By Lucy Roberts
The first ever fitness and cooking class hybrid was launched this week in the form of OSU Apple Cider Vinegar’s CICC-ASS workout.
Grab life by the apples - OSU apple cider vinegar launches CICC-ASS, first ever cooking and fitness class mashup at FLY LDN
Over the next three Mondays at FLY-LND, apple cider vinegar will be the star of the show, highlighting the positive impact that wellness has on our minds and bodies.
Senior Brand Manager at OSU, Clarisse Fraisse, explained what the classes consist of, what the health benefits of apple cider vinegar are and highlighted the history of the vinegar.
Q) The CICC-ASS workouts launched this week, but how did this idea of combining cooking and working out come about and why did OSU Apple Cider Vinegar want to get involved?
A) At OSU we believe that when it comes to health and wellness, quick fixes and fads don’t cut it – it’s the small positive changes leading to lifelong habits that make the difference. We recently worked with an inspiring team of Japanese nonagenarians who taught us the importance of daily rituals in establishing a balanced lifestyle, it is a Japanese concept called Kaizen (the practice of making small changes to transform your life in a big way) and it inspired us to create the CICC-ASS program, to show people how easy and tasty it is to work OSU Apple Cider Vinegar into your morning routine, without compromising on enjoyment.
When we started looking into it, we realised that there had never been a class that combined fitness and the positive wellbeing habits of cooking – so the class mashup was born, and we teamed up with FLY LDN to host the classes just in time for the reopening of the gyms. The first class on 17th May sold out, and we have three more classes taking place in May (24th) and June (7th and 14th) which is really exciting!
By the way CICC-ASS means Completely Intensive Cooking Class!
Q) What can people expect from the classes?
A) CICC-ASS crosses over the power of HIIT, the energy of spin and positive wellbeing habits of cooking in a high tempo 30-minute body blitz. People who attend the class will whisk, shake, mix and taste their way into the day - while incorporating apple cider vinegar into their daily routine.
The class is set to a pumping playlist and is suitable for all ages and fitness abilities, we scheduled the class on a Monday morning so people can kick-start the week by whipping up some of our most popular morning recipes – a punchy blueberry & banana smoothie, a mouth-watering smashed avocado & prawn toast and our classic OSU infusions. Attendees don’t just follow a recipe; it’s combined with rounds of high-intensity exercises followed by short periods of rest as part of the process.
Q) What are the health benefits of apple cider vinegar?
A) For centuries the Japanese have believed in the long-term benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar. Loved and revered by health gurus and foodies alike, it is associated with remedial properties such as improvement to digestion, gut health and to aid weight loss. In addition to traditional remedies, people have used ACV (apple cider vinegar) for natural detoxes and in beauty treatments to improve the condition of their skin and hair.
Q) Where does the concept of including it in our diets come from?
A) We think it’s important for people to understand the rich history that apple cider vinegar has in Japanese cultures and why we embrace introducing it into our daily routines. Vinegar, known as ‘o-su’ in Japanese, has long been a key ingredient in Japanese cuisine. The practice of drinking vinegar is popular amongst Japanese natives and dates all the way back to 1200 BC; Japanese warriors believed that the vinegar boosted their energy and helped keep them in extremely good health, so they consumed it regularly. This habit has been handed through the generations for centuries, and this ritual is still as important today as it’s always been!
Q) How can people include it in their diet?
A) There are heaps of different ways that people can incorporate apple cider vinegar into their daily routine! Our top recommendation for kick-starting your new routine, is to start your morning with a delicious concoction of our apple cider vinegar and water (one part OSU and nine parts water).
Not only can you drink ACV, but you can also use it as your secret ingredient in lots of healthy lunch or dinner dishes too – from Steamed Ginger and Garlic Cod Fillet to Spring Vegetable Tempura, there are so many interesting (and delicious) ways to liven up your lunch or dinner.
Q) What would you say to people who've thought about trying apple cider vinegar but are reluctant to?
A) Fresh starts are great for your mind and body and we encourage people to implement daily positive rituals to their life – we don’t believe in following quick fixes or fads. Incorporating apple cider vinegar into your daily routine is a small change that you can make without demanding a complete overhaul. We understand how the vinegar taste can be a barrier, which is why we blend our premium, raw and unpasteurised ACV with 100% natural apple juice to get to a tangy sweet taste (naturally occurring from the juice). And it’s not just us saying it, OSU has been awarded three stars by the Great Taste Award last year! If drinking isn’t for you, we recommend trying OSU in a couple of food recipes first such as a simple salad dressing. You can thank us later!
OSU apple cider vinegar’s CICC-ASS classes are available to book on EventBrite, https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/grab-life-by-the-apples-at-the-uks-first-cooking-and-fitness-class-mashup-tickets-154554688233, and will be running for the next four weeks at FLY LDN. Grab life by the apples!
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