The Firm Pretoria North

WE JUST COULDN'T HELP OURSELVES! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Sometimes it's important to just have a good ol' chuckle

If you do feel like this picture speaks a tiny little bit of truth then pop us a message and we'll book your free 30-minute trial at your nearest Firm branch for when lock-down is over 😌

We're back on fish! 🐟

We had some requests to send out a few more healthy fish recipe options. 🥘🍛🍣🍱

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/healthy-fish

While some of the recipes may contain ingredients that we ourselves do no advocate in our programme (although still incredibly healthy) - the recipes are meant purely for inspiration 🥳🥳

We hope everybody is staying safe out there 💙

With the deepest and most heart-felt gratitude we would like to give our essential and front-line workers the biggest HAPPY WORKERS DAY applause they have ever heard 📣👏📣👏

These fellow citizens are out there risking their health and the well-being of their families just to ensure that we stay fed, comfortable & taken care of. What absolute champions - The Firm Salutes you all!

Let's share this post to show some love 📣💙

Easy Home Workout: Flexibility Exercises 🙇‍♀️🙆‍♀️🙅‍♀️

These flexibility exercises can be done at home to help improve your health and mobility. Don't worry if you haven't done much for a while – the exercises are gentle and easy to follow. Wear loose, comfortable clothing and keep some water handy. Build up slowly and aim to gradually increase the repetitions of each exercise over time. Try to do these exercises at least twice a week with the other routines we have been posting:

Neck rotation - Improves neck mobility and flexibility:

A. Sit upright with shoulders down. Look straight ahead.

B. Slowly turn your head towards your left shoulder as far as is comfortable. Hold for 5 seconds and return to the starting position.

C. Repeat on the right.

Do 3 rotations on each side.

Neck stretch - Good for loosening tight neck muscles:

A. Sitting upright, look straight ahead and hold your left shoulder down with your right hand.

B. Slowly tilt your head to the right while holding your shoulder down.

C. Repeat on the opposite side.

Hold each stretch for 5 seconds and repeat 3 times on each side.

Sideways bend - Helps restore flexibility to the lower back:

A. Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and arms by your sides.

B. Slide your left arm down your side as far as is comfortable. As you lower your arm, you should feel a stretch on the opposite hip.

C. Repeat with your right arm.

Hold each stretch for 2 seconds and perform 3 on each side.

Calf stretch - Good for loosening tight calf muscles:

A. Place your hands against a wall for stability. Bend the right leg and step the left leg back at least a foot's distance, keeping it straight. Both feet should be flat on the floor.

B. The left calf muscle is stretched by keeping the left leg as straight as possible and the left heel on the floor.

C. Repeat with the opposite leg.

Perform 3 on each side.

Let us know if you need any further explanation on some of these exercises and we will be happy to send through more detailed instructions.

Recipe Ideas: 2 fish or 2 beef? - that is the question! 😂🍜🍣

To keep our clients motivated in the kitchen we've put together a few more cooking ideas below that might help get those creative (and cooking) juices flowing! We've got two fish ideas, two beef ideas and healthy sauce idea to add to any meal. Please keep in mind that for ease of reading we've kept these short to be more like ideas than full-on recipes. Message us if you need some more info on each idea!

Beef:

1. Make beef stroganoff by rolling beef strips in diet soup. Add milk to thin cottage cheese. Stir-fry beef with onion & mushrooms, freshly ground black pepper & parsley then add cottage cheese sauce. Heat through.

2. Take fillet steak (thickly sliced) and cut in half. De-seed jalapeno chillies & add cheese or cottage cheese in center of chillies. Place in between steak and grill.

Fish:

1. Poach fish in a little milk, sprinkle fish spice on top, a slice of cheese from your daily allowance, tomato & dill or basil and bake.

2. For a change, flake cold hake into salad & dress with low cal or no oil blue cheese dressing.

Sauce:

Take mushrooms, tomato & green pepper to make a sauce using a combination of all 3 or any of the 2. Add seasoning & herbs. Make a gravy out of diet soup – To thicken, add the mushrooms and finely chopped veggies.

Stay Safe 💙

Quick Healthy Chicken Dishes 🍗🍜🍛

Tuesdays are going to be all about helping alleviate that "what should I cook tonight" problem ☺️

1. Skinless chicken breast, flattened. Place spinach, cottage cheese & jalapeno chilli in center. Either fold in half & secure with toothpick or roll up. Put in tinfoil in oven for 20 min.

2. Skinless chicken breast, butterflied. Add a slice of cheese & tomatoe, basil, salt, pepper. Fold over and bake for 20 min.

3. Char grill chicken on griddle pan for 2-3 mins each side. Place pineapple on griddle to brown slightly & make xx marks. Chicken & pineapple combine well.

4. Stir-fry chicken or beef. Chop onion & cook in a little water to soften. Add veggies of own choice. When water is reduced, add garlic, herbs, ginger & diet soup.

We kept the recipes/ingredients short for ease of reading but please feel free to request these 4 dishes in more detail.

Share this post with friends who hate deciding what to cook! 📣

We are all in this together 👪👨‍👩‍👧‍👧🇿🇦

As the world goes through this very challenging time The Firm just wants to mention that South Africans are doing such an amazing job so far!

Keeping ourselves busy, healthy and sane through these times are going to be one of the bigger hurdles we face. The Firm is here to help! 🥳

We have some very cool content lined up for our page through quarantine that will give you great ideas for home activities, fun exercises and cooking - bringing you out on the other side - new and improved!

