Hello, Debbie here again and this month, I’d like to extend our welcome to our four-legged friends!
As a dog lover with 2 very cute West Highland Terriers, I am delighted to announce you can now stay at China Fleet Country Club in Saltash with your dog. Our 4 Star Self Catering Acorn and Acer Cottages are now dog friendly, each with a private garden, a dog bowl, blanket and even a little welcome edible treat ready on arrival with your dog’s name on it!
I am so pleased, but so are our customers who cannot wait to visit us and enjoy the local walks and sites in South East Cornwall. Here at China Fleet, we have our Woodland Fairy Trail walk that follows the River Tamar upstream with beautiful views. Plus, our Cabin Cafe & Bar is now dog-friendly too (opening in April), so you can enjoy a light bite and a drink with your pooch. Nearby, we are blessed with a host of dog-friendly beaches and cafes so there’s no better excuse to get out with the dog. Not only is it good for the dog, it’s good for you too – see the benefits of dog walking below, plus a guide to holidaying with your dog and a dog-tastic competition to win a dog Treat Box, compliments of Pupcakes bakery.
Move
Benefits of Dog Walking
Dogs provide a great opportunity to incorporate exercise into our daily routine, helping to increase our total step-count, stamina and clear the mind.
Top Tips
- Any shoes or trainers that are comfortable, provide adequate support and do not cause blisters will do for dog walks.
- For longer walks, you may want to take some water, healthy snacks, a spare top, sunscreen and a sun hat in a small backpack. Plus, water for your dog and of course, dog poop bags!
- If you start going for longer walks regularly, you may want to invest in a waterproof jacket and some specialist walking shoes for more challenging routes.
How do I know if I’m walking fast enough?
A brisk walk is about 3 miles an hour. You can tell you’re walking briskly if you can still talk but cannot sing the words to a song. You could also try using the free NHS Active 10 app on your smartphone. It tells you when you’re walking fast enough and suggests ways to fit in some more brisk walking.
There are a number of potential health benefits to walking with your dog, including:
- Increasing cardiovascular fitness
- Releases natural endorphins
- Reduces stress
- Lowers blood pressure
- Improves circulation
- Enhances energy and fights fatigue
- Strengthens muscles, bones and joints
- Boosts immune system
- Improves sleep at night
- Burns calories and aids weight loss
- Stimulates digestive system
So, grab your trainers and your dog, and get outside.
Eat
High-protein Chocolate & Hazelnut Brownies
Nutritious and delicious. Chocolate Brownies are generally a big hit but these have the added bonus of being more nutritious than a regular version, thanks to a secret ingredient!
(Delicious, nutritious fuel is essential for walkers to keep energy levels high whilst on a trek)
Ingredients Makes 12 generous brownies
400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
300g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
75g butter, cut into cubes
3 large eggs
150g soft brown sugar
75g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
Half tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp vanilla extract
100g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan temperature)/ Gas 4. Grease and line a 25cm square baking tin with baking paper.
2. Add the drained beans to the bowl of a food processor and whizz until they are ground to a fine crumbly paste.
3. Add two-thirds of the chocolate to a heat-proof bowl, along with the butter and set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl is not in contact with the water. Allow to melt, stirring together until combined.
4. Once the chocolate and butter have melted, pour into the food processor and crack in the eggs. Whizz together to a really smooth puree. Add the sugar, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and vanilla and process together until smooth.
5. Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared tin, level with a table knife. Finally scatter over the hazelnuts and the rest of the chocolate.
6. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until the top is set and the brownie is just starting to come away from the edge of the tin. Allow to cool in the tin, before removing and cutting into squares.
Read
Guide to a Dog-Friendly Holiday
Planning a trip with your four-legged friend? This guide from the RSPCA, will help you organise a dog-friendly holiday.
From location and travel to what essentials to pack for a ‘wag-tastic holiday.
Click here to read.
PUPCAKES COMPETITION
Homemade creative cakes and treats for dogs. Pupcakes is a small family-run online business that makes hand-baked cakes and treats, all crafted to order.
To celebrate our new dog-friendly cottages, we’ve got a fantastic Pupcakes Treat Box to giveaway this month! The Treat Box contains 6 exciting items for dogs of all ages; a 100% natural air popped Pupcorn Cone, fresh Pupcakes Bacon Doughnut, signature Paw Print handmade doggy Chocolate Discs, a selection of homemade cookies, a sponge ‘throw and fetch’ ball.
Enter our competition here and get your dog’s tail wagging!
See you next month, for more latest health news, stories, tips and competitions that inspire healthy bodies, healthy minds and healthy lives.
Stay active. Live. Better.
