Black Friday at Macclesfield Performance

That’s right… We’re jumping on the “Black Friday” bandwagon and why not? You deserve it! ;)

The little difference is, Macclesfield Performance is an independent business with a very open and transparent price list, meaning unlike many other Black Friday sales you are 100% guaranteed that we won’t be putting our prices up, before offering you a discount.

So what’s on offer we hear you say? Check out our list of discounts below.

1 Day Offers - Friday 29th November 2019 - Between 07.00 -19.00

20% off all memberships paid as an annual payment.

• 12 months : Elite Membership £480 from £600

• 12 months : Standard Membership £384 from £480

• 12 months : Open Gym Membership £240 from £300

• 12 months : Run Macclesfield Membership £240 from £300

• 12 months : Elite Family Membership £1,144 from £1,430

Pay now train later? All annual memberships purchased using this discount will have an “open start date” up until 1st January 2020 meaning if you have already paid up to the end of the year you don’t have to miss out!
Also making this offer great as a Christmas gift and January incentive for loved ones.

15% off 10 run coaching sessions with Run Macclesfield coach Emma. Includes a FREE 4 week online programme complete with home workouts and tailored runs and training zone programming to suit your goals.

• 10 x 121 running coaching sessions plus 4 week plan : £255 from £335

1/3 off personal trainer Mandys’ recently launched “30 Quick & Healthy Recipes” e-book.

• FlexFit Ebook Price : £4.00 from £6.00

Up to 40% off Macclesfield Performance & Run Macclesfield branded clothing.

If you would like to be first in line to take advantage of any of these limited time offers click below and let us know what you’d like more information on and how to get your hands on these awesome discounts next friday!

Nutrition | Flour Free Blueberry Muffins

FLOUR FREE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Are you on the look out for a light breakfast or snack option?  Perhaps one that helps you enjoy the sweet tastes of fruits and offers the sensory stimulation of a delicious Blueberry Muffin but with less of the sugar, fat and flour?

Well, you might just like our next recipe! 

At MP we are always on the look out for healthier alternatives.  Food ideas that can help curb those cravings and make living a healthier lifestyle a more realistically maintainable option.  It is not for everyone,  some people find that “treat” looking alternatives make no difference when it comes to enjoying something sweet.  They feel cake is cake and chocolate is chocolate and that is that!

For others,  they get a huge sense of satisfaction knowing that they opted for something that they consider less tempting and a little more balanced or goal oriented.

Either approach is fine,  enjoying the odd treat is a good thing,  after all,  life is too short.  You just need to make sure that those treats don’t become the thing that shortens your life!
It is the planning of that treat in to you diet so that it doesn’t become to detrimental to your goals that is key when aiming for success.  If you struggle with this,  then you might find using “healthier alternatives” works well for you.

 INGREDIENTS

2 Large Eggs

2 Medium Sized Ripe Bananas

1 Tbs Coconut Oil – Runny

2/3 Cup Ground Almonds

2 Tbs Coconut Flour  (We got ours from the Real Food Store)

1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract / Caramel Flavouring / Almond Extract  (You Choose)

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Cup Fresh or Frozen Blueberries

Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees

 STEP ONE

In a large bowl or food processor mash up the Bananas.  Add the eggs,  coconut oil and flavouring.

STEP TWO

In separate bowl, mix the Ground almonds,  coconut flour & baking powder.

Then slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.

STEP THREE

Gently fold in the blueberries to ensure they are well distributed through the doughy mixture.

Transfer the mixture to a muffin cover tray with parchment paper cups or muffin cases and pop them in the oven for  20-25 minutes. Keep and eye on them to make sure they cook but don’t burn.

We chose parchment paper over muffin cases to minimise the mixture sticking as it cooked.
To create the same look cut two 4 cm x 10cm strips of paper per muffin and criss-cross them in to the tray before scooping in the mixture. They look great don’t they!

Our mixture made 8 delicious muffins!

Nutrition | Beetroot Brownies

BEETROOT BROWNIES

There are lots of alternative recipes out there for those seeking a different take on their sweet treats and favourite snacks.  We like to explore a variety of different recipes and then blend together the best bits in the hope to come out with something a little bit special.

