Online Fitness Lessons

Hi welcome to the weekly Fitness and Pole Newsletter.   I run a dance and fitness studio called Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness and also a pole dancing school called Sharp Shooters.  I write 2 separate newsletters a week – this is a combination of them both.  I hope you enjoy the read and would love your feedback.

Good god it is cold isn’t it – I am not designed for cold weather at all, which is probably why I lived abroad for so many years.  I am currently on a Kick Start Fat Loss program which has been designed by Rachel Holmes for other fitness professionals.  It is tough but it is getting amazing results in a very short time.  I wanted to do it so I could learn even more about shifting unwanted fat and inches so that I can provide a better service for all of my Bootcampers.

The early morning sessions got off to quite a slow start in January with the amount of people booked on but I am pleased to say that it is attracting more people now.  When I first tell people the time  – 6.30 a.m it is always met by comments like “Oh my god I couldn’t get up and work out that early”  I too was one of those people, but once you have experienced it you realise that actually it is the best time of the day.  You see when you do the early morning workouts you set your alarm which goes off and you just get out of bed without thinking about anything really, get dressed,  jump in the car and get to your session.  45 minutes later you have completed a fantastic fat burning workout and you are on your way back home to shower, have breakfast and start your normal day.

When you do the evening sessions, you have all day to think of reasons why not to train – “it’s too cold”, “I am too tired”, “just want to get home to the couch”, “need to ferry the kids around” etc etc and the next thing you know you have missed another workout.  Whereas if you had done the 6.30 a.m. session you would be feeling rather smug that you had done your workout, done your day and still got home to the warmth of your couch by tea time.

So I would highly recommend that you at least try it once to see what I mean!

About Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness Studio, Llandudno

Dance-Tastic Night.

If you are interested in different types of dance then this event is a must for you – Venue Cymru, Llandudno is holding a Dance-Tastic night on Saturday 3rd March 8pm till midnight.

There are going to be performances from:

Street dance – Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness

Bollywood – Bollywood Burnout

Zumba – Paula Roberts

There will also be a guest singer and disco.

Your chance to dance tickets £7.50 each

Funds raised on the night go to Happy Faces children’s charity.

For more information please call 07968957177 /  07918623920

To buy your ticket please call BOX OFFICE 01492 872000

Introduction to Coaching workshop with Marina Cogan.

Come and find out how you can live your life to the best.  You’ll be part of a small, friendly and supportive group with like-minded people.  During the interactive, relaxing workshops you’ll find new ways of thinking and will strengthen your existing skills.

Places are limited to you need to call 01492 818 303 / 0795 724 5635 to book.

The workshops are held at the Raring2Go Hub, 22 Madoc Street, Llandudno, LL30 2TL

8^th February – “I want it all and I want it now” 7.00 p.m. till 9.00 p.m.

22^nd February – “There is nobody like me” – 7.00 p.m. till 9.00 p.m.

7^th March – “No Stress in my life” – 7.00 p.m. till 9.00 p.m.

Each session costs £25.00 or book all 3 for £60.00.

Another fellow Fitness Professional wrote a fantastic article about stress and so she said it is ok for me to share the information with my lovely followers..

Too much stress WILL make you fat! by The Fat Controller Jill Gardner

Whilst stress doesn’t exactly contain calories it’s the compensatory reactions caused by the hormonal response that leads to cravings, hunger and low energy that eventually leads to poor food choices and stored extra fat!

When we want to focus on weight loss, what’s the first thing people think about? Doing more exercise and eating less!

What’s wrong with this model? Well apart from the fact it sucks! It doesn’t work and it actually works against your body. The hormonal impact means you are likely to get fatter in the long term no matter how hard you try!

So why is this? When we are stressed the body releases the hormone Adrenaline, which is like the accelerator pedal for the body and it can begin a fat burning chain reaction, when it includes the hormones Cortisol, Testosterone and HGH.

Examples of chronic stress for the body: Long duration aerobic exercise, overtraining, lack of sleep, calorie restriction, money, skipped meals, overuse of stimulants such as coffee or sugary foods, no down time, negative thinking and bad relationships etc.

With high carbohydrate diets and constant stress, elevated levels of Insulin results in more fat being stored and locked into its fat cells! The body then stops using fat as fuel and starts using circulating blood sugar! Even worse, if there are low levels of Testosterone and HGH (through poor sleep, over training, too much cardio etc) then it will not only stop burning fat but it will store fat and burn muscle too! A metabolic disaster!

Most people’s metabolisms are not well tuned enough to cope with these massive fluctuations in hormones – they are on the perpetual blood sugar roller coaster – swinging from low moods to crashing energy, strong cravings and storing fat like crazy!

It’s almost impossible to resist junk food when you are chronically stressed. So what’s the solution? Stress hormones have evolved to allow for fast intense movement away from the stressful trigger! What didn’t kill us made us stronger! This rarely happens now. BUT by carefully selecting methods to help deal with stress and adopting better diets and exercise modes you can use stress hormones in a beneficial way.
Without stress in an exercise program we can’t adapt and grow. But for most people it would be better to eat more of the right food, more frequently with less refined carbohydrates – this will prevent a stress response from hunger hormones. You could start to incorporate high intensity interval training and metabolic resistance training, which will encourage the release of the fat burning hormones Testosterone and HGH together with Cortisol! You could aim to get more sleep and rest, be more positive and reduce the amount of cardio you do!

So you see – you really do need to exercise less AND eat more to help you burn fat and keep muscle!

I’d love to hear your thoughts or have your questions on this.

Jill Gardner – The Fat Controller, Hate it? Change it!
 http://www.facebook.com/hateitchangeit
http://www.hateitchangeit.co.uk

ALL ABOUT POLE

A big congratulations to Bendy Kate for her performance on Got to Dance – amazing!

Recipe of the Week

This week’s recipe was found by one of my bootcampers – Amy, it is by Mat Follas
Oriental Noodles with Smoked Salmon.

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 egg yolk
100g pre-cooked rice noodles
50g smoked salmon
25g fresh ginger, sliced into matchstick sized pieces
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp roasted sesame oil
Pinch of salt

Method
1. With a non-stick pan, heat a little of the sesame oil until it’s just starting to smoke. Quickly toss the smoked salmon pieces in it, remove and put aside.

2. Using the same pan, cook the rice noodles on a high heat until crispy; use a fish slice to press them down flat forming a pancake. Place the crispy noodles on a warm plate.

3. Beat the eggs and yolk with a fork and add a pinch of salt to season. Again, in the same pan, cook the eggs on a moderate heat and pour onto the noodles just before they are completely set. Sprinkle with chilli flakes, ginger, lime juice and smoked salmon, and serve immediately

I would love to hear your comments on this weeks newsletter,

Have a fantastic week,
Love Zara x

Hi welcome to the weekly Fitness and Pole Newsletter.   I run a dance and fitness studio called Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness and also a pole dancing school called Sharp Shooters.  I write 2 separate newsletters a week – this is a combination of them both.  I hope you enjoy the read and would love your feedback.

Oh my gosh only 18 days until Father Christmas visits us all!!  I am so unprepared this year..  The children dancing outside the Town Hall were amazing, the 4-6 year olds were so cute and a big congratulations to the 10-12 year olds for not losing their nerve in front of the big crowds – very proud of them.  You can watch them here.