There isn't a better time to work on yourself without the stresses of the fast-paced modern world ☺️

Like our page to make sure you don't miss all the awesome stay-at-home goodness we have in store for you!

BOOST THAT IMMUNE SYSTEM!

Feeding your body certain foods may help keep your immune system strong. If you’re looking for ways to stay healthy - include these 7 powerful immune system boosters:

1. Citrus fruits

Most people turn to vitamin C after they’ve caught a cold. That’s because it helps build up your immune system. Vitamin C is thought to increase the production of white blood cells. These are key to fighting infections.
Popular citrus fruits include:
• grapefruit
• oranges
• tangerines
• lemons
• limes
• clementines
Because your body doesn’t produce or store it, you need daily vitamin C for continued health. Almost all citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. With such a variety to choose from, it’s easy to add a squeeze of this vitamin to any meal.

2. Red bell peppers

If you think citrus fruits have the most vitamin C of any fruit or vegetable, think again. Ounce for ounce, red bell peppers contain twice as much vitamin C as citrus. They’re also a rich source of beta carotene. Besides boosting your immune system, vitamin C may help maintain healthy skin. Beta carotene helps keep your eyes and skin healthy.

3. Broccoli

Broccoli is supercharged with vitamins and minerals. Packed with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as many other antioxidants and fiber, broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on your table. The key to keeping its power intact is to cook it as little as possible — or better yet, not at all.

4. Garlic

Garlic is found in so many cuisines. It adds a little zing to food and it’s a must-have for your health.
Early civilizations recognized its value in fighting infections. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, garlic may also help lower blood pressure and slow down hardening of the arteries.
Garlic’s immune-boosting properties seem to come from a heavy concentration of sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin.

5. Ginger

Ginger is another ingredient many turn to after getting sick. Ginger may help decrease inflammation, which can help reduce a sore throat and other inflammatory illnesses. Ginger may also help decrease nausea. While it’s used in many sweet desserts, ginger packs some heat in the form of gingerol, a relative of capsaicin. Ginger may help decrease chronic pain and may possess cholesterol-lowering properties, according to recent animal research.

6. Spinach

Spinach made our list not just because it’s rich in vitamin C. It’s also packed with numerous antioxidants and beta carotene, which may increase the infection-fighting ability of our immune systems. Similar to broccoli, spinach is healthiest when it’s cooked as little as possible so that it retains its nutrients. However, light cooking enhances its vitamin A and allows other nutrients to be released from oxalic acid.

7. Yogurt

Look for yogurts that have “live and active cultures” printed on the label, like Greek yogurt. These cultures may stimulate your immune system to help fight diseases. Try to get plain yogurts rather than the kinds that are preflavored and loaded with sugar. You can sweeten plain yogurt yourself with healthy fruits and a drizzle of honey instead. Yogurt can also be a great source of vitamin D, so try to select brands fortified with vitamin D. Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system and is thought to boost our body’s natural defenses against diseases.

Stay safe in these times of uncertainty & remember that variety is the key to proper nutrition. Eating just one of these foods won’t be enough to help fight off the flu, even if you eat it constantly. Pay attention to serving sizes and recommended daily intake so that you don’t get too much of a single vitamin and too little of others.

📣 NOTICE 📣

Happy to Tuesday to all our followers & clients 😊

As the situation progresses we would like to use this Tuesday Health tip opportunity to notify our clients of the current status within The Firm and our clinics regarding COVID-19. Please take a few moments to see how we are handling the situation in the image below.

We've also added an awesome infograph labelled "DON'T PANIC - KEEP CALM" which highlights super helpful do's and dont's surrounding the virus which we seriously encourage you to share 📣- even if you feel you knew the contents already - some people may not know already 😄

We wish you and your families a comfortable and smooth transition throughout this pandemic and look forward to playing our part together 💪

Health Tip of The Week: Sunchokes & Swiss Chard🥬

Sometimes we find ourselves running into a loop where we eat the same health foods repeatedly. Although sticking to the same healthy foods over a long period of time isn't bad - mixing things up can be vital to motivation levels - which are just as important. Here are some fun alternatives to your already healthy eating choices:

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An even bigger vitamin powerhouse and with a more intense flavor than spinach, Swiss chard adds zing to any dish.

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This cousin of the carrot has a more complex, sweet, nutty flavor.
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You get the sweetness of plums without all the drippy juice.
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The stalks of this Asian leafy green are crunchy and mild, and the leaves are more cabbage like.
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With its mellow taste and flaky texture, the sunchoke (aka Jerusalem artichoke) is easy to pair with any main dish.
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Tired of WEIGHTing for that firm body? 😂

With The Firm's Electrotherapy Muscle Stimulation (EMS), Infrared therapy, Eating Plans and our very own Wellness Range - you won't need to step foot inside the gym to get the weight loss results you're after!

Did we mention that you're legible for a free 30-minute session at your nearest clinic - to see if it's for you (trust us - you'll love it!)

We would love to chat so we can arrange that first session - message us to get in touch 👇

And The Firm would like to thank YOU for letting us be the ones to help you reach your goals 🥰

We absolutely love it when clients let us know how they feel!

Are you ready to join Karin in her success story?

Message us to book your first FREE session 🤩🤩🤩