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2/17/2019 1 Comment Feeding the Picky ToddlerAyla began eating solid foods at five and half months. We started with vegetables, slowing introducing each food group until she had tried most things by the time she was ten months old. I was thrilled that she seemed to be a great little eater, rarely turning down new foods that were offered (with the exception of broccoli). We primarily chose to follow the methods of baby led weaning, but threw a few purees into the mix as well. All in all, Ayla was exposed to numerous textures and flavours by an early age. She didn’t experience any obvious allergies or intolerances and we moved confidently forward, much to this nutrition nut’s satisfaction. I have learned over and over again that, when it comes to babies, nothing lasts forever. If you’re going through a challenging phase, most of the time it will pass and you just need to put your head down and shoot for survival. Alternatively (and unfortunately), if you’re experiencing a good phase, learn to enjoy every moment… because there’s a good chance it won’t be sticking around either. Knowing all of this, I shouldn’t have been surprised when Ayla began to turn her nose up at most foods. It all began around 12 months (she is now 13 months). Trusty, staple foods were being left on her tray or thrown to the ground. Lunch time would result in very little food being eaten at all. Ayla began to create a rather short list of acceptable food items and before we knew it, we had entered the dreaded picky eater stage.  Here is a photo of Ayla looking, forlornly, out the window, reminiscing about the days when she enjoyed a wide variety of foods… I thought for sure I had another year before hitting this phase of our lives that most mothers talk about. If I’m being honest, I was thinking maybe we would even avoid it altogether… you now… because I was using all of the right techniques and nutrition is "my thing". Spoiler alert: even if you think you’re “doing it right”, your child is their own person and will do exactly what they damn well please, whether you like it or not. And that is precisely what the universe is taking the opportunity to teach me, yet again. And one more note on "doing it right": we loved BLW, but Ayla’s current favourite foods are smooth or pureed. So if you went down the puree route, don’t worry too much about your baby having a “texture” issue later on. We are a prime example that it can happen either way. So, how am I navigating this phase of Ayla’s nutrition journey? The biggest thing I do is try to keep my stress levels in check. It’s easy to be concerned about whether your child is getting all of the nutrients and calories they need when they seem to be surviving on yogurt and bananas alone. But trust that, if you remain calm, and continue to be their nutritional guide, they will get what they need. Even with a short list of acceptable food items, there are still little daily hacks that you can use to boost the nutritional profile of each meal. For example, as you may have guessed, one of the foods that Ayla is currently always down with is yogurt. Yogurt is a great food in and of itself. If you choose the right brand, it is high in fat, protein and probiotics. I flavour it with different foods so she continues to be exposed to various tastes (nut butter, unsweetened applesauce, mashed berries, cinnamon, etc.). I also always add a fat like chia seeds or hemp hearts. This is also where I toss in Ayla’s vitamins, like fish oil and D. So, although yogurt may seem like a simple food, it can be a catalyst for a ton of other nutrients. Another hack I use is adding things like grated zucchini and eggs to oatmeal! If you make your oats on the stove top, you can stir in an egg until cooked without changing the flavour or texture of the dish much at all. So, although Ayla doesn’t currently enjoy eggs on their own, I know she’s getting the benefits of this nutrition powerhouse in other ways. The other main thing that we continue to do during this picky period is expose Ayla to a variety of foods. This can be frustrating, preparing food that you are fairly confident is going to be left on the plate. But I encourage you not to give up, because exposure is the only way they will ever have the opportunity to enjoy new food items. It may not happen tomorrow or even next month, but you can bet it won’t happen at all if they are never given the chance to try it. I try to choose foods that we are already eating for dinner and preparing anyway, or add simple foods to her plate like sliced cucumber or cheese (hey Ayla, remember when you liked both of those things three months ago? Good times). I am not a child-specific nutrition expert. My training is primarily rooted in adult nutrition. But I have done extensive reading on this topic, as it has definitely become a passion since becoming a mother, and the one word that comes up time and time again is exposure. Just keep at it. Build it and they will come… Dave and I work very hard not to have any sort of an agenda during meal time (easier said than done). We serve Ayla a meal that includes a few (but not too many) flavours and textures, providing her with some choice. We try not bring many items of food to her mouth for her (even though we’re sure that, if she just got a small taste, she would love it!) and we try to keep the mood light. This may sound kind of dumb since