The studio Christmas party was fantastic as usual, everyone had an absolute ball.  A big thankyou to everyone that attended, it is so lovely to see everyone on a social level and to be able to chat and catch up.

About Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness Studio, Llandudno

As December is a time of great spending I have decided to give something back to the public and am offering some free sessions.  From now until Christmas every Friday at 1.30 p.m. till 2.15 p.m. there will be a FREE Pole session, this is for total beginners to the more advanced student.

Also every Friday I am offering a FREE “Me Time” session – this is going to be from 2.15 p.m. till 4.00 p.m.  “Me Time” is time where you can come in and use any of the studio equipment – Cross Trainer, Poles, Weights, Mats, Balls, Steps, Bands etc to do your own thing.

Kiran Bassan has been running a fantastic Hip Hop class on Tuesday nights, but unfortunately he has to return back home (he was here for 5 weeks)  This Tuesday, 13^th December is his last class.

My Novembers Bootcampers have had some amazing results I am really proud of them all, now all we have to do is make sure they keep going and don’t return to bad habits – which I am sure now they are all looking and feeling amazing they won’t do.

January’s Bootcamp will be starting on Monday, Jan 16^th – if you are interested please get in touch or you can book now here.  If you want to know why you should do it then check out my success stories.

I am going to be running a Break Dancing, Popping and Locking workshop on Saturday, 14^th January at 9.30 a.m. till 10.30 a.m.  This workshop is for the children over the age of 8 years old.  The session will cost £4.00 per child, if it proves popular it could become a regular session.  You must book for this session in advance as there are only 20 spaces.

There is still time to take advantage of this fantastic Christmas present?  Check out this package:

New Photography Studio Special!

1 hour studio time £50

You keep all the images

“Your images, your way”

For details contact: O1492 86 86 65 / 07980 08418

I had to share this with you all

Cancer ‘Caused By Obesity And Bad Diet’
http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16125158

Enda Brady, Sky News reporter

More than 100,000 cancers – a third of all those diagnosed each year in this country – are caused by smoking, alcohol, unhealthy diets and obesity, research has revealed.

The most comprehensive review of cancer and lifestyles ever conducted in the UK showed 45% of all cancers in men could be prevented, compared with 40% of cancers in women.

Smoking is still the most important factor when it comes to causing cancer – responsible for 23% of cancers in men and 15.6% in women.

But the review also found a lack of fruit and vegetables is responsible for 6.1% of cancers in men, while being overweight causes 6.9% of cancers in women.

“Many people believe cancer is down to fate or ‘in the genes’ and that it is the luck of the draw whether they get it,” said Professor Max Parkin, a cancer expert at Queen Mary, University of London.

“Looking at all the evidence, it is clear that around 40% of all cancers are caused by things we mostly have the power to change.

“We did not expect to find that eating fruit and vegetables would prove to be so important in protecting men against cancer.

It is very important for people to understand that long-term changes to their lifestyles can really reduce their cancer risk.

Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK

“And, among women, we did not expect being overweight to have a greater effect than alcohol.”

The work by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) found there were an estimated 314,250 cases of cancer across the country last year, with tobacco responsible for causing 60,837 of them.

Sara Hiom, from CRUK, said: “We know, especially during the Christmas party season, that it is hard to watch what you eat and limit alcohol and we do not want people to feel guilty about having a drink or indulging a bit more than usual.

“But it is very important for people to understand that long-term changes to their lifestyles can really reduce their cancer risk.”

Cancer survivor Jackie Gledhill recalled how she changed her lifestyle after beating thyroid cancer.

“I started doing some exercise, just step by step until I got fitter,” she told Sky News Online.

“I now watch what I eat and I only drink socially, which is not very much at all.

“Everyone can make changes and give themselves more of a chance.

“Little things help, even parking the car further away from the supermarket and walking that distance instead.”

The full research has been published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Dr Harpal Kumar, the charity’s chief executive, added: “Leading a healthy life does not guarantee that a person will not get cancer but this study shows that healthy habits can significantly stack the odds in our favour.”

ALL ABOUT POLE

The UKPPC Grand Final is going to be on the 11^th December, it’s going to be a fantastic competition, the best of the best will be competing against eachother.  The Elite section will be especially exciting.

Recipe of the Week

This week’s recipe is from my lovely friend Claire Evans.

ED friendly Mince Pies.

Ingredients

200g Organic wheat and gluten free flour
100g Organic unsalted butter (room temp)
75g Cold water
2 – 3 Drops Vanilla Essence
200g Good quality mincemeat
180c or 160 in a fan oven

1.  Put flour in bowl, add butter and rub together until you a breadcrumb mix.

2. Add water and vanilla, then work together until you have a sticky ball. The need it as you would bread until it has a silky appearance.

3. Wrap in cling film and pop in the fridge for at least 30 mins but no more than an hr, it needs to be chilled but not cold (think I’ve cracked the way to use this pastry)

4. Once chilled, remove from fridge. The best way to work this pastry is in small amount. Flour your surface and rolling pin, this pastry is very sticky and fragile. Roll it to the desired thickness the use a pastry cutter to get the desired size.. Then use the smaller one to make the lids. (you could make star shaped lids)

5.  Pop the bottoms into an oiled bun tray, fill with the mincemeat and then pop the lids on. You can brush with an egg but this pastry doesn’t tend to go golden.

6. Bake for 20 mins. The pastry will be hard (ish) on top.

** Flour can be bought in Tesco or Rhos. Aldi do a gluten free mincemeat if you are Coeliac.

Have a fantastic week,
Love Zara x

Hi welcome to the weekly Fitness and Pole Newsletter.   I run a dance and fitness studio called Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness and also a pole dancing school called Sharp Shooters.  I write 2 separate newsletters a week – this is a combination of them both.  I hope you enjoy the read and would love your feedback.

I had a fantastic day on Sunday, I woke up early full of beans, went to visit one of my friends and members Laura as she has now gone to America to be with her son for Christmas, I also went to the pictures to see the new Twilight movie which was amazing – can’t wait for the next one now, I hope it’s not too long a wait.

Then I went with my friends to Chester to meet a friend of mine that is over from Hong Kong on holiday.  She is also 6 months pregnant so it was weird seeing her with a big belly and big boobs.  It was a really lovely afternoon, all the girls back together again.

About Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness Studio, Llandudno

I can’t believe that Break ‘n’ Spins Christmas party is happening a week on Saturday, it’s scary how quickly this year has gone and how close Christmas actually is!!

I am so impressed with my new bunch of Bootcampers, a couple of the ladies had injuries/conditions that have stopped them from exercising in the past which had resulted in them gaining weight, but after following the modified exercises for them, they are practically now up to the same level as the rest of the group – which is unbelievable.

If you are interested in joining in my 2 week Bootcamp Boost and would like to see what past bootcampers have to say about the program then please check this out.

The  Christmas Boost will start on Monday, 28^th November and will finish on Friday, 9^th December.  So instead of having to lose weight after Christmas why not get into shape before Christmas, so you will look fab in your party frocks in the festive season.  For only £3.30 per day you can look and feel fantastic, and once you start you will find that you love the new you so won’t want to lose all your hard work.  To book please either call 01492 86 86 65 or click here

Are you stuck for a Christmas present?  Or would you just like to have some family photos taken?  Then check out this package:

New Photography Studio Special!

