Fitness with Tracy Griffen - Monthly newsletter archive 2005

2006 newsletter archive

2007 newsletter archive

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December 2005 - Article: How to Survive the Silly Season

November 2005 - Article: What is Your Metabolism and How does it work?

October 2005 - Article: What is the GI Diet?

September 2005

DECEMBER 2005 NEWSLETTER

Dear friends and clients,

It's chilly out, but there's something rather nice about going for a brisk walk and being cold on the outside and toasty on the inside. Not to fear, in less than three weeks (21 December to be precise) is the winter solstice, so we can look forward to the days getting longer, albeit slowly, again...

GIFT VOUCHERS

Q. Do you have someone in your life who would like to be healthier?

A. give them a 'Fitness with Tracy Griffen' gift voucher for Christmas!

Alternatively, ask for one for yourself!
These are valid for one whole year, and can be used for a variety training. All gift vouchers come with extra special presentation and the promise to treat your loved ones gently...

The Monday Night Feelgood aerobics class is still going strong. I have only two dates in December, the 5th and 12th, so do try and come along. After the class on the 12th, I'm having a wee social gathering at La Favorita, a yummy Italian spot on Leith Walk from 9.15pm - 10pm. Join us! La Favorita serves yummy Pago brand juices and good snacks too...

The class starts with a twenty minute aerobic workout to get heart rates up and to start burning fat. The second half of the class focuses on toning and shaping - upper body, legs and abs. A nice long stretch finishes off the class... A perfect way to burn off the weekend's excesses.

When? Monday 5th & 12th December from 8.15pm
Where? Pilrig Church Hall, corner of Leith Walk and Pilrig Street. Entry is through the second wooden door along on Pilrig Street. There is an intercom if the door is shut. Who? Suitable for all levels of fitness, you can go at your own pace. Bring your friends and make it a social occasion!
How much? It's £4 entry, or £2 for the first session or if you're a regular and bring a new friend.
What to bring? You'll need a bottle of water, comfy clothes and a towel and/or mat for floor exercises.

WHAT'S IN SEASON LOCALLY

It's winter, so not much! Sprouts, turnips, swede, and parsnips are available and potatoes, carrots, red cabbage, beetroot, apples, pears coming from store.
Vegetable soups are the order of the day...

RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Roasted Chestnuts
Chestnuts are the lowest in calories and fats of all nuts [190 calories, 2.74 g fat per 100 g] and cholesterol free. Chestnuts are high in carbohydrates, balanced in proteins and are an excellent source of trace minerals; they compare with brown rice in nutritional value. In other words, they're a fabulously healthy winter snack.

Choose shiny bright chestnuts, a sign a freshness. Using a very sharp knife, score a cross on the rounded side of each chestnut. Place in an oven tray in the middle shelf of an oven preheated to 200 degrees celcius. Roast for 20 minutes, then remove and place directly into a bowl lined with a tea-towel. Wrap the towel around the chestnuts and leave for 5 - 10 minutes (this helps steam the shells so they loosen). Gently crush down on the towel before unwrapping. Shell and enjoy!

Mushroom, Cashew & Tofu Festive Roast
If any of your family or friends are vegan / vegetarian, they'll love you (even more!) for going to the effort of making them something special for Christmas. Actually, it's not much effort at all for this yummy loaf, and you can prepare it a day in advance - cook it on the day...

2 tab olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
125g wholemeal breadcrumbs, fresh
200 - 250g cashews
300g plain tofu (firm, not silken)
1 teaspoon rosemary, fresh is best
1 teaspoon thyme, fresh is best
1 veg stock cube
125mL hot water
250g mushrooms, chopped (field mushrooms for maximum taste)
sea salt
ground pepper
greased 2 lb loaf tin

- Preheat oven to 180 decrees celcius
- In a big pot, heat 1 tab oil and sauté onion and garlic until soft, not brown. Take off the heat.
- If you're making your own breadcrumbs, you can do this now, then grind the cashews and mix them together.
- Add the cashew / breadcrumb mix to the pot of onion and garlic and toss in the herbs.
- Blend the stock cube, hot water and tofu in a blender until creamy.
- Add the tofu mix to the pan and add salt and pepper to taste.
- In a separate pan, heat remaining oil and sauté the mushrooms.
- In the greased loaf tin, arrange some of the mushrooms, then press in half the tofu / cashew mix.
- Arrange another layer of mushrooms, then the rest of the tofu / cashew mix, then a final layer of mushrooms.
- Seal the top with a piece of tin foil and bake for one hour.
- When cooked, remove from oven and stand for 10 minutes, before easing round edges with a knife and turning out
Very tasty with roast veg and vegetable gravy!