Ayla is only 13 months old, but I am very confident that babies can read your mood and that she understands a great deal more than she can communicate to us. This is also just a practice that I hope we continue well beyond Ayla’s toddler years, in hopes that it will help her develop a healthy relationship with food. We eat as a family as often as possible so that she sees us enjoying a variety of foods and has proper eating behaviours modelled for her daily. Finally, I try to keep in mind where we are in our lives right now. I just returned to work four weeks ago after a year of maternity leave, and Ayla began daycare. She cut her first teeth and has been hit with about 37 viruses since being exposed to so many new children (feels like 37, anyway). All of these things have the ability to drastically affect her appetite, which makes sense. I remember that she won’t have the same hunger levels every day, just like we don’t, and that’s ok. It will take time to fully adjust to our new routine, and once she’s accepted it as her new normal, we may see another shift in her eating. So, that’s where we’re at! If you are experiencing anything similar with your little one, know that I feel your pain. It can be a huge source of worry and frustration as a parent. But know that you are doing great. Our children are not robots. They are likely still getting most, if not all, of what they need and their eating habits will probably change again before you know it. Remember the old saying: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. Keep pushing forward, as I will be, and let’s all take a deep breath together….
Parents of picky eaters, unite!
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 Starting your baby on solids is a big day! Maybe more for some than others. I admit that I didn’t understand the excitement that offering peas and carrots to someone for the first time could bring until I had a baby. It was actually embarrassing how excited I was to start Ayla on solid foods. So when she began to show readiness signs, the nutrition wheels immediately began turning in my head. What should her first food be? Should it be a puree or finger food? How slowly should I introduce each new food? Do I want to hold off on anything for a few months? I am a planner and a researcher at heart. I have always liked to have all of the information before I get started on a project, and I instantly become a sponge for knowledge. My favourite research topics are health and nutrition related, and over the years, I have done a lot of related reading. But when it came to the world of baby nutrition, I was a pretty blank slate. Sure, lots of basic nutrition principles apply to all of us, regardless of age, but I knew there was a whole world of baby-specific nutrition articles and healthy mamas to be inspired by for this chapter of my life. The first step is to decide: purees or finger foods? There are arguments for both. Baby Led Weaning is very child driven. Baby's cues are at the forefront of their feeding. But purees provide parents with the power to ensure their young baby is receiving all of the nutrition they need during important developmental months. The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care suggests that many high iron foods, for example, may be difficult for a baby to self-feed at the six month mark. In the end I decided to go with… both. Just like nutrition “labels”, I’ve never liked the idea of limiting or pigeon holing anyone into a category of eating. The same is true when it comes to feeding littles. Here's what's enticing about Baby Led Weaning (or baby led feeding, as it is sometimes referred to): baby is in charge of what goes into her mouth and how much; it fosters a positive relationship with food from the very beginning. The self feeding method supports fine motor development and offers a variety of sensory experiences. Even though constant supervision is required, of course, it frees up mom and dad’s hands so they can eat at the same time. That means that family meal time can be established from the get-go, allowing parents to model eating skills at the dinner table. The women behind the Feeding Littles course really encourage this methodology when introducing solids. Serving finger foods, as opposed to strictly purees, also means it’s easier to offer your baby a version of what you are eating, cutting back on the meal prep time. This particular feature of BLW is particularly attractive to busy parents. That said, in our home, it took a couple of months before we really saw that come to fruition. Because foods are introduced slowly, it takes some time before baby’s meals mimic your own. More on this later. But what about purees? I think they have an important role in baby's diet too. One: smooth foods are a real-life texture, and it's important that your baby have plenty of exposure to them. Secondly, it was a more sure-fire way to ensure your child is getting a healthy dose of nutrient dense foods, daily, particularly during those earlier months. Lianne, from Sprout Right, is a big proponent of starting solids with purees, also emphasizing that your baby will most certainly get more nutrients through their food this way. For example, you may have a difficult time getting your babe to mow down on a slice of chicken, but when it is pureed with spinach and sweet potato, no problem. Personally, I love knowing my daughter had a healthy dose of