1 hour studio time £50

You keep all the images

“Your images, your way”

For details contact: O1492 86 86 65 / 07980 084182

Don’t forget that there is going to be a free Pole Taster Class Friday, 25^th November at 1.30 p.m. so if you would like to have a go at pole dancing then just get in touch to book your place.

Why feed your kids junk?

I recently asked the question on facebook “Why is it when you talk to adults about eating a clean, healthy diet they say but I have to get the cakes and crisps in for the kids? Surely we shouldn’t be feeding out kids crap so that when they are adults they are not struggling with being overweight????”

This comment sparked a flurry of comments, some people getting quite fired up…but it does baffle me, I see ladies all the time coming to me because they have gained excess weight and I work with them, introduce them to a clean, healthy diet, which if they stick to my program means that they lose the weight, their skin becomes luminous and clear and their hair shiny and above all they are full of new found energy.

So why is it so hard to recognise that this is the way our children should be eating?

One comment was “what would you rather fat kids or depressed kids?  Kids should have cakes and sweets it’s a part of growing up. Just in proportion”

I agree that we shouldn’t ever make children feel like they are being restricted and we most definitely shouldn’t make food and weight an issue, but surely as a responsible parent the meals that are cooked for them should be made with good nutritious natural food and ingredients, and there doesn’t really need to be a cupboard in the house full of cakes, crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks for them to help themselves to whenever they feel like it.

Fizzy drinks for example are either full of sugar or full of aspartame or both.  Just google the word Aspartame and you come will read headings like this

“Aspartame is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to foods”

Dr. Mercola quoted – Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death. A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.

Then there is MSG or Mono Sodium Glutamate – Here is a quote from the internet “MSG. This substance (like aspartame) is one of the “slow poisons” that’s killing us and the reason we couldn’t pin-point and nail this crap is because it hides behind 10 or 15 names on the ingredient list.”

MSG is a flavour enhancer, and is in so many things, the saying once you pop you can’t stop is true because it is loaded with MSG which is addictive so even though you may feel full you keep eating more and more.

Some of the side effects of MSG include:

Risk of Diabetes, Migraines and Headaches, ADHD,  Autism, Obesity, Anxiety, Rapid Heartbeat and the list goes on!

Between these 2 chemicals you can rest assured that either one or the other or both will be in the junk food that the kids of today are eating.

Studies have been done to show the differences in behaviour between children eating a clean healthy diet and children that are not.

So do you still think that it is good to get the crisps, chocolate, sweets, and fizzy drinks in for your kids?

If you would like to know more about cooking goodies for your kids that not only will they love but that is good for them, please get in touch.

ALL ABOUT POLE

There is going to be a free Pole Taster Class Friday, 25^th November at 1.30 p.m. at Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness, Llandudno so if you would like to have a go at pole dancing then just call 01492 86 86 65 or email or tweet to book your place

The UKPPC Grand Final is going to be on the 11^th December, it’s going to be a fantastic competition, the best of the best will be competing against eachother.  The Elite section will be especially exciting.

Unfortunately if you haven’t already bought your tickets you are now too late as they are sold out!

I am doing a bit of research into how many ladies have lost weight using pole dancing as their only form of fitness here is what a few ladies have said so far.

This is all brilliant news, I would love to hear your stories too.

Recipe of the Week

This week’s recipe is from the vegetarian society and is a perfect option for a veggie Christmas dinner.

Pine nut and carrot roast with mushroom sauce.

Ingredients

25 g butter
1 onions, finely chopped
225 g carrots finely grated
2 sticks celery
225 g toasted pine kernels, grated
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 squeeze lemon juice
2 eggs
1 pinches fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pinches nutmeg, freshly grated

For the sauce

7 g mushrooms, dried, rinsed
600 ml water
25 g butter
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp cornflour
2 tbsp madeira, vegetarian or fortified wine
2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce, (shoyu)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Grease and line a 500g loaf tin.

2. Melt the butter in a large pan and fry the onion, without browning for 5 minutes, then add the carrot and celery and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and add the pine nuts, parsley, lemon juice and eggs. Season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

4. Pour into the tin and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown and firm in the centre.

5. To prepare the sauce, put the mushrooms and water in a saucepan, bring to the boil then remove from heat and leave to soak for 40 minutes, then drain, reserving the liquid and chop the mushrooms.

6. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and fry for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and simmer for 30 minutes until tender.

7. Mix the cornflour with the reserved liquid, Madeira and shoyu, then add to the mushroom mixture. Bring to the boil, stirring until slightly thickened. Season to taste.

8. Turn the roast out onto a plate, slice thickly and drizzle with the mushroom sauce.

Have a fantastic week,
Love Zara x

Hi welcome to the weekly Fitness and Pole Newsletter.   I run a dance and fitness studio called Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness and also a pole dancing school called Sharp Shooters.  I write 2 separate newsletters a week – this is a combination of them both.  I hope you enjoy the read and would love your feedback.

I had a great weekend this weekend, I went to see “An Evening of Burlesque” at Venue Cymru.  I went with 3 friends and it was a fabulous show, the performers were absolutely amazing.  Each one was so different, one lady was called the hula girl and came on as a drunk chav spinning lots of hula hoops whilst falling all over the place – amazing.  Some of the performances were absolutely hilarious – I didn’t expect to laugh so much.

On the Sunday I went round to a friend’s house t help with some painting – I’m not very good at painting normally but was quite proud of my handiwork this time.  Then it was my godsons 3^rd birthday which was so cute.  He had a great time playing with all his new toys and it was great to catch up with the girls also.

About Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness Studio, Llandudno

My November’s Bootcampers are coming along leaps and bounds, they have all had fantastic results at the end of their first week, and their fitness levels have improved already.

After I closed the doors to Novembers Bootcamp, I had so many ladies trying to get on board so I have decided to run a 2 week Christmas Boost.  This will start on Monday, 28^th November and will finish on Friday, 9^th December.  So instead of having to lose weight after Christmas why not get into shape before Christmas, so you will look fab in your party frocks in the festive season.  For only £3.30 per day you can look and feel fantastic, and once you start you will find that you love the new you so won’t want to lose all your hard work.  To book please either call 01492 86 86 65 or click here

I get numerous queries about running Adults Street/Hip Hop classes – I have found a brilliant instructor who is up in Llandudno for a little while and has agreed to teach at Break ‘n’ Spin.

His name is Kiran and he has competed and won in many dance competitions all over the country.  He has a broad range of dance experience varying from popping, locking, street, breaking and house.

He is going to be teaching an All Star Hip Hop Dance Class.

This class is for anyone over the age of 16.  The first class will be held on Tuesday, 22^nd November at 7.15 p.m. till 8.15 p.m.  at Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness, Llandudno.  The class will cost £5.00 only!

If this class is busy then I will keep running them, so if you are one of the many that has been asking for this type of class, then you must book and you must show up to ensure the class continues!!

All you need to do is call 01492 86 86 65 to book your place!

There is going to be a free Pole Taster Class Friday, 25^th November at 1.30 p.m. so if you would like to have a go at pole dancing then just get in touch to book your place.

I now need everyone that is going to be attending The Christmas party to please let me know as I will have to give the numbers to the caterer.  The party is being held on Saturday, 3^rd December.