So firstly, lets not pretend… there is no denying that those expecting a Millies Cookie or a Krispy Krem donut tasting snack might be a little disappointed.  If you take away all the additives, refined sugar and colourings what you find is a slightly less sweet taste.

The thing is,  we have all become so accustomed to far more sugar than is needed in our food and because of that,  the alternatives can take a little getting used to.  That being said,  give it time,  reduce the amount of sugar you have as often as possible and your taste will soon change to a less sweet liking.

One of the recipes we tried recently were beetroot brownies.  Theses are gluten free and have an subtle earthy taste that you will recognise as beetroot but at the same time the raw cacao and prunes really give them that sweet touch – making them a pretty nice healthier alternative with a great texture and they look beautiful. 

 Give them a try and let us know how you got on.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cooked Beetoots (Peeled & Chopped)

• 4 Eggs

• 100g Ground Almonds

• Half Cup Soft Prunes

• 30g Raw Cacao

• 2 Tsp Vanilla Essesnce

• 1 & Half Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Power

• Handfull Chopped Walnuts

• Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees

STEP ONE

Blend all of the ingredients (excluding the walnuts) together in a food processor until the mixture is smooth.

STEP TWO

Fold the walnuts into the mixture.

STEP THREE

Pour the mixture evenly into a brownie tin lined with parchment paper, make sure it is even and smooth at roughly 1cm thick.  Place in the oven and bake for 15 -18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean if you prick the mix.

STEP FOUR

Remove from oven, allow to cool and cut into even squares and serve.

Testimonial | Client Amy

I had just been asked by my beautiful size 6 friend to be a bridesmaid at her wedding. Standing next to 5 other beautiful ladies who wore dress size 10 on a bad day… in my head I was a large size 14,  in reality I was a large size 16 and had been getting larger slowly for the past few years.

In the past I had reached a small size 12 by over exercising and limiting my food intake,  but this method was failing me and the thought of being the fat bridesmaid filled me with dread!

MP Coach Dom and I talked about past diets and current eating habits. I kept food diaries and Dom even went through my cupboards & fridge and even took me round Tesco’s.  This was not to reprimand, shame or catch me “cheating”,  it was to understand my relationship with food and this formed the beginning of my re-education.  Dom helped me to see that food isn’t something to feel bad or guilty about,   it isn’t to be used as a treat after a bad day at work,  or to be restricted to weekends and it isn’t something to stress about.  Food should work for me, not against me!

Dom has never told me what I can or can’t eat,  but rather given me guidelines and helped me to understand what food does to my body and this has allowed me to learn how to be the healthy.  I have re-found my love for cooking,  previously telling Dom that I found cooking “too time consuming” and therefore “couldn’t possibly fit it into my day”.  I still eat chocolate and drink wine,  but not everyday and in a conscious way, I certainly do not feel deprived or “on a diet”.  My food bills are lower and my food waste at the end of the week negligible in comparison.  My body just feels better,  I can train harder and for longer,  I am far less tired and fed up and my food based guilt has reduced too.

I eventually started seeing Dom for nutrition once a month,  to keep things on track,  there was no quick fix and the good habits slide every now and again, but knowing the basics of good nutrition has allowed me to keep control over my eating and bring things back in check without panicking.

Fitness has not been as much of an issue for me as I have always been active.

No class or PT has ever been the same at Macclesfield Performance, the exercises are explained and supervised to a high standard.  At the end of each class you go away smiling with a feeling of achievement.  The other people at MP are all friendly and because we share the same overall goals we therefore share in everybody’s achievements along the way.  

Looking back there have been several moments when I have been thankful that I found MP.

I was not the fat bridesmaid at my friend’s wedding,  I bought a size 10 pair of jeans,  my belly doesn’t jiggle when I run. I stood next to 10 other skinny girls in bikinis and felt ok.  I fit all the small clothes in my wardrobe, most importantly I can look at photos of myself and see me instead of seeing my fat!