OATCAKE TOPPING OF THE MONTH
I have further refined the banana topping idea by finding the most scrumptious topping yet, Hot Banana Chutney. I bought this at my friend's patisserie, The Manna House, at the top of on Easter Road. This is not a shameless plug for their bakery, as it's full of home made cakes and treats. However, a good point to note, if you feel like cake, eat it early in the day, when you are most likely to burn it off... Yes, I have been eating cake with breakfast occasionally since their bakery opened a few month ago. Even a fitness instructor can't resist The Manna House!

EXERCISE OF THE MONTH
Lying Leg Stretch -
I consider this an essential stretch as it lengthens all of the muscles down the back of your leg. It also feels very nice.
Lying on your back, bend one leg and place the foot on the floor.
Loop an old belt (longer is better) over the ball of the other foot, and straighten your leg upwards.
Press your knee away from you to straighten your leg completely. Arms are straight whilst holding the band at a comfortable height.
At the same time think about pulling your toes back toward you and pressing your heel to the ceiling.
Hold for 30 seconds - 5 minutes, all the time challenging yourself to straighten and stretch your leg and flex your heel.

URBAN WALK OF THE MONTH
Some people avoid being outdoors in December, but if you've been out for a big meal or the obligatory staff 'do' in town, why not burn it off and take a wander through Princes Street Gardens and admire the lights? Gorgeous! Walk anywhere in town in the evening throughout December and you'll have pretty lights to admire. For those of you brave enough, have a bash at the Bungee Dome or ice skating...

ARTICLE OF THE MONTH
How to survive the silly season:

- Keep on exercising - it will burn off the rich food of the season, keep your festive spirits up and give you less to regret come New Year!

- Have fresh fruit juice in the fridge and fresh fruit in a fruit bowl at all times.

- Often the vegetarian option for work lunches / dinners are the healthiest. Consider them, and even give them a try!

- If you are given a large amount of booze / rich food as presents for Christmas, store them somewhere out of sight. Personally I store chocolate in a cardboard box out of reach. It doesn't tempt me until I remember I have it, and then I have to climb a step ladder to reach it!

- If you're meeting friends, arrange to meet in a cafe rather than a pub, which is likely to be less smoky and offer tastier non-alcoholic refreshments. Perhaps even arrange a walk together afterwards.

- Sit away from buffet table, make sure you can only reach healthy snacks, and move unhealthy snacks to out of reach

- If you're at a Christmas dinner dance... Dance! Fabulous for burning calories and having a great time.

- Go for a stroll to burn off a heavy lunch. The extra oxygen will also invigorate your mind!

- For every glass of wine you imbibe, drink a glass of water (great way to avoid hangovers too!).

- Consider taking milk thistle, a herbal relative of the artichoke, which has been proved to have liver-assisting properties. Email me if you'd like more info

- Keep track of alcohol units - even though it's the silly season, you still have a responsibility to your body.

- If you do over indulge, don't punish yourself, just launch yourself straight back into your healthy version of living and consider it a learning experience.

- Remember to book your early 2006 sessions in advance, as fitness instructors are very much in demand in January!

Have a happy and healthy silly season!

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NOVEMBER 2005 NEWSLETTER

Dear friends and clients,

As the days are getting shorter, it's easy to forget to look after ourselves. Worry not, this monthly newsletter has lots of realistic ideas for the darker months.