The Children have got 2 performances coming up.  They will be dancing at the Christmas Parade, outside the Town Hall on Saturday, 3^rd December and then the Christmas show will be held at the Conwy Civic Centre on Friday, 16^th December.  The show will start at 5.00 p.m.  Tickets are on sale now!!

Christmas is coming Are You Going to Get Fat?

Well the festive season is almost here, which means lots of Christmas parties, lots of 3 course meals and lots of alcohol.  It’s quite mad when you see people doing their supermarket shop, it is almost as if everyone knows that after Christmas there is going to be no more food to buy so everyone has to stock up now!

The other thing is once Christmas and New year has passed most people complain about being skint and having to wait until payday at the end of January which seems ages away.  They also complain about all the extra weight they have piled on with all of their over indulgence.

So why then do we as a nation spend so much money on buying so much junk that makes us fat?

It is quite mad when you think about it, if we didn’t spend all that extra money on food that we really don’t need, we wouldn’t empty our bank accounts and fill our belly’s so much that they are popping the buttons on our favourite jeans.  What a simple solution – don’t spend, don’t get fat!!

When I have this conversation with people the answer is always the same –“but it’s Christmas”

Now I am a huge lover of Christmas and used to be just as bad, but a couple of years ago I thought to myself “why am I spending all this money on stuff that I never normally eat which makes me put weight on?” so I stopped.  I really didn’t need to have all those tins of chocolates and biscuits, jars of peanuts – dry roasted and salted and cheesy balls in my house.  I bought them for “when someone popped round” but the reality was that every time I was in the kitchen I would grab a handful of whatever I fancied.

I don’t normally eat that much chocolate as I don’t have a sweet tooth and I worked out one Christmas that every time I passed the tin of celebrations I would grab a chocolate and by the end of watching a movie I had eaten the equivalent of 3 bars of chocolate without even noticing and that’s without all the calories from the wine added on top!!

So when you are getting prepared for your Christmas and doing your shopping ask yourself this question – do I need it? and who is going to eat it?

Failing that – see you all in my January Bootcamp to shift all the extra pounds that you piled on in December!!

ALL ABOUT POLE

Here are a couple of fantastic video’s for you to watch.

DVD promo for the Miss Pole Dance Australia 2012 competition.

This lady Cleo won the Miss Pole Dance Australia 2012 – this is her performance when she won the heats (I can’t find her performance from the finals)

This is Sally-Ann Giles performing at the European Championships 2011

Recipe of the Week

This week’s recipe was found on the Tesco’s website www.tescorealfood.com

10 mins to prepare and 3 hrs 15 mins to cook – serves 6

Gluten Free Stuffed Turkey.

Ingredients

• For the stuffing
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 2 sticks celery, chopped fairly small
• 50g (2oz) sundried tomatoes
• 400g (14oz) cooked (or tinned) chickpeas
• 210ml (7floz) Madeira
• salt
• pepper
• 50g organic butter, at room temperature
• 3 large onions, halved
• sea salt

• Preheat the oven to Gas 5, 190°C, fan 170°C.

For the stuffing
Heat the oil in a small pan and fry the celery gently for 4-5 minutes or until it is softening slightly but still has some crunch. Soak the tomatoes in boiling water for 10-15 minutes to plump them, then chop small. Purée the chickpeas with the chestnuts and Madeira in a food processor. How smooth you make the purée will depend on how smooth or ‘bitty’ you like your stuffing. Add the celery and tomatoes, season to taste and use to stuff the turkey.

Rub the turkey all over with butter and sprinkle with sea salt. Place the stuffing inside the cavity. Place the onion halves in a large roasting tin and sit the turkey on top. Cover with kitchen foil, tucking under the tin to create a foil tent. Roast according to the instructions, but remove the foil 30 minutes before the end until golden.

To test the meat is cooked, pierce the fattest part of the thigh with a skewer. The juices should run clear. Rest the turkey, covered loosely with foil, for at least 30 minutes.

Cook’s tip
Leftover meat will stay juicer if you keep it on the bone. Wrap the turkey carcass in a clean damp tea towel and cling film then store in the fridge

Have a fantastic week,
Love Zara x

Hi welcome to the weekly Fitness and Pole Newsletter.   I run a dance and fitness studio called Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness and also a pole dancing school called Sharp Shooters.  I write 2 separate newsletters a week – this is a combination of them both.  I hope you enjoy the read and would love your feedback.

This week’s newsletter is a bit shorter than normal, I have been running around like a headless chicken all week and haven’t had the time to sit and research a topic like I normally do.

I would like to start this week’s newsletter with a bit of a chat about the studio.  I have been open now for almost 4 years.  It has not been an easy ride, as many of you may know I started with a business partner who walked out after 12 months leaving her share of debt, which I then had to take on as well as my own share.

There were times when the stress and the financial pressure were so much that I wanted to throw the towel in, but I knew that the studio was a great idea and really wanted it to be a success so with hard work and determination I carried on.  I am pleased to say that the business has grown and now offers so many different types of classes which was my original dream.

However with expanding and adding so many more classes this means I now need more people to attend.  I am a small business and without people’s support the business could suffer.  I know that lots of people love the studio and all the classes that are on offer and would hate for the studio to disappear, so I am asking for your help.

Please can you tell all of your friends and family about the studio and also those of you who haven’t been for a while that keep thinking I will go back soon, please can you come along and re-start your fitness regime.

About Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness Studio, Llandudno

Saturday saw it’s first Burlesque party held at the studio, it was really great.  The girls learnt a sexy routine and performed it well.  They had an absolute scream, all I could hear was laughter!  Here is a video for you to see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIiGjWdMoIU

This is your final chance to make a dramatic change before Christmas, there are still spaces on the upcoming Bootcamp – so if you are really serious about changing, feeling full of energy, having shiny hair and clear skin, looking toned and healthy…..We will be starting on November 7^th there are morning training sessions at 9.15 a.m and evening sessions at 6.15 a.m.  Call me on 01492 86 86 65 or book online here

The new level 1 Pole Course will be starting Monday, 7^th November at 8.30 p.m., you just need to call the studio to book.

The Children’s Christmas show will be held at the Conwy Civic Centre on Friday, 16^th December.  The show will start at 5.00 p.m.  Tickets are on sale now!!

Recipe of the Week

Broccoli and Pumpkin Red Curry.

This week’s recipe was found on the internet and is really scrummy.  It is by Joe Pratt http://www.tenderstem.co.uk

Ingredients

Broccoli and Pumpkin red curry.

1tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
3cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped or crushed
70g red curry paste
1 medium pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
1tbsp fish sauce (if vegetarian, use light soy sauce)
400g tin of coconut milk
200g broccoli
150g baby corn halved
1 bunch of spring onions, sliced
Juice of 1 lime
1 bunch of coriander, chopped
Thai rice or rice noodles to serve

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan and then gently sauté the onion, ginger and garlic for about 5 mins until it has softened but not coloured. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 min.

Stir in the pumpkin or butternut squash, and then add the fish sauce, coconut milk and 200ml water. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 mins, until the pumpkin or butternut squash is tender.

Add the broccoli, baby corn and spring onions to the curry and continue to cook for about 5 mins until the vegetables are tender. Finish off by stirring in the lime juice and coriander before serving with Thai rice or rice noodles.

