This month’s issue:…
- Greetings
- 2014 Events
- What’s in Season at the Allotment
- Easy Seasonal Recipe: Nick’s Mother In Law’s Parsnip and Butter Bean Soup
- Resisting Temptation Hint of the month: Eat Well During the Day
- Griffen Fitness visits 10 Downing Street
- And Finally… On Yer Bike
Hello healthy people,
‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la, la la la laaa. You can embrace the festive season without throwing all your good intentions out the window. Wait until the last moment to buy ‘festive food’, stay well hydrated and remember to get your five a day of fruit and veg. Many fruit aren’t that great at this time of year, so remember you can also use dried fruit, pure fruit juice or tinned fruit / veg. Walk wherever you can – rug up and enjoy Edinburgh on foot.
eBook of Healthy Living Yearbook now available
The Healthy Living Yearbook has got with the times and is now available as an eBook through Neil Wilson Publishing. So if you’d like to be healthy on the move, download your copy today from http://www.nwp.co.uk/9781906000684 It’s also a fab gift for that special person in your life who “has always meant to get fit”…
2014 Events
It’s unbelievable to think it’s nearly the end of the year, and in fact here are details of my first two 2014 workshops 2014 (both FREE to attend):
Nutrition for Runners at Run and Become, 20 Queensferry Street, 6.30pm Tuesday 7th January,
Does what it says on the tin, suitable for all runners. Book online at http://run.runandbecome.com/event/edinburgh-nutrition-tracy-griffen/
Welcome 2014 the Healthy Way at Blackwell’s Bookshop, South Bridge, 6.30pm Thursday 9th January.
An informal interactive workshop to help you welcome 2014. How can you make your New Year’s resolutions really stick, enjoy indulging new healthy habits and fit exercise into your everyday life. Get fit and enjoy it! This event is ticketed, available from the front desk at Blackwell’s Bookshop or by phoning 0131 622 8218. More info at http://stores.blackwell.co.uk/stores/edinburgh-southbridge/events/
What’s in Season at the Allotment
We’ve hardly been down our plot recently, and it’s looking a bit bare. However we are still harvesting purple cabbage, beetroot and parsnips, and the land cress is bravely battling on (it tastes like watercress). Also maincrop potatoes from store (see photo below).
Easy Seasonal Recipe: Nick’s Mother In Law’s Parsnip and Butter Bean Soup
“I love soups and I really love vegetable and vegan soups in particular. I have a rota of 12 soups I make over the winter months and freeze blocks of soup for later use. Soup is an ideal way of increasing vegetable consumption and reducing the amount of processed food. This is a recipe from my Mother-in-Law, she is lovely by the way and at 76 still has as much energy as the day I first met her 20 years ago!
2 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 large parsnips, washed and chopped
3 medium potatoes, washed and chopped
400g tin of butter beans
1½ pints vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 4 tbs of creme fraiche, 1 pint of soy milk or semi skimmed, or add more vegetable stock for the non-dairy option.
– Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan and stir in garlic and onions.
– Cover and cook gently for 8-10 mins until softened.
– Add the chopped parsnips and potatoes and stir well, then add the drained butter beans.
– Add vegetable stock, bay leaf and lemon juice.
– Bring to the boil, cover and gently simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are completely soft.
– Discard the bay leaf and puree soup in a blender.
– Here you can play with the consistency of the soup by adding more stock, creme fraiche or single cream. I only add vegetable stock. Season to taste and serve…
Nick Constantine
Chi Running coach and Soup man”
Resisting Temptation Hint of the Month: Eat Well During the Day
‘Tis the season for work do’s and evening celebrations. Look after your waistline by eating as normally as possible. Be sure to eat a good breakfast, porridge is ideal at this time of year, and also take healthy snacks to work. If you have an evening function, rather than starving yourself all day so you can eat lots at night, eat well during the day, so your blood sugar stays at a sensible level. You’ll be less inclined to demolish the bread basket at dinner, and you’ll also find after-work drinks go to your head less.
Griffen Fitness visits 10 Downing Street
This Friday I’ll be catching a red-eye train down to London to visit 10 Downing Street for a snappily titled reception “to celebrate the Downing Street conclusion of the Small Business Saturday Bus Tour and the success of our GREAT British small businesses.” I’m supporting Small Business Saturday, which takes place for the first time in the UK this Saturday 7 December. It’s a fab chance to frequent some of your local businesses and see what they’ve got on offer. Personally I do as much shopping as possible from Leith Walk small shops, as I find them cheaper (a 400g tin chick peas are 39p at Polypack as opposed to 89p at Tesco), and I like chatting to shop owners rather than scanning bar codes through a self-service till machine.
And Finally… On Yer Bike
Voodoo Unicycles is a group of four blokes who do amazing stunts on one wheel. They performed in June for the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling and here’s a nice clip of them touring the Highlands http://vimeo.com/79621071
I realise in hindsight that many of the vids featured in this newsletter are of blokes doing tricks on bikes, and so I’d like to redress this imbalance with a clip of the Sister Sessions (sisters doin’ it for themselves on two wheels) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP0GLfDlSW0
Have a happy and healthy festive season,
🙂
tracy
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© Copyright all material Tracy Griffen 2013