My Monday night class is definitely gathering momentum, and this week I've mixed in new tunes. I really enjoy putting everything together to my favourite music! The class starts with a twenty minute aerobic workout to get heart rates up and to start burning fat. The second half of the class focuses on toning and shaping - upper body, legs and abs. A nice long stretch finishes off the class... A perfect way to burn off the weekend's excesses.

When? Every Monday from 8.15pm
Where? Pilrig Church Hall, corner of Leith Walk and Pilrig Street. Entry is through the second wooden door along on Pilrig Street. There is an intercom if the door is shut. Who? Suitable for all levels of fitness, you can go at your own pace. Bring your friends and make it a social occasion!
How much? It's £4 entry, or £2 for the first session or if you're a regular and bring a new friend.
What to bring? You'll need a bottle of water, comfy clothes and a towel and/or mat for floor exercises.

WHAT'S IN SEASON LOCALLY
It's good to eat seasonally, so here's a list of what's in season locally:

Tender vegetable crops are disappearing as the frosts come, but still going are cabbage, cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, leeks, swede, parsnips, sprouts.

Fruits are: apples, pears and quinces.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

I was racking my brains of what recipe to include this month as I've not had a chance to do much cooking recently. Anyway, as last night was my aerobics night, I prepared food in advance... Only problem is the only vegetables I had were some local potatoes and carrots with dirt still on, so they ended up in a pie:

Easy Vegetable Pie - makes 4 slices
2 potatoes, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
some shallots or one onion
1/2 cup frozen peas
olive oil
20 g butter
salt and pepper
good vegetable stock
fresh herbs (I've used thyme, rosemary and a couple bay leaves)
tiny bit crushed / fresh chilli (optional)
puff pastry

Sauté the shallots in the oil and melted butter, add the carrots and potatoes and stir through. After a couple of minutes, add a dash of vegetable stock (enough to keep it moist, but not so it's swimming in it), herbs, chilli and salt & pepper. Cover pot and simmer until veggies are tender. Roll the puff pastry on a floured board into a large rectangle. Position the pastry in a pie dish and heap the filling in the middle, wrap the pastry around it so the seam is at the top. brush with a little milk and sprinkle on sesame seeds.

Serve with lots of steamed vegetables. Be aware that the puff pastry is high fat, but it does make quick and easy pies! Aim for a middle piece (with less pastry and more filling) for yourself. The leftovers also make a perfect take-to-work lunch

Homemade cold repellent
It's also the time of year when colds and coughs rear their ugly head. Obviously plenty of rest and making sure you make time to relax are important in keeping the gremlins away, but it's also a good excuse to drink hot lemon and honey drink. Simply squeeze half a lemon into a mug and add a big spoon of honey. Half fill with boiling water, stir and enjoy. You can add a slice of fresh ginger for an extra warming effect. My method of curing colds is to very finely chop a clove of fresh garlic, put it on a spoon and neck it with a big glass of water. The trick is not to chew it or let it touch your teeth, this way it shouldn't really effect your breath. Scary, but effective. Especially when you feel like you're about to come down with a cold...

OATCAKE TOPPING OF THE MONTH
A simple and tasty savoury topping is hommous with finely sliced tomato and cracked back pepper. Yum!

EXERCISE OF THE MONTH
Lower back 'Superman': strengthening the lower back.

As pictured on the right, lie on your front with arms outstretched. Engage your tummy muscles by pulling them in. Keep your neck relaxed and head to the floor. Breathing out, lift alternate arm and leg. Breathe in to return to the start position. The importance is to do this slowly and smoothly

URBAN WALK OF THE MONTH
It's been awhile since I've been up there, but Blackford Hill always impresses me as a nice view without a steep climb... You can either park your car on Blackford Glen Road (off Liberton Road / Brae) and walk past the quarry, or catch a number 41 bus from town at get off at Cluny Gardens. It's perfect for these cooler clear wintry days.

ARTICLE OF THE MONTH

This month I've investigated a concept crucial to having a fit body - your metabolism. What is it, and how can you speed it up? Read on...

What is your metabolism and how does it work?

“The physical and chemical processes by which substances are produced or transformed (broken down) into energy or products for the uses of the body.”

