a wee dash of Ribena to my drink bottle. That is, until I was introduced to Emergen-C.

Emergen-C is sachet of powder that contains a mega dose of Vitamin C, lots of B vitamins as well as electrolytes and minerals. I carry an emergency Emergen-C sachet in my pannier bag for days that I’m training hard (or if I’m feeling a bit run down). Just pop it into your drink bottle for a natural boost with no caffeine or nasty stuff. It would also be ideal for staying hydrated when abroad on summer holidays. Contact me if you’d like to try it (80p per sachet or you can buy it by the box of 30), as I’m planning on ordering in bulk for the studio.

Continuing on the hydration theme, I have finally found the ideal water bottle to take running. It’s ergonomic AND has a good spout (previous ergonomic bottles I’ve tried had tiny spouts which were no good for glugging on). Intersport at the top of Leith Walk (just down from Tattie Shaw’s) sells them…

Offer of the Month: Sublime Hair Design
Sublime Hair Design is the home of highly talented hair stylist Lesley Moses, who has cut and styled hair for fashion shows and Edinburgh festvial performances and events. He cuts hair to suit the individual, rather than copying popular styles. The salon is based at the entrance to Dancebase on Grassmarket, and if you’d like a new look, he is definitely the stylist for you. The salon has lovely massage chairs for when you get your hair washed, and also the option to have your haircut sans mirror. Check out their website and quote Griffen Fitness when booking to receive 30% cut and colour before the end of May.

Got an offer you’d like to feature in this newsletter? Let me know!

Article: Decisions, Decisions a.k.a. Damage Control
A sneak preview of the spring fitness article for The Leither magazine - May 2010

damage control sign When I started my fitness business five years ago, I was determined to name it ‘Damage Control’. I had even designed a logo. I was advised by many people that this was a very silly idea and consequently now have a much more sensible business name.

However the idea of ‘damage control’ is really the motivation for many folk who make the decision to live a little healthier. It’s the thought of what they’d not like to look like that is often the proverbial kick up the ass. A more effective motivator is if they could imagine what they would like to look like. It’s easy to run away from a negative image, but you then need a positive projection to move towards. Can you imagine driving a car, knowing that you definitely wanted to avoid all Edinburgh roadworks, but you didn’t have a positive idea of where you actually wanted to go? You would end up driving in circles, probably.

Every day you make hundreds, no, thousands, of decisions that affect your well being. To hit the snooze button? Spend time eating breakfast? Darnit, no time to walk to work now, it’s on the bus. Go for that Starbucks quadruple caramel crapaccino? Work through lunch? Forgot to pack lunch so it’s a bacon butty? Quality Street? It would be rude to say no, or would it? Pub after work? Or work ‘til late? Decisions, decisions, and you may not even be aware that you are making them.

Many decisions are informed by habit, some by peer pressure, perceived or otherwise, others not even considered fully. So let’s look a little at the process behind some of the choices you make each day and how to easily choose a little healthier.

Do you eat breakfast? A good many people do not, or say they do, but not until they get to work. BREAKFAST IS VERY IMPORTANT! The first step to having an easy day is to have a good hearty breakfast as soon as you can after waking up (in bed is fine, if you can arrange that). The reason for this is that it kickstarts your metabolism. You have effectively fasted for eight hours or more, so to break that fast and let your body know that it’s ready for action is crucial. If you delay your first meal of the day, your body ‘thinks’ it’s still in starvation (fasting) mode and so your metabolism will slow down to conserve calories. So to starve yourself in the morning is like, totally, counter productive. Enjoy porridge! Or my summer favourite, good quality untoasted muesli with lovely fresh berries and Pakeeza natural yoghurt (from any independent grocery store on Leith Walk). Feast like a king in the morning. chips or fitness?

Also, if you work in an office, your day will invariably involve co-workers thrusting chocolate and sweeties at you. I dare you to decline. If you have eaten in the morning, you will not be so hungry for such sugary nonsense. Eating more food earlier in the day helps avoid an energy dip in the afternoon and the temptation to scoff on high energy (i.e. calorific) junk.

In addition to this, you will also have more energy. This is a surprisingly common reason people state for starting up a fitness programme. You would think that if you used more energy you would have less energy, but the reverse is true. “How can this be so?” You ask. Expending energy is a bit like momentum. Once you get going and feel great for it, you gather momentum (and get fitter so can go faster anyway). Going back to nutrition, if you eat well early in the day (take some tasty snacks, like oatcakes, to work) you will also have more energy. You’re more likely to want to go for a brisk walk at lunch and come back feeling invigorated, ready for the afternoon and your working day will fly by. If you find it difficult to stick to exercising, find a friend who’s happy to meet up with you and go for an after work walk, run, bike ride or game of football. Have a regular night that you meet and then the decision of what you do with some summery evenings is already pre-arranged. Rope in different mates and have a whole social calendar of activities to look forward to each week. Getting outdoors and in shape should be something to look forward to, and then the decision to actually do it becomes a ‘no brainer’.

Decisions become easy. Rather than avoiding things you don’t want, think about the things that you do want to do. And they will come to you… Or you will get to them… You just need a plan.

And Finally…. The Original Buns of Steel
One of the fun things about being a Personal Trainer is making up silly names for exercises. ‘Buns of Steel’ is one of my favourite, erm, buns exercises, and it’s named after a cult classic workout from the 80’s. Check out the website for the original funky workout from the Alaskan pole vaulter (seriously) Greg Smithey, ‘Professor of Bunology’. You can also see a snippet of the workout on You Tube.

:)
Tracy

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May newsletter