This month’s issue:…
- The Fit Festival
- Easy Recipe: Homemade Energy Balls
- Insider Tip: Stretch Your Feet
- Fad or Fab: Vibram 5 Fingers Revisited
- Article: Some Edinburgh Walks
- And Finally… Coco. Continued.
Hello healthy people,
Autumn is here, and the leaves are changing colour. September is often a mild month, and I hope you’re enjoying getting out and about. This month’s article is a list of walks around Edinburgh. October is the month of Hallowe’en, the Dome’s Christmas lights going up, and now also The Fit Festival.
A whole weekend of fitness and well-being can be found at the newly refurbished Assembly Rooms, on 18 and 19 October. To win a double pass, all you need to do is email me with your favourite form of exercise. We have 10 passes to give away, closing date is this Thursday and winners will informed next week.
At The Fit Festival I’ll be hosting a masterclass (mistressclass?) at 1.15pm on Saturday 18 October, on “Easy ways to have a healthy day.” I’m all for easiness and money-saving and that’s the theme for the talk. We’ll also have a stall with wobble board (sadly fitness pug Coco can’t join us) so come and find us and say hello…
Easy Recipe: Homemade Energy Balls
Raw food snacks are super-fashionable at the moment and a healthy tasty snack, but did you know you can make your own for the fraction (actually a third) of the price? This is a super easy recipe, using only five commonly found ingredients. You can adjust the texture to personal taste. This recipe comes in at 25 pence per energy ball, whereas Nakd bars from the shops are around 75 pence.
3 Tbsp nut butter (almond or cashew are ideal)
2 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/3 cup chopped dates, the fresher the better
½ cup sunflower seeds
Grated cacao (raw chocolate) or desiccated coconut to coat
– Blend the top four ingredients in a blender. You may need to mix it about a bit with a spatula.
– Roll into bite sized balls in either the cacao or coconut.
– Wrap in tinfoil and store in the fridge.
– This recipe makes 10 balls.
Insiders Tip of the Month: Stretch Your Feet
This is the bit of the newsletter where I give you an insider’s fitness tip; this month it’s a ‘heads up’ to regularly stretch your feet. Your feet are amazing, they’re a complex web of muscles and tendons designed to keep you upright and moving. But have you ever thought to give them a wee rub? It’s usually only when things start to go wrong that we consider the humble foot, however you can aid recovery and improve your running by looking after your feet. Give them a wee rub, focusing on the arch of the foot. Even give your heels a rub. Also remember to stretch your toes and ankles to keep them in tip top shape and injury free.
Fad or Fab: Vibram 5 Fingers Revisited
Regular readers may recall two years ago Vibram 5 Fingers (‘yeti shoes’) mentioned in this very column. Earlier in the month Andy and I were offered the chance to test run these barefoot running shoes, and here’s the blog post.
Article of the Month: Walking in Edinburgh
An energetic walk is a wonderful thing on an autumnal weekend. Rug up in your woollies and waterproofs, don some outdoor footwear with good tread and get out and explore some of the wonderful places we have right on our doorstep. Here’s a list of favourites, in alphabetical order:
Arthur’s Seat: This goes without saying. It’s rocky near the top, so be sure to wear sturdy shoes. If you’re feeling less energetic, try walking around Salisbury Crags, or even behind the Crags through Hunter’s Bog.
Blackford Hill: Coming around from the Hermitage, circle around Blackford Hill and as a grand finale, up the hill.
Botanic Gardens: Great if you’ve got children in tow, or if you fancy an easy wander. I like going into the greenhouses on a very chilly day to defrost.
Calton Hill: We often take visitors for a Sunday stroll up Calton Hill for a photogenic view of Edinburgh.
Cramond: Sometimes it feels like everyone in Edinburgh is there for a wander, and the car park can get quite full. Try cycling there instead.
Pentlands: How could we forget, so close to Edinburgh, and less crowded. There’s a walk near Hillend Ski Centre (Boghall) which is signposted and well worth the journey.
Portobello Beach: It’s romantic to watch the weather blowing in from the sea. With the added bonus of cafes on the Promenade to stop in and warm up.
Union Canal: From Fountainbridge the gravelly paths are good for winter walking and it’s a lovely spot to watch the seasons changing. Alternatively, for a longer walk catch a bus up to Balerno and walk back down along the Water of Leith, joining onto the Union Canal.
Water of Leith: It can get a little slippy, but the walk from the Modern Art Gallery down to The Shore at Leith is a scenic way to spend an afternoon. You can always pop by Stockbridge for a cuppa too!
Need more ideas? A brilliant resource I purchased from a book fair is “25 Walks: Edinburgh and Lothian” by Roger Smith, published by Mercat Press. A Spokes map of Edinburgh, available from any good bike shop or online at www.spokes.org.uk for £4.95 will also show you lots of hidden walks and paths.
And Finally… Coco. Continued.
Coco continues to offer a smile to many clients, and a ‘pug hug’ at the end of a good workout. Here’s my latest Leither musings on my favourite furry being.
Have a happy and healthy October,
Tracy 🙂
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© Copyright all material Tracy Griffen 2014