iron-rich protein during at least one of her daily meals. Know that iron-fortified cereals may not be as beneficial as many medical professionals suggest. The Nourishing Traditions author sites studies that state the iron used in fortification is not processed the same way as iron naturally occurring in food. Babies can get all of the iron they require through whole food sources (plus a host of other benefits).So, where did we begin and why? This may be a point of contention for some, so I will preface it by saying that this was the direction our family chose to take, and by no means does that make it the only or right way. It’s what worked for us. Against my family doctor’s suggestion, we did not begin Ayla on the very common rice cereal at four months. We decided to give her little digestive system more time to develop and hold off on all solid foods until around the six month mark. Up until this time, she was exclusively breast fed and we believed, based on current research, that this would be more than sufficient, even when it came to her iron stores. I did a lot of research, prior to this, as well as worked with her naturopath to determine when she was ready for solid foods and what to begin with. We decided Ayla’s first foods would be vegetables and fruits (Update: 2.5 years later, after further research and a second child, I would suggest that beginning with high quality animal products, including meat and/or bone broth would be another incredible option as a first food)  As you may know, we were traveling around Europe from the time Ayla was four months to six months old, and the initial plan, for simplicity reasons, was to wait until we got home to introduce solids. However, around the five to five and half month mark, she began to show us that she was ready for food! The boob is good and all, mom, but what’s that you have on your plate?? She was sitting fairly well, reaching for our forks and watching us like a hawk while we ate. So, while living in France, we decided to go for it. Much of this decision fell on the fact that we were in a country that offered easy access to high quality, organic foods. It is very important to us that we serve organic foods whenever possible. Babies are small, which means their body systems are small and cannot process large amounts of pesticides. I know eating organic can be challenging at times, particularly due to price. Use the Dirty Dozen list to guide your shopping choices and pick up the organic option of these foods whenever you can. If buying 100% organic isn’t an option for your family, The Clean 15 can help you decide which foods to buy conventionally. Ayla’s very first food was carrots! She played and sucked on them more than anything else, but it was still a fun experience and gave me the confidence to really dive head first into her journey with solid foods. As a nutrition nut, I find it very exciting that I get to be Ayla’s initial guide to healthy eating and teach her all about fuelling her body. It’s amazing to think that these lessons start so early, simply by exposing them to great food from the very beginning. So, what about the rest of the food groups? We took things very slowly (which I’ll expand on below), but after fruits and vegetables, we moved to egg yolk, followed by meats, legumes, dairy and grains.  Ayla is now 8 and a half months old and we have had so much fun introducing a variety of foods to her. I want to share more details from this experience by giving a few tips for feeding your little one that we have learned so far. Tip #1: start slow Making sure that you take this process nice and slow will ensure baby’s digestive system has a chance to adjust to its new roll of breaking down more than just breast milk or formula. I also think introducing new food groups is something not to be rushed. Various enzymes are needed for different kinds of foods, and taking your time to ensure your baby is fully ready for each of these may help prevent negative digestive repercussions that could be mistaken for intolerances or allergies. Many experts will suggests introducing a new food every 3-7 days. Although this is best practice for identifying negative reactions to a particular food, I would suggest it may not be practical, long term. There are a lot of foods out there to try! If you wait a week before introducing each new item, it will take a year! That said, don’t rush it. Follow your mom gut as well as your baby’s cues. Be mindful. You’ll know when you have been given the green light to introduce something new, as well as when it may be time to pull back a bit. Watch your baby’s skin reactions, temperament changes, bowel movements, etc. These are all good indicators of how quickly to move through the food list. If you’re looking for tips on what order to introduce different food categories, feel free to use the one that I listed above. It worked very well for Ayla and could be a good fit for your little one as well. Tip #2: don’t mix a new food with her favourite food Ayla hasn’t turned down many new foods (although not crazy about anything broccoli related…), but I quickly learned not to put something new on her tray with a food that we already know she loves. For example, when introducing cauliflower for the first time, I made the mistake of giving her sweet potato at the same time--one of her favourites. Needless to say, she went straight for the sweet potato and showed little interest in the weird looking white tree. So, next time, I offered cauliflower first and on its own. She gobbled it up! Give you baby a chance to test out and enjoy a new food without the distraction of a tasty favourite.  