I would love to hear your comments on this week’s newsletter,

Have a fantastic week,
Love Zara x

Hi welcome to the weekly Fitness and Pole Newsletter.   I run a dance and fitness studio called Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness and also a pole dancing school called Sharp Shooters.  I write 2 separate newsletters a week – this is a combination of them both.  I hope you enjoy the read and would love your feedback.

I visited Leeds this weekend for my cousin’s 40^th birthday party, I have never been to Leeds before but I must say what a wicked city.  We stayed in a hotel right in the centre of the town and literally over the road from the entrance was a street full of bars and restaurants, brilliant.  It was great to see my cousin again, that’s twice this year and it was lovely to meet all of her friends.

Her 40^th was a joint party with her best friend and the turnout was fantastic, lots of alcohol was drunk and lots of laughter was had.  I will definitely be visiting Leeds again!

About Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness Studio, Llandudno

This week is half term week and boy does it make a difference to the attendance at the studio, it’s like the world comes to a standstill because the kids are off school, even the children’s classes get quieter, which I have never quite understood as I would have thought as they are off school, then why not all come to dance class?

I hate it when the studio gets quieter, I love the buzz of busy classes, especially when I am teaching as it makes me come alive, the more people the more energy I seem to have.

There is a change to the timetable starting next week.  Zumba on Monday nights have now finished, I have had to change my Pole Dancing classes to Mondays, I will be adding the Zumba class back but at the moment it’s not confirmed.

Calling all the ladies out there that really want to change their body, the ladies that really don’t want to start the festive season feeling bloated and lethargic, really need to take advantage of my massive special offer on November’s Bootcamp.  I can guarantee that I will change the way you look and feel, you just have to admit you want to change, and take that step and sign up with me.

We will be starting on November 7^th there are morning training sessions at 9.15 a.m and evening sessions at 6.15 a.m.  Why not bring a friend?  I have 4 spaces left on the morning camp and 6 spaces left on the evening camp.  I really want to help you on your transformation journey.  Just call me on 01492 86 86 65 or book online here

SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder

This is a condition that is believed to affect about 2 million people in the UK, it seems that in the winter months we are not getting to see natural daylight any more.  We go to work and it’s dark and we come home and it’s dark and the in-between hours are spent in offices, rooms etc with artificial lighting.

Living like this has altered our body’s Circadian Rhythm or our natural body clock, which is our 24 hour pattern of sleep, eating, energy and producing hormones etc.  You see we no longer wake up at the break of dawn and our workdays are getting longer and longer and with having artificial light it means that we can stay awake much later at night, this has resulted in an increase in light deficiency symptoms.

Some of the symptoms of SAD can include:

1. Feeling tired all the time, having trouble sleeping at night but struggling to stay awake during the daytime.
2. Loss of libido.
3. Feeling Anxious.
4. Feeling irritable.
5. Feeling depressed for no reason.
6. Craving carbohydrates and sweet stuff.

The reason why some people suffer with SAD is because the lack of light causes an increase in the production of Melatonin in our bodies and Melatonin is the hormone that increases in the evening therefore making us sleepy at night.  There is also a reduction of Serotonin which in simple terms is our natural happy pill.

So with us living in environments that during the winter months mean going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark, the way to alleviate the SAD is to create an artificial light that tricks our body into thinking that it is in natural daylight.  This can be found in specific lamps.  Also trying to get as much natural daylight as possible, if you do work in an office with no natural light, make sure you go out at lunch time, especially if there is a little sun shining no matter how cold it is!

ABOUT POLE

Sunday, 23^rd October was the European Pole Championships held in the Netherlands.

The results from the Professional Category are:

1^st place – Neta Lee (Israel)
2^nd place – Loic Lebret (France)

Here is a performance from Neta Lee from Israel

The results from the Champion of Champions category are:

1^st place – Hanka Venselaar (Holland)
2^nd place – Anzhela Kulagina (Russia)
3^rd place – Doris Arnol (France)

And the lovely Sally-Ann Giles came 5^th which is amazing!  There is only one video on you tube at the time of writing this week’s newsletter I will try and get some more for next week’s.

I am really pleased to let you all know that the classes in Shrewsbury will be re-starting very soon.  Tracy has now had a beautiful baby boy and is back to full fitness and ready to teach.  I just need to finalise the days and times and then I will be able to let you know the start date.

There is a free taster pole session in Llandudno on Mondy, 31^st October at 8.30 p.m.  You just need to contact me to book your place for this one.

Recipe of the Week

This week’s recipe is from my friend and total inspiration Claire Evans.

Sake Amiyaki Gohan. (grilled salmon with pak choi, ginger, oyster sauce)

Ingredients

2 x salmon fillets
2 tsp rapeseed or coconut oil
1 garlic clove finely chopped with a pinch of salt
1 tbls peeled and grated ginger
1 small red onion or shallot
1 red chilli trimmed and sliced thinly
2 head of pak choi halved lengthways
500ml boiling water
1 tbls oyster sauce
1 tsp salt
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbls sugar alternative i.e agave or sweet freedom
14 mangetout
1 tbls sherry
1 tbls seasame oil
1 tsp cornflour

Pre heat grill. put salmon a lightly oiled baking tray skin down and grill for 2 mins. then turn over and grill for a further 6 mins.

Heat a wok, until totally hot, nearly smoking, add oil stir fry the garlic and ginger taking care not to colour.

Add onion, chilli and pak choi, fry for 30 seconds. pour in the water, oyster and soy sauces and add salt and sugar. bring to the boil. add mangetout and cook for 1 min. splash is the sherry and sesame oil. mix the cornflour to a little cold water, remove 2 tbls of the sauce from the wok and combine with the paste.

Return to the wok and stir over a medium heat for 5 mins or until you have a shiny sauce. Serve it with rice noodles quickly wok fried with garlic and sesame oil.

I would love to hear your comments on this week’s newsletter,

Have a fantastic week,
Love Zara x

Hi welcome to the weekly Fitness and Pole Newsletter.   I run a dance and fitness studio called Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness and also a pole dancing school called Sharp Shooters.  I write 2 separate newsletters a week – this is a combination of them both.  I hope you enjoy the read and would love your feedback.

As I am writing this week’s newsletter it is with a heavy heart.  It was the funeral of Bernie Blank on Monday, he had passed away last Wednesday.  He was the husband of my lovely member and friend Laura who attends classes every day, he used to drive her to class and sit and wait patiently for her.  He was such a lovely man, so kind and generous and always had a funny story to tell.  He was also very good at making things, he designed and built the stands in my studio that hold the body pump weights and bars.  He was also a great host, making sure that you always had something to eat and drink.  I shall really miss him and.

I attended the Free 2 Network awards on Friday night as I had been nominated for Business Woman of the Year, it was a very glamorous event and was the first of its type.  I was a finalist, which I am very proud of achieving.  There were some fabulous people that won lots of different categories.

My article last week on people’s mindset got a great response from everyone so it is obviously a topic that gets everyone talking.  It was lovely to have such feedback, so please keep it coming.

About Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness Studio, Llandudno

November’s Bootcamp is now filling up, but I still have spaces left – it is going to be your last chance to drop a dress size before the festive season.  It starts on November the 7^th and I have the option of daytime training sessions and night time training sessions.  For more info please click here

Uh oh here comes the bad weather! Here come the excuses!