In other words, your metabolism is the process where nutrients (food) are broken down into useable energy (for movement).

Your metabolic rate is how fast this reaction happens (i.e. how quickly food is broken down into usable energy). A high metabolic rate means that food is ‘burnt’ more quickly. Which is why we need to aim to increase our metabolic rate. By having a faster metabolic rate, or metabolism, we are able to burn calories more effectively, even at rest. Interestingly, it should also be noted that metabolism decreases with age… One of the many of a myriad of reasons why we change shape with age!

So, how can you increase your metabolism? It’s easy!

- By building muscle mass. This does not mean you have to bulk up, but instead, convert fat to muscle. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. It requires a certain number of calories each day to maintain itself. Therefore, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn even when you’re just sitting around. As your muscle mass drops, so does your daily calorie requirement. Exercises which will increase muscle mass are the strength exercises (i.e. press ups, squats, lunges).

- Always eat a decent sized breakfast to kick start your metabolism. Wholegrains are best at this point of the day.

- Eat five or six small meals throughout the day. You will need to plan ahead a bit more, but it will pay dividends. Also, you will not get hungry and are therefore less likely to snack on ‘junk’ (crisps, sweets etc). Taper off your food intake over the course of the day, with bigger meals in the morning and smaller in the evening.

- Undertake cardiovascular exercise (i.e. running, fast walking, cycling, dancing, aerobics…) at least three times per week with your pulse in the ‘training zone’ – ask me if you’re unsure.

- Drink plenty of water!

Next month - Festive Fever: How to have a healthy hogmanay. Lots of hints and tips on avoiding the excesses of the season...

Have a happy and healthy month!

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OCTOBER 2005 NEWSLETTER

Dear friends and clients,

Here's the second Fitness with Tracy Griffen monthly newsletter, with a special welcome to new members (especially from Monday nights).

The first month of Monday Night Feelgood aerobics class is going well. It's a small but enthusiastic class, with a regular core group. It's going to grow, but I'm really enjoying the chance to use all the space of the church hall, which has wonderful wooden floorboards and good acoustics. The class starts with a twenty minute aerobic workout to get heart rates up and to start burning fat. The second half of the class focuses on toning and shaping - upper body, legs and abs. A nice long stretch finishes off the class... A perfect way to burn off the weekend's excesses.

When? Every Monday from 8.15pm
Where? Pilrig Church Hall, corner of Leith Walk and Pilrig Street. Entry is through the second wooden door along on Pilrig Street. There is an intercom if the door is shut. Who? Suitable for all levels of fitness, you can go at your own pace. Bring your friends and make it a social occasion!
How much? It's £4 entry, or £2 for the first session or if you're a regular and bring a new friend.
What to bring? You'll need a bottle of water, comfy clothes and a towel and/or mat for floor exercises.

WHAT'S IN SEASON LOCALLY
It's good to eat seasonal fruit and vegetables, so here's a list of what's in season locally:
Fruit: elderberries (in the wild), figs, apples
Vegetables: watercress, squash, beetroot, mushrooms, courgettes, marrow, kale, pumpkin

RECIPE OF THE MONTH
The weather's getting cooler, which is a great excuse to start eating porridge. Here's a really easy microwave method. Note - proper porridge will keep you going longer than Ready Brek and other processed oat cereals.

Microwave porridge
1/2 cup oats
1 cup milk
tiny pinch salt for flavour
optional - add sunflower seeds, raisins, sultanas, dried fruit, bran, honey

Microwave! Use the second the highest setting (i.e. not the highest) to prevent it over-boiling. Usually about two minutes does the trick, watch it closely for the first couple of times until you've worked out exactly how long it takes. You can serve it with cold milk (to cool it down) and/ or brown sugar / honey.

