Blog - Personal Best Health & Fitness Stroud | Personal training & Chiropractor nearStroud

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spice box

7/3/2020

If our recipe has whetted your appetite and you fancy cooking something new, here is the perfect solution. North East London’s favourite neighbourhood curry house SpiceBox is sharing their spicy flavours with the nation with family curry night recipe boxes with a nationwide delivery service.

A curry night box filled with all of the ingredients needed to make a delicious Tikka Masala or Cashew and Coconut Korma family feast (both 100% plant-based), plus a recipe card will be delivered to doorsteps up and down the country on Thursday and Fridays, encouraging isolating households and families to indulge in the beloved British
tradition of ‘Friday night curry’ - a small but vital pleasure in these difficult times.

Whether you opt for a creamy, Cashew and Coconut Korma packed with seasonal veg or curry house favourite Tikka Masala with creamy tomato sauce, and crunchy green peppers, your curry night is sure to pack a spicy flavour punch and bring the whole household together in a fun evening of cooking and feasting.

To give you an extra helping hand, SpiceBox's founder Grace has created accompanying YouTube recipe videos which will be live on SpiceBox's YouTube channel, SpiceBox TV.

Each box generously feeds 4 people, and is priced at £45 per box. £2.50 from all boxes sold is given straight to SpiceBox's charity partner, The Woodland Trust.

July recipe

7/3/2020

The Dishoom take on the legendary Irani Café special, with cranberries. This chicken biryani is a delicious, fragrant rice dish packed with spiced, well-marinated chicken pieces and cranberries.

Prep time: 30 minutes, plus 3-hour marinating time
Cooking time: 1 hour
SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS
·        3 large onions, finely sliced
·        50ml vegetable oil
·        10 garlic cloves, crushed
·        75g ginger, finely grated
·        1½ tsp chilli powder or 2 tsp hot paprika
·        2 tsp ground cumin
·        ½ tsp garam masala powder
·        juice of 4 limes
·        125ml full-fat Greek yogurt
·        50g barberries or cranberries, plus 1 tbsp
·        6 tbsp chopped coriander, plus 1 tbsp
·        6 tbsp chopped mint, plus 1 tbsp
·        2 green chillies, finely sliced
·        12 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
·        350g basmati rice
·        50ml double cream
·        generous pinch of saffron strands

METHOD

1. Fry the sliced onions in hot oil until they turn a deep russet brown. Drain on kitchen paper and leave to cool.

2.Combine three-quarters of the onions with the garlic, ginger, chilli (or paprika), cumin, garam masala, lime juice, yogurt, 50g barberries (or cranberries), six tablespoons of chopped coriander, six tablespoons of mint and the green chilli. Add the chicken thighs, mix well, then cover with clingfilm and leave to marinate for at least two hours.

3. Soak the rice in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain, then add the grains to a large pan of boiling water and cook until the rice is half-cooked – about 5-6 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3. Heat the cream on the hob in a pan, stir in the saffron, and leave on one side for 10 minutes.

5. Warm the chicken on the hob with all its spiced marinade, and simmer with the lid on for about 3-4 minutes.

6. Put half the hot chicken and its masala at the bottom of a heavy casserole and cover with half the hot rice. Repeat with another layer of remaining chicken and rice. Drizzle over the saffron cream, then seal the pan with foil and cover with a tight-fitting lid.

7. Transfer the biryani to the oven for about 45-50 minutes, after which the chicken should be tender and the rice fully cooked.

8. Remove the lid and scatter with the remaining mint, coriander, fried onions, and berries.

membership site reminder

7/3/2020

We had been hopeful that the studio would be open for 1-1 Personal Training from the 4th July. However, no news yet from Boris and his team, so we wait with bated breath and continue with our Zoom classes. Rest assured, as soon as we hear, we will let you know, and training will resume pronto!