We Brits love to go on about the weather don’t we, when we speak to someone on the phone that doesn’t live in the same area as us, we always ask – what’s the weather like there?  It is amazing really – the thing that gets me is how much the weather affects people going to their exercise classes.

In the summer- if we get a nice day the numbers drop in class because “it’s just too nice to be indoors” when we get bad weather the excuse is “it is just too cold, or too wet or too plain horrible to leave the house” I wouldn’t mind but you would think that by now everyone that lives in this country, who has lived here for quite a few years would be used the changes in the weather and just carry on with their activities as normal.

It seems to me for everyone to be able to get to a fitness class the weather just needs to be normal – not too hot, not too cold, not too wet and not too windy!  I know that the weather sometimes is really extreme, like when the whole country was snowed in last year, that that could warrant the staying at home in the warmth or on the days that are scorchers you would really want to be out making the most of it – but what about the rest of the time?

The stopping and starting in your exercise regime is not that good if you have goals to achieve with your own personal fitness or your weight loss – you need to be consistent!  Also have a little thought for us fitness professionals – we are there ready to teach week in week out regardless of what Mother Nature is up to.  So the next time you are about to use the weather as an excuse not to exercise, take a long hard look in the mirror and re-evaluate what your goals are and why you want to go to that class in the first place!

See you in class come rain or shine!

ALL ABOUT POLE

The All Wales Pole Championship have released the dates for 2012 competition.  It is going to be held at Venue Cymru, Llandudno on the 31^st March 2012.  If anyone wants to compete please get in touch and let me know, you must have a Welsh address though.

Recipe of the Week

This week’s recipe is for the kids – this comes from Sally Ghafoor, she is soon going to be bringing out her own recipe book for the kids, to make sure that they are eating food that they like but super healthy.  If you would like to know more then check out her website at  www.gethealthsavvy.co.uk

Lemon Cup Cakes. (dairy, gluten and wheat free)

Ingredients

Lemon Cupcakes

3 large eggs
4 tablespoons of either Agave nectar or Honey or half and half
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of vinegar
half a tablespoon of lemon juice
2-3 oz coconut oil (heat up so it is not solid, but ensure it is not too hot when placing in mixture) or use olive oil
115grams of almond flour

For the topping:

Agave nectar
Raw cacao powder

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

1. Firstly separate the egg whites from their yolks.
2. Whisk the egg whites with the vinegar until they form stiff peaks and place to one side
3. The Yolks that were put to the side,  add the honey or agave nectar, baking soda, and coconut/olive oil, and whisk until blended
4. Add the lemon juice and beat the mixture until blended.
5. Fold in the almond flour and then blend.
6. Fold the stiff peaked egg whites into the above mixture.
7. Place into cupcake moulds.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
9. Wait for the cupcake to cool
10. Whilst cooling mix some agave syrup with cacao powder, so that it creates a chocolaty syrup. Once the cupcake is cool add this to the top of the cupcake and enjoy without worrying about your kids eating things they shouldn’t be!!!!

I would love to hear your comments on this week’s newsletter,

Have a fantastic week,
Love Zara x

Hi welcome to the weekly Fitness and Pole Newsletter.   I run a dance and fitness studio called Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness and also a pole dancing school called Sharp Shooters.  I write 2 separate newsletters a week – this is a combination of them both.  I hope you enjoy the read and would love your feedback.

This weekend just gone was particularly hectic, I had a Princess and Pirates party in the studio on Saturday afternoon, which was brilliant, but they are always quite mental, with lots of hyper 6 year olds having fun.  I had a friend I hadn’t seen for a while come to visit on the Saturday night, which inevitably was a late night.

Then Sunday, I went to Birmingham for the semi-finals of the UK Professional Pole Championships, this competition is only open to instructors, professionals and elite – there were only the instructors category and the professionals category at the semi finals as the Elite have all been invited to compete in the finals.  Unfortunately I won’t be able to watch the finals as I am in London on a nutrition course that very weekend.  The competitors were absolutely fantastic to watch, the standard was just so high. The strength, stamina and flexibility was just awesome.

I finished off the Sunday back in Llandudno catching up with some more friends and had a late night again, so was a little shattered starting this week off, but it doesn’t take me long to bounce back.

About Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness Studio, Llandudno

I am really pleased with the way that all the new classes that were started at the beginning of September are going, I am getting rave reviews for Sonia Roberts Boxercise class on Monday morning, Laura Bells yoga on Thursday is just plain brilliant and Emily’s Zumba class is very high energy.

I worked out that is only 7 weeks to the Break ‘n’ Spin Christmas party to which you are all invited, you just need to RSVP, anyway that means that is almost time to get dressed up in your sexy, sparkly, glam party frocks – so as an incentive to get the ladies into shape and to drop a dress size to look and feel amazing in their dresses, I am running a daytime Bootcamp starting the 7^th November and only charging £47 instead of the normal £97 click here for more info and to book.  There will be a brand new evening one as normal for those of you who cannot make daytimes.

Last weeks Level 1 Pole Class was postponed due to bad weather as a few of the ladies just couldn’t make it so it now starts tomorrow at 8.30 p.m. Book here or call me.

The children’s Christmas show is going to be held at Conwy Civic centre on Friday, 16^th December, I will have the times by next week also.

Mindset – change it and achieve your goals!

Do you ever ask yourself what it is that stops you from losing weight, or getting a better job or achieving one of your dreams?  It is all down to our mindset – if we think that we can’t do it then you can be sure that we are not going to do it.

Are you a cup is half full or half empty kind of person?  The people that achieve great things are always in the half full gang – they believe that they can do whatever they set out to achieve and so they do.  They don’t have the word failure in their vocabulary, they just keep trying until they achieve their goal. Now I am not saying that some things are easy, you may be trying to overcome a fear of something, but if you take small steps to change your mindset you will get there, you only have to look at the likes of people like Paul McKenna – he achieves great things with people in short time spans by changing their thought process.

When you think about taking yourself out of your comfort zone, does a voice go off in your head saying things like “what if you fail, you will be a failure” or “if you don’t try then no-one can laugh at you” these are all negative thoughts.

Or do you blame other people or circumstances for not doing something – say for example if you want to lose weight and know what you are supposed to be doing but you are at a function and end up eating things that you shouldn’t and you say “it wasn’t my fault, they only had this certain type of food on offer”

You need to change these negative thoughts to positive ones  for example instead of “what if you fail you will be a failure” change it to “if I don’t try then I have already failed” most successful people have had failures along the way, they have just kept trying until they succeeded”.

Instead of “it wasn’t my fault” change it to “if I don’t take responsibility for my own actions I wont change” or instead of “I can’t try that I will never be good enough” the reason why some people are amazing at something is because they have a passion for it and just practice, practice and practice again to be the best that they can be at whatever it is that drives them.

You need to believe in yourself, so why not start each day bigging yourself up i.e. I am smart, I am beautiful, I can achieve….

If you are overweight and are unhappy with your body, just remember you didn’t get that body overnight, and you weren’t always like that, so you can reverse it – you can change your body, it just takes a little time, preparation and effort and overall a self belief that you can do it, set your mind and go for it and if you fall down at the first hurdle, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and go again just don’t give up.

