Welcome to Septembers newsletter. Summer holidays have come to an end the kids have gone back to school. More time for yourself so more time for the Gym. Lets kick it up a gear with the workouts why not try this months challenge. High intensity workout with toning for the ladies and strength for the lads.
More changes in the Club this month. Over the bank holiday i gave the gym a new lick of paint and had a slight change round with a couple of machines. I only just got the place looking ship shape ready for Tuesday morning. Thanks to Anni, Adam Walton & James Offord for helping me with the final bits.
Struggling
to shift those last few pounds or need to kick start your
weight loss routine? Try the Gym & Tonic Six Week
Healthy Eating Plan.
Includes
a weekly weigh in, fat percentage, measurements and
personal goals. All for £30.
Buy your pack this month and receive a Gym & Tonic
T-shirt or sunbed vouchers.
At the end of the month Pauline will be pushing John around
the Great North Run (that is a half marathon 13.1 miles).
please feel free to lend your support and encourage them
both by sponsoring them or passing on your good luck. The
sponsorship form is on the reception.
Pauline has trained hard over the last few months to get
ready for the big day. John could be persuaded to shave his
hair to make him more aerodynamic if we raise £500.
Handles and Bars is fully in motion Wednesday night every 2
weeks. Check out the pictures from last week
here. If
you fancy taking part in the next one talk to a member
of staff for more details.
Premier
Members
How
do I bring someone to the club?
Let us
know who you would like to bring to the gym, take a free
guest visit flyer then book a time and date for them to
visit the club, simples.
If they sign up for the year after their weeks membership
you will become a premier member and receive a £10 next
voucher.
Pop-tastic Health News
Popcorn
New
research has found that popcorn is much more than simply a
tasty accompaniment for the cinema – it is the latest
superfood.
In the first study of its kind, US scientists found that
popcorn, and many whole grain breakfast cereals, contain
the same amount of healthy antioxidants as fruit and
vegetables.
Dr Joe Vinson, from University of Scranton, Pennsylvania,
who headed the new study, revealed that these popular snack
foods contain a "surprisingly large" amount of the natural
plant antioxidants polyphenols, which are thought to help
combat heart disease and cancer – claiming a cup of
popcorn has as many of the health boosting chemicals as an
apple.
However, popcorn has recently been criticised for the large
amount of salt present, so choose the low-fat and low-salt
varieties for the healthier option.
Plums
The
humble plum isn't just a cheap fruit - it's a potential
lifesaver as well. Having just one a day could help prevent
against breast cancer, heart disease and even slow down the
ageing process, according to a study by AgriLife Research
in Texas.
Plums contain higher levels of antioxidants than
blueberries despite the cheaper price tag. They also help
you see in the dark and keep the skin young thanks to their
high levels of vitamin A, while remaining fat and
cholesterol free and low in calories.
Blackcurrants
In
January 2009 record numbers of workers phoned in sick - 2.4
million citing colds and flu. While a healthy diet, regular
hand-washing and drinking plenty of fluids sees most people
through, blackcurrants could be the secret to a tasty
recovery.
Blackcurrants are rich in plant chemicals known as
anthocyanins which give the immune system a boost when you
need it most. Research at The Common Cold Centre in Cardiff
affirmed that even drinking hot Ribena helps you out a
great deal - it's cheap, safe and effective.
Red wine
Having a
glass of wine every now and then always seems like a bright
idea but now there's an actual proven medical benefit!
It helps you relax and the age-old Italian belief that it's
good for your heart still stands today. And what
researchers have been raising their glasses to is the fact
that thanks to the antioxidant flavinoids (which wine is
rich in), a glass here and there will protect you against
Alzheimer's.
Goji berries
Beta
carotene in the small, red fruits are thought to help fight
heart disease, defend against cancer and protect skin from
sun damage.
The berries are also a good source of B vitamins and
antioxidants. It was even claimed they banished cellulite
and boosted libido, earning them the nickname "fruit
viagra".
Edamame beans
A type
of soya bean, which originated in China. The edamame bean
is loaded with vitamins and minerals and is the only
vegetable to contain all nine amino acids, making it a
complete source of protein.
It is also high in fibre, folic acid, vitamin C and helps
lower cholesterol. M&S launched the bean as part of a
side salad in May last year and has now brought out
lunch-size salad.
Rosehips
Experts
say the red berries can reduce the inflammation caused by
many illnesses associated with growing old.
As one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C,
generations have sworn by their health-giving properties.
They may also combat heart-disease and chronic bowel
disorders such as Crohn's disease.
Seaweed
Seaweed
is claimed to protect against a host of conditions,
including cervical cancer, heart disease, HIV and Aids.
It contains alginate, which is high in fibre and good for
health. It has been suggested that tasteless seaweed could
be added to burgers and bread to help solve the obesity
crisis.
Natto
With its
greasy texture, terrible smell and a taste that can best be
described as acquired, Natto is the most unlikely of
superfoods.
The fermented soya bean dish is credited with alleviating a
range of conditions from thrombosis, osteoporosis and high
cholesterol to dysentery, cancer and baldness.
Cranberries
Increased
in popularity after it emerged that they were a natural
bacteria fighter.
They also contain more healthy antioxidants than most other
fruits, helping to combat cystitis. One study suggested
that cranberries could stop cancer spreading.
Purple asparagus
Purple
asparagus has a huge advantage over its green relative - it
doesn't end up stuck in your teeth.
It is also sweeter than the green stuff and this, combined
with the brighter colour makes it attractive to children.