In case this slipped by you, during the early weeks of Lock down, we created our very own membership site. This is added to weekly and improvements from your suggestions are being made. At present, we have over 100 exercise videos, 100 recipes, multiple health, and motivation guides plus a 21 Day challenge, for you to access from your mobile or laptop. If you have not had a look:
https://fitnessjumpstart.me/pb-online?bclid=IwAR1K8YgFut2zzpZ3WjAEufkIVdHcUpIlU5XBBnAdOqH4MGttVf9oJSt_r7Q

Post lock down aches and pains

7/3/2020

With the clinic busy and patients returning for treatments, we have observed similarities in lots of patient’s aches and pains. Lockdown for many meant a reduction in exercise which lead to restriction in movement and mobility, for others it meant ‘over training’ which lead to similar problems! We have seen a huge increase in three groups:

Golfers returning to the course after a long period of missing out on those very rotational movements and therefore coming in with back pain
Patients working from home without a good ergonomic setup, often working at the kitchen table on a laptop - sadly a large proportion of these are school age children!
Keen gardeners making the most of the good weather and overdoing it as a result.

It's rather like seasoning, too little or too much spoils the dish, apply the right amount and et voila!

It is vital that you prepare your musculoskeletal system for the task you expect it to do. For golfers this will mean loosening up tight shoulders and hips and doing core exercises prior to a game so to minimise the risk of injury and switching on the activity of the spinal stabilisers. For lifting and bending activities, running and sitting - don’t forget that your intervertebral discs (your spinal shock absorbers) are most vulnerable the first hour after you get up. The internal pressure is higher as they are more “plumped up” - so ease into the day, wait a little until you start loading these tissues up.

The concept of rest breaks can be used for across the board; if you are sat down most of the day your “rest break” should be movement, walking, standing - moving away from the static loading of tissues you have built up whilst sat down. For gardening enthusiast who spend a lot of time bent forward, you need to add the opposite movement in your rest break, such as the cobra position or hook lying position. If your main exercise is sitting as in cycling - you would need your rest break to be something different, for example standing stretches or floor work.

The point is that whatever position you spend a lot of time in should probably not be the same position as you exercise in. So, for those who spend the whole day sitting down - rowing or cycling are probably not the best options - this way you almost “concrete in” the postural issues built up from desk work.

Movement is your medicine, massage and chiropractic treatment will help speed up recovery or prepare you for the next step up in activity levels. Our sports therapist and chiropractors are experts in tailoring exercises and care to compliment your hobbies and passion.

recipe - fish curry with lime & coconut rice

6/22/2020

This recipe was made all the better because of the delicious fish supplied by The Fine Fish Company https://www.thefinefishcompany.co.uk/ based in Woodchester, they deliver fish boxes for the weekend or you can visit their stall at Jolly Nice! If you order a fish box, or a bespoke selection from their range in June and receive a free bottle of Woodchester Wine. (minimum order £40 and delivery within 20 miles of Stroud).

Fish Curry with Lime and Coconut Rice from Gordon Ramsay, Cooking For Friends

Ingredients

400g monkfish fillets, cut into bite-size chunks
400ml coconut milk, mixed with 1¾ cups water
500g live mussels
2 tablespoons groundnut oil
1 tablespoon palm sugar
2½ tablespoons fish sauce
150g sugar snap peas
3-4 spring onions, finely chopped
Handful of fresh basil or coriander leaves for garnish
Toasted coconut shavings for garnish (optional)
300g jasmine or basmati rice, washed
200ml coconut milk, mixed with 200ml water
Juice of 1 lime
2 kaffir lime leaves
Pinch of sea salt
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 large shallots, roughly chopped
6-7 large, mild, red chili peppers, deseeded and chopped
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped
Small handful of coriander stems, chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped (or finely grated zest of 2 limes)
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
3-4 tablespoons water

Method

Put the monkfish pieces into a large bowl with a little seasoning and spoon a few tablespoons of coconut milk over them. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook. Wash the mussels; discard any that do not close when gently tapped.
To make the lime and coconut rice, put all the ingredients into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover the pan. Simmer until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, 8-10 minutes. Without removing the lid, remove from the heat and let the rice steam for 5-10 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, put all the ingredients for the curry paste into a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste, stopping the machine once or twice to scrape down the sides. If necessary, add a little more water to get a finely ground paste.
Heat the groundnut oil in a deep pan or a wok. Add the curry paste and stir-fry for over low heat just until the paste smells fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and water mixture, then stir in the palm sugar and fish sauce. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Tip in the sugar snap peas, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the mussels and monkfish, cover the pan, and simmer until the mussels have opened and the monkfish is opaque and just cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Scatter the spring onions and basil leaves over the top. Serve immediately with the lime and coconut rice, garnished with a sprinkling of toasted coconut shavings.

