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Debbie Saunders          Workouts

Welcome to the November newsletter.  Before you decide to stay tucked up at home on the dark evenings remember the impact my fitness classes has on your life Enhanced or elevated mood Increased feelings of self worth Better sleep patterns Increased energy A place to socialise and belong As we approach Christmas, a time of such great stress for so many people, it may be worth realising that at the Potteries we aim to create a ''stress free'' environment where you can escape and enjoy some personal time. Lets face it, this is the time of year where fitness and bodyshape can get sidelined for so many of us and we are less likely to TRY at a time when social and family pressures threaten to undo all of our good work. So over the next 2 months we are going to generate a ''feel good'' environment. Working with great music and most defiantly having a giggle in all the classes. Goodie Bags - As an extra incentive I will be taking names each class you attend from Monday November 19th.The Christmas goodie bags will be going to those who make the most classes between then and Christmas. We will be having a small break when I jet off to South Africa on sunday Dec 9th for a weeks gymnastic coaching course. I am the only coach in Great Britain to be invited to train at the FIG level three academy. This is a tremendous honour, although the two exams at the end of a weeks training will mean I have to work especially hard. I will be needing some quick fix classes when I get back. Move of the month This exercise will help prevent that "shoulders up by our ears" posture we get marching along in cold weather Lie flat on your front, pull your belly up a little, as you breath out, slide your arms down your legs, your shoulders push down your back and your neck lengthens. breath in and lower. 15-20 should help get you standing tall again. Think long all the way through the exercise. Soup recipe - one of my favourite winter warmers Two leeks -  chopped two med potatoes - diced two large carrots - diced hand full of spaghetti - broken up Veg stock cube in boiling water tin tomatoes pinch of mixed herbs Put the  leeks, carrots, pots, spaghetti in a large casserole, cover well with veg stock, and microwave for 15 minutes, stirring twice, add tin of tomatoes and mixed herbs, microwave 8 minutes - ENJOY! Crusty bread makes this a fantastic meal. I am going to just throw the lot in a slow cooker this weekend, then we can just help oursleves when hungry. Christmas Party - please bring in the rest of your money by the end of the month, and let me know your food choices. :) Questions you have asked me this month. How do I tone my upper back to wear strappy dresses? This is a challenge, and we have to go about reducing a "fat back" in two ways, one is to keep increasing our calorie burn to lose and excess, and the other is to tone up the upper back. Which will also help burn excess fat. Thankfully the new weights bars are great upper back toning, the bent over rows we do in class will target this area perfectly. Is tinned fruit better/worse than fresh than fresh? The nutrition of tinned fruits may surprise you. Most canned fruit is processed and packed as soon as it is picked. This process retains the fruits flavour and freshness. unless there is sugar and unhealthy preservatives used in the process, you'll find the majority of nutrition benefits remain the same or better Are tomatoes better grilled or fresh? Cooking red tomatoes releases lycpene which is an antioxidant which is supposed to prevent the development of cancer. dried fruit vs fresh This is very complex and best answered by reading this, - http://www.3fatchicks.com/nutrition-of-dried-fruit-vs-fresh-fruit/ Which colour pepper is best for us? The spicy-crunchy green pepper is a less mature version of the red pepper, which is not only sweeter than its emerald-hued cousin, but it also contains 11 times more cancer-fighting beta carotene Hope you enjoyed this months newsletter, looking forward to seeing you all and making sure we stay in tiptop shape through the winter months Find me on Facebook - Debbie Saunders Workouts Twitter - @debsgymcoach Web - www.debbiesaunders.co.uk