Purple foods are popular with health-conscious consumers
because the colour indicates a high level of
health-enhancing anti-oxidants (which reduce the risk of
cancer). The purple plant has one other advantage - eating
too much green asparagus can turn urine green but its
dark-coloured cousin is blameless.
Bananas
Bananas
could soon be used to help immunise people against
hepatitis B. A review in Biotechnology Progress has found
that bananas are the most promising edible vaccine against
the disease.
Scientists are also currently working on bananas that
produce virus proteins that act as vaccines.
Onions
Researchers
in Japan found people suffering from memory loss who ate
the layered vegetable found it improved their ability to
recall.
Experts said the findings could be important in the fight
against brain diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Antioxidants found in onions and other members of the allum
family - including garlic - bind with harmful toxins in the
brain and flush them out of the body.
Chilli peppers
A jab
which contains hot chilli pepper is now in development
which allows patients to stay completely alert and
pain-free while being operated on.
The painkiller prevents suffering without the usual
side-effects of paralysis and unconsciousness, common in
anaesthetics today which affect our sense of touch and
control. This is because the compound in chilli opens a
specific pain "gate" in neurons without leaking into
others.
Scientists believe that within a few years it could be used
during child birth, dentistry and basic surgery. Presently
the alkaloid capsaicin from chilli peppers is also used in
topical analgesic creams for the relief of arthritis,
tendonitis and muscular strain due to its warming
sensation.
Coffee
Drinking
coffee every day reduces the risk of skin cancer,
researchers have discovered. Caffeine junkies will be glad
to know that six cups a day can cut the threat by up to
30%.
Caffeine has an antioxidant effect which protects skin
cells against the damage that triggers the growth of
cancer. On the other hand coffee and exercise together can
actually kill off skin cells damaged by the sun's UV rays.
These cells, if not killed, can become cancerous.
Coffee was also cited as helping to reduce liver cancer -
as if you ever needed an excuse to put the kettle on!
Watercress
A
natural superfood that could help reduce the likelihood of
developing several types of cancer, claim researchers.
A recent study by University of Ulster suggested the
aquatic plant's green leaf contains compounds that help to
prevent damage to DNA in white blood cells - which is
considered to be an important trigger in the development of
cancer. However, Cancer Research UK says that larger
studies are needed.
Blueberries
Back in
2004, after it was revealed that blueberries could lower
cholesterol, the fruits flew off the shelves. Other
research suggested pterostilbene in the fruit may help
fight cancer and ward off diabetes.
It was also claimed that they help slow the ageing process.
On top of that they're also linked to dramatically reducing
the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Passion fruit
Researchers
have discovered that passion fruit is a pseudo cure for
asthma. Wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath were
reduced in patients who took medicine containing an extract
from the fruit's peel.
The American and Iranian researchers account the success to
the fruit's anti-oxidant, anti-allergic and
anti-inflammatory properties. South American folk medicines
had commonly used the fruit to treat bronchitis, asthma and
insomnia. Now scientists want to turn the peel extract into
a dietary supplement suitable for regular treatment.
Fish
Eating
fish could save your eyesight, it has been revealed.
Researchers found that those who ate fish twice a week cut
the risk of age-related macular (AMD) - a main cause of
sight loss in old people.
High intakes of foods rich in omega-3 fats were linked with
a 38% reduction in the risk of late AMD. Fish cut the risk
of both early and late AMD.
Purple tomatoes
Brightening
up your salad is the least of this fruit's abilities. This
purple variety has been created by scientists to battle
cancer and heart disease by adding the same class of
health-promoting pigments found in blueberries,
blackberries and cranberries - hence the colour.
The results have been astonishing so far. After feeding
cancer suffering rats this GM tomato, their life expectancy
increased from 142 days to 182.
The purple tomato was created by scientists in Norwich who
inserted two genes from the snapdragon plant, known for
regulating the production of anthocyanin pigments which are
thought to prevent against cancers, cardiovascular diseases
and degenerative illnesses.
Oregano
A
natural oil which is found in oregano could be the key to
fighting the deadly hospital superbug MRSA, which has
already claimed the lives of thousands in the UK.
Scientists found that small quantities of carvacrol, a
naturally occurring compound in oregano, is a more
effective antimicrobial agent than 18 pharmaceutical drugs
it was compared against.
Carvacrol can sterilise septic water, kill giardia, treat
fungal infections - such as candida - and rivals
pharmaceutical antibiotics such as streptomycin and
penicillin in its ability to eliminate microbes.
Strawberries
Strawberries
are rich in what's known by food buffs as fisetin, a
flavinoid which has proven links with boosting memory.
Strawberries are also rich in vitamin C. They're also
considered to be an age-old source for making the teeth
whiter!
Taken from
http://www.supanet.com/lifestyle/superfoods-11322p1.html
Exercise of the
month:
Wall sit: Hold
as long as you can and increase time each visit.
Place
your back against the wall bend your legs until knees are
at 90 degrees then hold. Arms crossed or out in front not
on your legs (cheating)
Monthly
Challenge:
Take
part in this months high intensity cardio and strengthening
for the lads and toning for the ladies challenge. Follow
the circuit in the order stated and see your fitness
improve over the month.
Last Months
Winner For July 2009
Great
effort all round by men and women loads of calories burnt
off. it was close all the way up to the end.
Final scores 3 machines each the blokes won on the stepper,
rower and recumbent bike and the women won on the bike
treadmill and x trainer. Watch this space the calorie
challenge will be back.
This Months Recipe
Six
weeks worth of Fat Busting recipes to help you lose weight
includes a weekly weigh in, fat percentage, measurements
and personal goals. All for £30.
Buy your pack this month and receive a Gym & Tonic
T-shirt or sunbed vouchers.