golf warm up - avoid injury

6/22/2020

Since reopening, our chiropractors have seen several patients who have presented with back pain following the reintroduction of golf to their weekly routine. Golf is dynamic, explosive, and repetitive and players should be warmed up and mobilised before playing. The reality is that no warmup or pre swing drills are performed, leading to poor scores and aches and pains. Preparing your body for action doesn’t have to take long, try this pre golf warm up before you play next.

ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7TSoBoRJ7M

clinic bookings

6/22/2020

As you are aware, our Clinic is now open, but for the time being, we have limited reception cover, so if you feel you require treatment and would like to book an appointment, please book online:
https://personalbest.neptune.practicehub.io/p/booking

We continue in our efforts to offer a safe hygienic environment. Following strict procedures and protocols allows us to deliver treatment confidently and safely to patients that need it under a phased reopening. Although we are not dealing with confirmed COVID-19 cases, we are taking a meticulous approach to our protocols to ensure everyone's safety. By using a combination of screening questions, following a one in, one out rule and only one practitioner working at a time, even tighter hygiene protocols than we already had and a full complement of PPE (including face masks, gloves and aprons), we feel we are doing everything we possibly can to minimise risks and make treatment at Personal Best Chiropractic Clinic as safe as possible.

If you would like any further information or wish to discuss your requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us in the first instance via reception@personalbeststudio.co.uk

Free stretch class

6/22/2020

Here is our latest stretch class for you to do in your own time at home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b0U69zdz5E

Virtual 'live' stretch and hiit classes now available for sign up

6/22/2020

Feeling sluggish? Starting to feel your age? Moving less than normal? Struggling to find the time to exercise? Want to start increasing time for YOU and your fitness?

Then, come and join us for our Virtual 'Live' Fitness sessions (delivered via Zoom). You can train from the comfort of your own home.

Our 30-minute stretch class takes your muscles and joints through the ranges of movements they should perform daily, making you feel and move better. Now is the time to start investing in your health and well-being.

Virtual 'Live' STRETCH Session
Mon – 7pm.
Tues – 6pm
Wed – 1pm
Fri - 1pm

Virtual 'Live' H.I.I.T Session
Sat 9.30am

Contact Carl to book in for your first session: carl@personalbeststudio.co.uk or Book in here: https://www.personalbeststudio.co.uk/book-classes.html#tmup=/p/3515255-personal-best/

We WILL get to the light at the end of that tunnel!

6/22/2020

As we slowly awake from the Lock-down slumber, it is good to see businesses opening up and people trying to get on with their lives. For our family it feels very much like one foot in and one foot out. Kristine is back in clinic, whilst I work from home, except for the occasional trip to the studio for Zoom classes. We have one boy at school, who is loving being with friends, whilst our eldest is working from home and only socialising via gaming and social media! I am sure many of you will be in similar situations and may view the act of moving out of lock-down, more difficult than being forced in!

We are still hopeful that we can open the studio for 1-1 Personal Training on the 4th July but awaiting news from Boris and his team. For now, we are still offering Zoom classes and will continue to do so, as Personal Best adds an on-line element to its business. Many of you will have received emails from Team Up, by registering with them and creating an account you will allow have access to all our Zoom classes and be able to safely make payments for our online classes. This has been a very steep learning curve and I feel I am only halfway up the curve!

Administration, technical and logistical hurdles have been straddled and tested my flexibility to the full. Our plan is to start charging for classes as of 22nd June, but with so many variables and so many balls up in the air, there may be a few teething problems to overcome. Please bear with us through this initial phase!

I am creating a questionnaire to gain feedback on our zoom classes and would greatly appreciate your feedback.