I can't resist adding another recipe in, to demystify tofu. Have you ever wondered what to do with tofu? It's high in protein, just lacking a little in taste, which makes it a perfect base for this recipe. I like this for lunch on the weekends:

Scrambled Tofu
1/2 block firm tofu (not silken)
1 carrot, finely julienned
1 small onion, chopped
small handful of finely chopped veg: spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, courgettes
teaspoon fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)
decent amount of fresh parsley or coriander
generous splash of good soy sauce
drizzle sesame oil
dash oil

Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion. Crumble the tofu into the pan by squeezing it through your fingers, add the ginger, garlic (optional), soy sauce and sesame oil and stir well. Add the other veg and keep stirring. It only needs a couple of minutes, until the veg are just cooked. Add the fresh herbs just at the end and stir through.

Serve on wholegrain toast and garnish with fresh parsley / coriander.

OATCAKE TOPPING OF THE MONTH
My friend Aaron has come up with this topping - sliced banana and honey. Yum. I buy my honey in a squeezy bottle as it makes ideas like this less messy!

EXERCISE OF THE MONTH
Here's a good wee workout to fit in a bit of extra cardio exercise into your day. Never mind the neighbours...

Five Minute Stair workout

Walk up and down your stairs twice to warm up
Run up the stairs and walk back down.
Run up the stairs two at a time and walk back down.
Jump with both feet onto the first step and step back down. Do this ten times.
Jump with both feet onto the second step and step back down (you may need to hold the banister). Do this ten times.
Jump with both feet onto the third step and step back down (you may need to hold the banister). Do this ten times.
Run up the stairs and walk back down.
Run up the stairs two at a time and walk back down.
Cool down by walking up the stairs and back down again.
URBAN WALK OF THE MONTH
Have you wandered down to Portobello Beach recently? It's getting cooler and has been a bit windy lately, which makes perfect kite-flying weather... Wind Things, the kite shop on Grassmarket, sells a variety of kites - the basic kite (around £5) is perfect for starting out. You'll find Portobello Beach a great kite-flying location, and a walk along the beach a great way to clear the cobwebs away! Try walking on the soft sand for lovely legs...

ARTICLE OF THE MONTH

What is the GI Diet?

Recently I have become intrigued by the GI diet, as it seems to encompass most of the foods I like (including chocolate) and seems more sensible than most diets. But what is it?

The science bit: GI (glycaemic index) refers to how rapidly a food is converted to glucose. We all use glucose for fuel, which is made in the liver from sugars and starches (carbohydrates) that we eat. Food with a high GI index is converted rapidly, whilst food with a low GI is converted more slowly.

The relevance of this is that we use insulin to transport the glucose around our bloodstream. If glucose is produced slowly and steadily (low GI food) the insulin works effectively as a glucose ‘taxi’, taking the glucose where it’s required in the body.

However, too much glucose is toxic to the body, and so if too much is released at one time (high GI food), the body panics and more insulin is released. The insulin then transfers the glucose to fat stores, rather than the bloodstream, where it can do no harm. This can lead to weight gain, and also cause the insulin to become unresponsive and not work as an effective taxi for glucose around the body. This can also increase the risk of Type II diabetes.

In plain words: High GI foods are broken down quickly, causing a peak in the blood sugar level and making the body ‘panic’ and store the glucose in fat, contributing towards weight gain.

Low GI foods take longer to digest, so you feel fuller for longer. Eating low GI foods avoids this peak and gives you energy for longer.

A food’s GI index can be ascertained by the following categories -

How much starch does it contain? Starch in raw foods takes awhile to break down, but finely milled starch (i.e. white flour) breaks down quickly.

How much fibre? More fibre is better, as it takes longer to break down

How much fat? More fat is better, as it slows down the speed at which food leaves the stomach

How acidic is it? Acidity slows down the progress of food through your system. Higher acidity (including lactic acid in milk products) is lower GI.

Does it contain carbohydrates? Pure protein foods (i.e. meat, eggs) and pure fats (i.e. oils, butter) have no carbohydrates and are therefore low GI. Simple carbohydrates (i.e. white flour) break down easier than complex carbohydrates (i.e. coarsely milled flour) and are high GI.

High GI foods include: parsnips, baked potatoes, bagels, watermelon, cornflakes, white bread

Low GI foods include: carrots, new potatoes, porridge, granary bread, cheeses, plain chocolate,

In summary: The GI index seems to have logical scientific reasoning and is easy enough to stick to. However, there are a few weird foods that are high GI, making it trickier to memorise. If you’re going to try it, you may like to use a converter table. It would be easy to take it too literally and gorge on chocolate and peanuts, which both have high fat content.

