In this month’s newsletter:
- The Inaugural Festive Health Hack
- Seasonal Recipe: An Easy Warm Salad for the Cooler Weather
- Article of the Month: Two Wee Workouts
Hello healthy people,
It’s only four weeks until the inaugural Festive Health Hack, an affordable and interactive workshop of practical ideas on how you can stay fit and healthy over the darker (and more indulgent) months. I’ll be hosting this event in my studio, 6pm – 8pm on Tuesday 1 December, and tickets are very limited.
It promises to be an evening of:
– Realistic winter fitness solutions
– Lively topical discussion
– Practical nutritional demonstrations
– Healthy gift ideas
– I’ll show you an easy 10 minute workout you can fit into your busy day…
– Tasty nibbles on the night (recipes provided)
– Q & A at the end…I really should also mention the complementary signed copy of the Healthy Living Yearbook (RRP £9.99).
Healthy Seasonal Recipe: A Warm Salad for Cooler Weather
I’ve discovered one of the easiest ways to use up the tough tomatoes and peppers that we are still harvesting from our greenhouse is to pop ‘em in the oven. Cooking tomato is meant to be better nutritionally, as cooking helps break the cell walls down, making it easier to absorb the antioxidant lycopene. Ingredients can vary, depending on what you have in the fridge:Serves 2
2 handfuls tough old tomatoes per person
A red pepper
Bag of rocket
An avocado
All or some of: block of halloumi cheese / 2 organic eggs / washed potatoes- Preheat oven to about 170 degrees C (fan oven)
– In a roasting dish, toss the whole or halved tomatoes in some oil (I use local rapeseed oil). Sometime I also pop in some pepper (capsicums if you’re Aussie).
– Check every 15 minutes or so. When they are done, turn off oven, add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the dish, then pop back in the cooling oven.
– Boil the potatoes until just cooked, drain and cool slightly. At the same time:
– If using halloumi, pan-fry thick slices in a non-stick frying pan, on a medium heat until brown.
– If using eggs, boil for 5 minutes, cool and peel. Quarter.
– Aim to have all the components cooked and slowly cooling as you plate up the salad base.
– I like to use a generous bed of rocket and fresh herbs (especially basil), with slices of avocado on the side.
– Dot grilled tomatoes, potatoes / halloumi / boiled egg around the plate on the salad. A sprig of basil as a garnish and some good quality balsamic to dress it. Delicious!
Article of the Month: Two Wee Workouts
It’s easy to make excuses not to exercise if you’re pushed for time. The good news is that any exercise will help. Obviously there is an optimal amount to exercise, but if you’re short of time, why not try one of these two workouts? The first one uses steps, of which we have many in Edinburgh, and the second workout uses a humble skipping rope.
Three Minute Stair Workout
1. Walk up and down your stairs twice to warm up
2. Run up the stairs and walk back down.
3. Run up the stairs two at a time and walk back down.
4. Jump with both feet onto the first step and step back down. Do this ten times.
5. Jump with both feet onto the second step and step back down (you may need to hold the banister). Do this ten times.
6. Jump with both feet onto the third step and step back down (you may need to hold the banister). Do this ten times.
7. Run up the stairs and walk back down.
8. Run up the stairs two at a time and walk back down.
9. Cool down by walking up the stairs and back down again.
Five Minute Skipping Workout
Skipping is one of the most effective ways of getting your heart rate up and burning calories. It takes a little practise (or remembering, if you used to skip rope at school), but it is well worth the patience as you master different moves…
Walk to your chosen flat place to skip. You will either need to find a spot inside with a high ceiling and nothing breakable nearby, or a flat spot outside on tarmac, perhaps in a park. Skipping on grass is almost impossible, so find a quiet path to use. Putting on some fast-paced music will help you keep time.1. Jog on the spot for a minute to warm up and to set your skipping pace.
2. Start skipping on alternating feet. It’s like jogging on the spot, with the only difference of jogging over the swinging rope.
3. Aim to do five minutes skipping without a break, and build up with practise.
4. Vary your skipping by doing a minute each of:
– jumping with both feet together
– hopping twice on one leg, then the other
– doing the ‘can can’, hop then kick on each leg
– travelling forwards and backwards
– jumping from side to side, as if skiing
– skipping backwards
Have a happy and healthy November,
Tracy 🙂