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On Saturday 22nd of April, Mahdlo took five young people on a trip to Kettlebell Kitchen in Manchester to reward their ongoing commitment to improving their health within the ‘Lean for 17’ project (see below).
Before arriving at Kettlebell Kitchen, some of the young people were anxious as to whether they would like the food at the ‘health’ restaurant. A number of the young people were also nervous about being judged for being in a health food restaurant and not ‘looking the part’. After some reassurance from our staff, and once seated and ordered, the young people were pleasantly surprised! They were excited to find that healthy food could be incredibly tasty and found that the staff at Kettlebell Kitchen were really supportive of their journeys. The group even tried (and liked) kale smoothies, and were given some free protein brownies to try. There was a really nice atmosphere on the day and the group all engaged in conversation about the changes they intend to continue making. It was a fantastic end to a fantastic project!
More about Lean for 17
Lean for 2017 was a 12 week programme for young people aged 13-19 who wanted to learn more about nutrition, healthy eating, fitness and wellbeing.
Two of the standout sessions for both young people and Mahdlo staff were the healthy snacks session and the circuit training. For many of the young people, snacking was the biggest barrier to making healthy choices for themselves, since meals were largely prepared for them. We therefore incorporated a healthy snack sampling session. During this young people got to try a variety of nutritious snacks which they had never eaten before, and learn about their nutritional benefits. The young people even found a new love for pumpkin seeds and sardines!
The circuit training sessions taught young people about short high intensity exercises they could do at home without needing much time or any equipment. The young people said they found this really helpful as they could do it anywhere and at any time. This was also a great opportunity to educate young people about how building muscle can improve the body’s ability to burn calories.
Well done to everyone that took part!
Feedback from participants:
I learnt new cooking skills
I am more confident going to the gym
I loved learning how to use the gym properly and how to cook better food
I feel fitter
I feel more motivated
I am cutting down on junk food and drinking more water
I feel more focused and I have put my mind towards the whole thing.
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