You and only you can achieve great things for yourself.

ALL ABOUT POLE

The UKPPC was truly amazing, each category had 10 entrants, the judges chose 5 of each category to go through to the finals and Stacy from X-Pole had the wild card and was able to put through 1 more person from each category.

Here are the results:

Instructor Category:

Emily Smith, Kristina Walker, Lorna Thomas, Nicole McIntyre, Samantha Cowie. A wildcard entry goes to Sponsor’s Choice Amy Williams

Here is a video of Emily Smith’s performance.

Professional Category:

Bendy Kate Czepulowski, Lauren Red, Maya, Robyn Rooke, Sarah Scott and Sponsor’s Choice Lisa Williams gets the wildcard entry

Here is a video of Bendy Kate’s performance – it was truly amazing.

Here is a video of Sarah Scott’s performance – again amazing.

Here is a video of Robyn Rooke’s performance – flawless!

Recipe of the Week

This week’s recipe was found from a magazine a while ago.

Easy Pad Thai.

Ingredients

Easy Pad Thai

300g/10 oz rice noodles
1-2 tsp coconut oil
1 red onion sliced
1 garlic clove crushed
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
1 tsp fish sauce
150g/3 oz beansprouts
250g/9 oz cooked and peeled prawns
juice of 1 lime
2 spring onions sliced
handful of peanuts roughly chopped

Put the rice noodles in a bowl and pour over boiling water to cover.  Leave to sit for 5 mins until softened, then drain and stir in a little oil to loosen the strands if needed.

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan.  Stir fry the red onion, garlic and pepper for 2 mins until starting to soften.  Stir in the fish sauce, beansprouts and prawns then stir fry for another 2 mins.  Pour over the lime juice, mix in the noodles and sprinkle over the spring onions and peanuts.  Serve with extra lime wedges.

I would love to hear your comments on this week’s newsletter,

Have a fantastic week,
Love Zara x

Hi welcome to the weekly Fitness and Pole Newsletter.   I run a dance and fitness studio called Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness and also a pole dancing school called Sharp Shooters.  I write 2 separate newsletters a week – this is a combination of them both.  I hope you enjoy the read and would love your feedback.

Oh my gosh where has this year gone – it is only 8 weeks till the Break ‘n’ Spin Christmas party!!  I was looking back over some of the newsletters that I have written and have realised that my life is one big whirlwind of fitness, events and friends – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I had another busy weekend at the studio with another Photoshoot party and classes booked in, I also got to catch up with some friends too, I had a lovely lunch in the sun with 2 friends that I haven’t seen for a while so that was brilliant.  I tried to see my godson, but the timing wasn’t right so will have to try again this week.

About Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness Studio, Llandudno

It’s the start of Octobers Bootcamp this week and I am looking forward to working with lots of lovely ladies to help them achieve the body that they will be happy with and feel super confident.

Level 1 Pole Class starts tomorrow at 8.30 p.m. also and there is still a couple of spaces, so if you would like to have a go and haven’t booked already then please get in touch.

Remember if you would like to try the Bollywood class that is tonight at 8.15 p.m. – you can come along for your first session absolutely FREE – all you need to do is turn up and even better bring a friend.

Boudoir Nails and Beauty in Llandudno have got a great special offer on this month, so I thought I would share it with my lovely members.

One hour luxury facial
Heated bootie foot treatment
30 min anti cellulite massage
Normally 65 now only £30!!!

Now where did I hide my 6 pack?

Abs – This is an area of the body that gets so much attention.  People are always striving for either the 6 pack or the washboard stomach.  Thing is they want it, and will believe any of the stories of a quick fix to get it, but when you try to explain the way you will actually achieve this then people don’t want to do what you say and would rather believe the glossy magazines that offer you a flat stomach in 2 weeks doing sit ups for 10 minutes a day – problem is they never achieve their goals.

It is the most asked for exercise – sit ups – it is a common misconception that if a person lies down and does say a hundred crunches a day, that the washboard stomach will soon be theirs.  I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this is just not going to happen!

I keep trying to educate people about belly fat, but for some reason it gets ignored so I thought that I would write about it.

EVERYONE has a 6 pack – it is the way that our muscles are designed – the problem is that a lot of people also have lots of extra fat sitting on top of the abdominal muscles, therefore hiding the desired 6 pack.

So no matter how many stomach crunches you do – you are NOT going to get a flat belly if you are carrying too much body fat!  That is a fact!  The problem is that ladies are bombarded with messages in glossy magazines – do this sit up for 10 mins a day and you will be transformed – it is just not true.

Also another factor to add into the equation is the stress hormone called Cortisol – this causes storage of body fat around the stomach area, so you also have to make sure that your cortisol levels don’t raise to be able to burn the stomach fat.  Things like Tulsi Tea can help reduce stress levels naturally.

Then there is the type of stomach exercise – the muscles in our core support our whole body – without them we would just collapse into a heap on the floor so they are constantly being worked to keep us upright.  If you attend a class or have a personal trainer that knows what they are doing they will give you exercises for that area which will get much better results than just lying on your back doing crunches.

So the next time you look in the mirror and think “I want a flat stomach”  you need to stop and re think what you are eating and also have a look at how stressed you are!

To get the desired flat stomach you need to overhaul your whole health and fitness regime, you need to concentrate on reducing your stores of body fat altogether, drink lots of water, eat more green leafy vegetables, and do exercises that will use as many muscles as possible to – the more muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolism will go and the better you will be at burning your unwanted fat stores – finally then you will reveal the hidden 6 pack!

ALL ABOUT POLE

This weekend was the World Championships held in Budapest – I would have loved to be at this event to see the best of the best, but work commitments meant that I had to stay in sunny Llandudno.

Here are the competition results and videos to watch:

The new ladies World Pole Champions 2011

1st place is Alesia Vazmitsel

2nd place is Laurence Hilsum,

3rd place is Hanka Vanselaar

World Pole Champion Doubles 2011

1st place is Iika & Barbara HUNGARY

2nd place is Kate & Bendy Kate UK

3rd Michelle & Matty AUSTRALIA

The first Male World Pole Champion 2011

1st place is Evengy Greshilov RUSSIA
2nd place is Keem Martinez UK
3rd place is Loic Lebret FRANCE

This Sunday is the UK Professional Pole Championships semi final, it is being held in Birmingham.  I am really looking forward to this competition as it is the best of the best in the UK, I will be taking lots of videos and pictures for next weeks newsletter.

Love Spin in Mold are holding a workship with UK champion Jess Leanne Norris on Sunday 27th November, 1pm – 3pm, £45pp – if anyone would like to book spaces are booking up please go to  www.lovespin.co.uk

Recipe of the Week

This week’s recipe is by Alana’s pantry www.elanaspantry.com

Sesame Salmon Burgers.

Ingredients

1 pound salmon, skin removed
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp ume plum vinegar
1 garlic clove, pressed
1tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
¼ cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
2 large eggs
grapeseed oil for frying

Rinse the salmon, pat dry and cut into ¼ inch cubes.

In a large bowl, combine the salmon, oil, ume, garlic, ginger, scallions, sesame seeds and eggs.

Form the mixture into 2 inch patties

Heat the grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Cook the patties for 4-6 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Transfer the patties to a paper towel-line plate and serve hot.

