Welcome to the Eastside Outdoor Fitness Nutritional Blog!
This blog is aimed at helping everyone understand nutrition and food in simple ways, so you can achieve your goals, whether you’re looking boost your overall fitness in the park or working toward personal targets.
It’s a medically proven fact that eating well and getting plenty of exercise positively impacts both physical and mental health. These benefits range from weight management and reducing the risk of chronic diseases, to strengthening bones, muscles, and your immune system. Eating well and staying active can also increase your energy levels, improve sleep and digestion, enhance mental well-being, and ultimately lead to a longer, healthier life.
Both food and fitness have had a profound impact on my own life, but really, it all started with food. When I was 13, my family, grandparents and all, moved to France. It was a move that had been planned for years, and we were all excited. When we arrived, I immediately embraced the local culture. That’s when I discovered the famous French mentality toward food, a collective attitude where meals are an important, celebrated part of life.
At the time, I had no idea how much this would shape my future. At 19, after finishing art college and taking a part time job in a supermarket, I somehow found myself in the world of catering. Over the next few years, I gained experience in local hotel kitchens, and in 2000, I took my first serious role as a Demi Chef de Partie in the kitchens of a private members club in London. This marked a turning point and the beginning of a 16-year career in the culinary world.
Fast forward to my mid-thirties, and I found myself deep in the world of recruitment, where I spent the next eight years. Wining and dining clients became a regular part of my job, and I took full advantage of every tasting menu and cocktail pairing that came my way. But I was steadily gaining weight and knew something had to change. Having always been relatively lean in my younger years, I realised that my lifestyle was catching up with me.
Growing up in Exmouth, Devon, we lived just 10 minutes from the Royal Marine Commando Training Centre in Lympstone. Many of my parents’ friends were serving Marines, some of them instructors training the recruits. Weekends often involved trips to the Marine Camp, attending open days, swimming, or making a nuisance of ourselves running around the Sergeants' Mess. We all knew about the legendary assault course, the “bottom field,” which was strictly off-limits to us but represented the pinnacle of fitness.
Years later, I found myself sitting on the sofa with my daughter, watching Bear Grylls talk about his outdoor fitness group, Be Military Fit. Out of the blue, my daughter turned to me and said, “Daddy, you should do that!” That moment was a catalyst. I joined, and within six months, I had lost 2 stone (13 kg), I was gaining strength, sleeping better, managing stress more effectively, and feeling more focused than ever.
Little did I know, this decision would lead me on a journey from member to instructor, and eventually to re-launch and re-brand the business as Eastside Outdoor Fitness. Now, combining my experience as a professional chef, fitness instructor, and qualified nutritionist, I’m excited to share everything I’ve learned. This blog will focus on keeping nutrition simple, achievable, and most importantly, delicious.