November 2019 newsletter
- Testimonial of the Month
- Easy Recipe: Fabulous Flapjacks
- Article: eBike review
- And Finally… Coco TV is coming!
Hello healthy people,
And hello winter! We’re plunged into freezy darkness, a bit like a 
meteorological plunge pool. I’ve dug out all my winter clothes, so happy for merino wool layers… I’ve also dug out an old favourite recipe, as homemade flapjacks are excellent fuel for a wintry hill walk.
Testimonial of the Month
Well done to Shawn, who is getting stronger and faster every week. My job is a pleasure and I’m so happy with his review:
“I came to Tracy as someone who didn’t have the confidence to run in the park. Who didn’t have the confidence to do workouts in the gym. I was conscious how I looked and I let that hold me back from advancing my fitness goals.
After hearing about Tracy through a friend, I gave her a call…and my fitness world opened up from there!
From my first session, I felt relaxed, at ease – I had found someone who could understand my fitness priorities and could adapt the programme around those goals. Excellent nutrition and fitness knowledge – clear, easy to follow guidance sent to me after each session. I was comfortable enough to run alone in the park, to do strength exercising at home and I can’t tell you how much this positively impacted both my physical and mental health! The results were very clear and exceeded my expectations.” – Shawn M, October 2019
Easy Recipe: Fabulous Flapjacks
This is such a simple recipe, and one of the most popular from the Healthy Living Yearbook.
These flapjacks are healthier than most shop bought snacks, as despite having sugar (brown) and fat (butter) in, they are natural and you can tailor the flavour to your taste. And it’s EASY! You can also save yourself quite a lot of money and be in control of your nutrition if you make them yourself.
Makes 12
50g butter, melted
100g soft brown sugar, I prefer less
1 free range organic egg (as happy hens lay better eggs)
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
150g porridge oats
50g plain flour
100g raisins / dried cranberries / sunflower / pumpkin seeds / mixed nuts
1 dessertspoon of golden syrup (optional)
1. In a bowl, mix butter and soft brown sugar. Add the egg and mix.
2. Weigh the plain flour straight into the bowl, add baking powder and mixed spice and mix.
3. Now add porridge oats and seeds / dried fruit, (I like sunflower seeds and dried cranberries). Mix well together. If you have any golden syrup, a dessertspoon here will ensure they stay soft and chewy, but it’s not vital.
4. They are now ready to cook. You can use 12 paper cupcake cases, or spoon directly into a lightly greased muffin tray. Alternatively, you can use a baking tray, but wait until the flapjacks are completely cold before cutting them up.
5. Bake at 150 degrees for around 15 minutes. They are nicer underdone rather than too crunchy.
6. Cool and wrap individually.
We all go Whee! on an eBike
I recently road tested a Volt eBike from my neighbours, Leith Cycle Co. Having sped to Cramond and back without breaking a sweat, I now call them whee! bikes – ‘cos that’s the sound you want to make as you speed past other cyclists effortlessly. Hill? Easy!
I’m a dedicated old-school cyclist who loves to be on two wheels. It’s the quickest way to get about town and you never struggle for a parking space. However, I certainly would have loved an eBike in the early days, when I used to cycle to all of my clients and classes. The thing is, the technology has only just become affordable. Whilst I’m not going to rush out and buy an eBike immediately, it certainly is nice to know there’s now the option, should I need it.
When I do fork out around £1,500 for one, I’ll make sure I can store it on the ground floor (they’re heavy to lift) and I’ll keep the battery indoors over winter (needs to be at 5 degrees C or above). I’ll also make sure I have a sturdy lock and plaster the bike with Griffen Fitness livery. So there’s a plan.
Let me know if you’d like to read the full eBike review, or if you’d like to know about fitness for cycling.
And Finally… Coco TV is coming!
We love shop window displays in the studio. Now it’s the dark season, we’ve started projecting videos onto the front window curtain – from around 7pm – 11pm most nights Leith Walk gets a free filmshow. Here’s a 1 minute YouTube video of last weeks’ Hallowe’en projection. This week is the debut of Coco TV. We’ve turned Coco the fitness pug’s finest moments into a wee TV show to share with the world, viewing from 8.30pm this evening…
Have a happy and healthy November,
🙂 Tracy