I would love to hear your comments on this weeks newsletter,

Have a fantastic week,
Love Zara x

Hi welcome to the weekly Fitness and Pole Newsletter.   I run a dance and fitness studio called Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness and also a pole dancing school called Sharp Shooters.  I write 2 separate newsletters a week – this is a combination of them both.  I hope you enjoy the read and would love your feedback.

I had a lovely Saturday with my family this weekend. Myself, my Mum and my Sister drove down to my Aunties house in Preston for “A naming of the child ceremony” for my cousins baby Sebastian.  I have never been to one of these before and expected an actual ceremony but it was basically a house party of everyone getting together, which was brilliant.  I don’t get to see my cousins very often as they live in Leeds and Nottingham, but it has made me realize that I should make more effort to meet up more often.

Sunday was a really chilled day for me, pottering around the house and catching up on some telly – things like the X-Factor and the soaps, I don’t get to watch the T.V at normal times as I am always in the studio till late, so every so often I have a mammoth T.V session..

About Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness Studio, Llandudno

I can’t believe that we are already half way through September, this month is absolutely flying, Christmas will be here before we know it.  I have now booked the Christmas party which will be Saturday, December 3^rd and everyone is invited, all you have to do is let me know if you are coming or not.

I am really pleased to see everyone back in the studio after the summer holidays and some new faces too.  I had a good look around over August at all the classes that are going on elsewhere and I can honestly say that we offer the biggest variety of classes, I really need to shout that from the rooftops!

My Bootcampers are doing really well, and seem to have taken to the whole thing quite easily.  I was told recently that the word Bootcamp could put people off as they may think it is a bit like an army camp with someone shouting all the time.  I can assure you it is not, I get results but I am always nice to everyone.  My Bootcamps are a small group of ladies of all shapes and sizes and all levels of fitness, all trying to get fitter and shift some body fat. 

I am offering a free taster week, so people can come along and try the exercise sessions before they decide if they want to sign up.  The week will be starting 26^th September, there is a daytime one and an evening one – the daytime sessions are at 10 a.m. and the evening sessions are at 6.15 p.m.  If you would like to join or know anyone that would like to join, all they have to do is email info@breaknspin.com and I will book them in.

I have been approached by a guy called Tomas Simon to run some master classes at my studio, he is a professional dancer in London and has danced with various top stars.  I need your feedback as to whether I should book him or not??  To get people from London to come to little ol’ Llandudno is not cheap so I need to make sure that the master classes are full –there will be one session each for Children and Adults.  Here is a video of all the people he has danced with.

Getting the next generation healthy by Sally Ghafoor.

We are currently raising the first generation of children that are unlikely to outlive their parents…..

Yes you read that right, research suggest that the current generation we as parents are raising, are unlikely to outlive us. That is shocking.

How on earth has it got to the point that this statement will in time come to pass.

Very simple – The absolute rubbish we let our children eat.

Macdonalds, pizza, sweets, crisps, biscuits, fizzy drinks, energy drinks, what are we letting our kids put into their body? Children are being diagnosed as young as 13 with cirrhosis of the liver – a complaint normally heard of in alcoholics. A fatty liver, from years of consuming foods, which are ruining their health. Children with type 2 diabetes due to their diet….. it baffles me, and what is being done about it… a voluntary calorie info chart next to foods available, wow, like that’s gonna help.

I am sorry but the whole “but they won’t eat anything else” doesn’t work with me. I have 3 boys all at different ages 15,10 and 2 – guess what, they eat a well balanced healthy diet (and no that is not the governments well balanced diet advice as that is appalling) – none of my children are overweight. I pay attention to their nutrition; I am bothered by what they put in their body as fuel. My 2 year old has never been to macdonalds, he doesn’t know what a lollipop is, the other day at a birthday party he was given a marshmallow flump – he took one bite and spat it out – he doesn’t know sugar, and it tastes vile to him.

“oh poor little boy, not allowed sweets” Oh jeez I hear it constantly, it’s like its bad to eat clean healthy food, when did eating processed, insulin spiking food become the norm for our society?

My children don’t eat wheat, nor dairy, sugar is limited, processed foods aren’t allowed, we don’t have a microwave, they eat organic home made meals every day. So when we do go somewhere and indulge – it’s a treat. Seems nowadays it’s a treat to give your body some vegetables. No wonder our children’s health is in tatters.

But we as fit pros can help – how many times when a client is eating clean, do you hear “oh but I have chocolate crisps etc in the house for the kids” So its ok for them to clean their diet up but it’s not ok to help your children…. Unbelievable. When a client comes to you, we can clean up not just their nutrition but their whole families, with some simple easy to follow nutritional advice.

I get so many emails and messages asking me “how do you get your kids to eat the way you do” so I am going to reveal what my kids eat in a cookery book that I will launch in the next few weeks, showing you how get your kids to eat the right foods, fun recipes that will catch their interest., solving lunch box dilemmas, making nutritious food fun and tasty. Easting a clean diet doesn’t mean you can only eat salad every day. All you need is a bit of planning and some help.

So to register your interest go to www.gethealthsavvy.co.uk add your email address and get ready for the launch, it will change the way you and your children eat – here is to a happy and healthier lifestyle and giving two fingers up to the above research, as you like me, are certainly not going to let our kids be one of those statistics.

Sally Ghafoor

Get Health Savvy
www.gethealthsavvy.co.uk

ALL ABOUT POLE

I meet a lot of ladies that want to have a go at Pole Dancing but are a bit wary about committing to a 4 week course so I am running a free Pole Dancing Taster session, at Break ‘n’ Spin Dance & Fitness, Llandudno.  It will be held on Thursday, 29^th September at 8.30 p.m. all you have to do is email me on info@sharpshooterspoledancingschool.com to book your place.

As you know I am always adding videos to my newsletters to share with you I found this one this week.  Its an amazingly raunchy performance by a lady called Annemarie Davies who is part of the “Girl Next Door Group” 

Recipe of the Week

Creamy Nut Korma.

Ingredients

Serves 4.

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
50 g (2oz) ground almonds
400 ml (14fl oz) coconut milk
400 ml (14fl oz) water
small handful of fresh curry leaves
150 g (6oz) okra topped and tailed
225 g (8oz) cauliflower florets
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
fresh coriander leaves, chopped to garnish

Fry the onion in the oil in a large pan, covered for about 10 minutes or until tender.  Stir in the garlic, turmeric, cumin and coriander and cook for a minute or 2 longer, then add the ground almonds and coconut milk.

For a really smooth sauce, you can now puree it with a stick blender, or in a food processor.  Return the mixture to the pan and add the water and curry leaves.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes until thickened stirring occasionally.

Just before the sauce is ready, boil or steam the veg until tender then stir gently into the korma and season.  You can serve this at once but if there is time, let it rest for a while – even overnight – as the flavours will intensify.  Reheat gently sprinkle the coriander leaves to serve and if you wish to add rice then brown basmati is best.

If you would like to ask me any questions about anything you read in my newsletters or about health and fitness in general please email me at zara@sharpshooterspoledancingschool.com  or you can add me on facebook Zara Groves or you can follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/ZaraGroves

Have a fantastic week,
Love Zara x

01492 86 86 65 / 078 1314 7584

P.S.  Don’t forget to book in for your free Pole Dancing Taster Session