Perhaps a solution is to be aware of low GI foods, and try to eat more of them. As this tends towards whole grains and fruit and veg, it really is the basis of a healthy diet… with chocolate!

Author: Tracy Griffen

Sources –
Healthy Weight Forum website: http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/articles/glycemic-index/
Easy GI Diet: Use the Glycaemic index to lose weight and gain energy, Helen Foster, Hamlyn 2004

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SEPTEMBER 2005 NEWSLETTER

Dear friends and clients,

Welcome to the first Fitness with Tracy Griffen monthly newsletter. This newsletter aims to bring you lots of new ideas for keeping happy and healthy... So without further ado, let me introduce you to:

Sweat out the weekend's excesses with an aerobic session with groovy tunes and simple moves. Focussing on strength and toning, I've recently launched The Monday Night Feelgood at Pilrig Church Hall.

Located halfway down Leith Walk, every Monday night at 8.15pm, the hall is host to an hour of aerobics and toning to help you get on with your week. Look forward to Mondays with fun guaranteed...

WHAT'S IN SEASON LOCALLY
It's good to eat seasonal fruit and vegetables, so here's a list of what's in season locally:
Early Russet and Cox apples, pears, sweetcorn, beetroot, brocolli, celery, carrot, fennel, watercress, potatoes, cucumber, spinach, figs, onion.
Brambles, blueberries, figs, peaches, plums, damsons, end of the apricots, nectarines.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Each month I'll be including an easy healthy recipe for you to try. This month, you get two! The first one is really simple, and can be varied according to taste. It's great for breakfast and is:

Really Easy Banana Smoothie
1 banana
1 cup of milk
big dollop of natural yoghurt
spoonful of honey

Throw it all in a blender and switch it on! You can add sunflower seeds, flavoured yoghurt, strawberries, basically anything you fancy.

The next recipe is the easiest soup I know, and also one of my favourites. It's good the next day for lunch too...

Yummy Red Lentil Soup
1 cup split red lentils
1 litre vegetable stock (or a litre of water and some stock cubes)
1 onion
1 tin chopped tomatoes

This is filling, cheap and easy, with so few ingredients it's ridiculous!

Chop the onion and saute in a little olive oil. When soft, add the stock, tin tomatoes, and red lentils. Cover and leave to simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt and fresh herbs and wholegrain bread. You can add a small tin of sweetcorn, chopped carrots or fresh herbs to it, however it's lovely on it's own.

OATCAKE TOPPING OF THE MONTH
As most of you know, I'm really into oatcakes as a mid-morning snack. They're a slow-burning food which keeps me going and they can easily be slipped into my bag. I often get asked what's the best topping for them, so I have a section dedicated to Oatcake Topping of the Month! This month, I'm featuring Cauldron brand organic sweet roasted parsnip and carrot pate (this can be found in the organic fridge section of Scotmid and also Tesco, I think). Delicious and low fat!

EXERCISE OF THE MONTH
This month, I can't get enough of shoulder rolls. Great if you're spending hours at a computer updating websites or writing newsletters! Simply roll both shoulders in circles to the back five times, and then five times forward. This eases off any tension you may be holding in your neck or shoulders. It's also good for warming up before exercise. Try it now... Aaaah... that feels better.

URBAN WALK OF THE MONTH
Have you been up Calton Hill recently? I was amazed when I first moved to Edinburgh that hardly anyone goes up there... Make the most of the continuing sunny weather and go for a stroll. It's a bit of a hike up, but the view of Edinburgh is worth it. Head up the steps from Waterloo Place. It's lovely to sit at the top with a book (much less crowded that Prince Street Gardens).

I hope you enjoyed the first installment of my newsletter. Please let me know fi you have any questions / sections you'd like to see in it. Also remember you can email / phone / text me in between session for additional support, motivation, question-answering.

Have a happy and healthy week!

tracy griffen

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