This super easy recipe has just 3 ingredients and serves 6 – perfect if you’re hosting a family lunch or wanting a sweet treat that isn’t going too indulgent! NUTRITION: PER SERVING Cals 406 Protein 14g Carbs 57g Fat 12.5g INGREDIENTS 2 packs of chocolate chip hot cross buns, 8 buns in total (we used Waitrose they’re 211 cals each) 700g of Sainsbury’s Be Good to Yourself fresh custard (they come in 500g pots) 50g dark chocolate chips METHOD Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan then warm the custard through in the microwave or on the hob – do not bring it to boiling just warm it through so it’s m ..read more

Why should someone add muscle to their body? The short answer: It’s great for your health. Keep in mind that we aren’t talking about huge amounts of muscle. Sometimes people think of oversized bodybuilders when they hear the word “muscle,” but we’re referring to smaller amounts of muscle added to people who want to be generally healthy and active. A lot has been written about the “obesity epidemic,” but you don’t often hear about “sarcopenia”—a gradual loss of muscle mass and strength. This condition is more common in the elderly, but many people start losing muscle in their 30s. In fact, Webm ..read more

We all know that eating too much sugar is linked with obesity, metabolic & cardiovascular disease, diabetes and a range of other conditions. But what makes it such a problematic food to consume? Well, to make it really black and white, sugar can cause inflammation, and inflammation causes chronic disease. But! Like with everything there needs to be context and some nuance considered, because not all sugar is created equally. Let’s start off with the question – what is sugar? Well along with starches (potatoes, breads, pasta etc) & cellulose (plants), sugars are a category of carbohydra ..read more

People who are hoping to get fit often have a question: “Is running bad for you?” In fact, if you Google “top questions about fitness,” that’s one of the Top 18. The short version: Running isn’t bad for you. But it isn’t the solution to every fitness problem, and it isn’t the best option for some people. Finally, it is possible to run too much if you have certain goals. Running Is Great!  Running is a wonderful activity because it doesn’t require a lot of special equipment or even access to a gym. You can just throw on some runners and hit the sidewalk or paths in any park. Or you can use ..read more

Here’s a big question in the fitness world: Do you need weight machines to get fit?  The short answer: No.   Here’s a very quick history lesson: Before the 1950s, gyms didn’t have machines, just barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells and other similar implements. And people got fit!  In the ‘50s, the first machines appeared. In the beginning, they were homemade, but soon they became more advanced, and then large Universal gym stations appeared. Before long, Universals were everywhere. In the ‘70s, expensive and more complex Nautilus machines were all the rage. By the mid-‘80s, ev ..read more

Many people want to lose fat—so will weight training help them do it?  Yes!  Lifting weights is a great way to burn fat, but here’s something else to consider first:  Many people want to lose fat so they look toned and their muscles are more visible. The look they’re going for usually requires fat loss as well as a little muscle building. You build muscle through weight training. So if you have aesthetic goals, weight training is going to be a great tool for you.  Now don’t get me wrong: 30 minutes of cardiovascular training—running, cycling, rowing, swimming etc. — wi ..read more

So you’ve got goals, and you’re fired up to accomplish them. Will working out a lot help you do it? The answer is “maybe.”  To give you a more precise answer, we’ll need to dig in and consider a few variables: your fitness level, your goals, and your recovery. Your Fitness Level If you’re new to working out, you don’t have to train a huge amount to get results. Even one session a week has benefits, but two or three will be much better. Four or five might be overwhelming and even counterproductive. If you’re very experienced in the gym or very fit, you might have to train four or five time ..read more

We’ve been asked this question so many times: Does fat make you fat?  The one-word answer is “no.”  So why do so many people avoid fat or believe it causes weight gain? The answer is likely because the diet industry went through a low-fat craze in the ‘90s. And it doesn’t help that body fat and dietary fat share the same name. You are what you eat, right? Wrong in this case!  It also doesn’t help that the word “fat” is sometimes used to describe someone who is overweight.   If you combine all that, it’s easy to see why so many people avoid fat and so many products have ..read more

Even though the 10-year mark was in March, I wanted to wait till after the party before reflecting on this milestone. I’ve never been one to reflect, I’ve always just focused on pushing forward, but maybe now is a good time to start!  I was taken off guard at the party to make a speech and, after sheer panic, only got a few sentences out, even though I had a lot more to say. So here we go… When I first took over the gym it was nothing like it is now and it’s been great to see how much the gym has grown over the past 10 years. It was very bare, rough around the edges, and not the most welc ..read more

Laurel has now finished the 66 Academy after 9 months and we are in awe of how much she has transformed the way she lives & feels about herself. She may have lost a whopping 13.5kg (2.1 stone) in that time but the biggest difference for Laurel is how much happier she is, not just with how she looks, but how she now prioritises and takes care of herself. Our debrief chat highlighted what a positive impact the programme has had on her life, but here are a few key ‘loves’ that really stood out: Laurel has a new found love of walking and being active in nature, and even started a very popular ..read more