Tip #3: don’t shy away from new and bold flavours I was hesitant at first to offer Ayla flavours that were a little stronger in nature, such as curry. But I realized just because she’s a baby, doesn’t mean she won’t enjoy something flavourful like this! I don’t suggest loading up a dish with hot peppers if your baby has never had them before. Take it slow and add in spices and exotic flavours a little bit at a time and see how they react. He might surprise you! If strong flavour profiles are a big part of your family’s food culture, introducing them sooner rather than later may help ensure he enjoys these foods later on. Tip #4: prep ahead in bulk when you can and when it makes sense I admit, I haven’t nailed this yet-- a combination of being on maternity leave (not always needing to prep in advance) and facing new challenges in the kitchen. But one thing I have been doing is creating a weekly meal plan, both for Ayla and Dave and myself. This helps with shopping and meal prepping in advance when it makes sense. Having a weekly plan means you know what you will be serving each day and can help pinpoint any dishes or parts of a meal that can be made up in advance when you have the time. Since we do a mixture of BLW and purees for Ayla, I like to make up a batch of purees and then freeze them in individual servings. Then, the morning of, I simply pop one out of the freezer so it’s thawed and ready for meal time. You can also make up things like pancakes and muffins, etc. Healthy baked goods are easy to freeze and give you a quick, nutritious snack when you’re short on time.  Tip #5: have a few go-to quick and easy snacks that you can rely on
Some days you just don’t have the creativity or energy to come up with new and exciting meals and snacks for your little one (or yourself). Having a few go-to snacks that you know you can fall back on is key, like my homemade real-food baby cookies pictured above. These are things you can quickly grab from the pantry or fridge before you run out the door. For me, I like to have a couple of healthy baked goods either in the fridge or freezer. I also bake sweet potato with cinnamon weekly, cut into strips and keep in an air-tight container in the fridge so I can use them as a snack or add them to any meal. There are a couple of packaged items that I grab from the grocery store too. I basically use Nature’s Path puffed kamut as a daily activity. I grab a handful and throw it on Ayla’s snack tray in the stroller when we go for a walk, or on her highchair tray when I need to keep her occupied before her meal is ready. I also like the Love Duck brand. They have organic freeze dried fruit bites that have no added ingredients and make for a great little sweet treat. The journey of solid food introduction for your baby can be an exciting one, especially when you have a game plan going into it. Getting back in the kitchen for the purpose of nourishing my child has reignited my passion for nutrition, something that fell to the wayside when I was pregnant (due to the constant nausea…). When it comes to deciding what to feed your baby and how, be sure to do what works best for your family and use the method that you feel most comfortable with. Comment below with your favourite baby-friendly meal or recipe! 11/29/2017 0 Comments "Paleo" Zucchini Chocolate Chip Loaf I think it's natural for many to step away from a doing a whole lot of baking during the warmer months. We are more inclined to look for refreshing food choices when the sun is beaming down. But, as the weather turns colder and my nesting instincts grow stronger, I find myself being drawn back into the kitchen. There's something about the winter months that make me want to bake up a storm on the weekends. I am constantly looking for ways to turn traditional comfort baked goods into something a little more nourishing, and this past weekend was no exception. I had a few zucchinis waiting to be used, so I thought, what better way than to whip up a loaf of zucchini chocolate chip bread! After a little research, I was able to adapt a few different recipe ideas to make this version of a gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free bread. I generally try to avoid a lot of food labels, but "paleo" was a lot easier to fit into the title. This loaf turned out moist and fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness, in my opinion. There are a couple of interesting things to note about the recipe: one of the key ingredients is a mashed banana. This not only adds to the natural sweetness, but also helps give it a great texture. The second thing is that the recipe requires quite a few eggs (6!), but that's stretched out over an entire loaf and helps to add a good dose of protein and healthy fats. Nutrition Fun Fact of the Day: Egg yolks contain a high level of lecithin, a fat molecule that helps with a number of bodily functions. It not only helps you digest fat, but plays a valuable role in moving waste out of cells and allowing nutrients to move into cells (it helps maintain cell permeability). The take away here is to not be afraid of the yolk! As of recent, I do feel like this message has been received by the general public. The fear of yolks is passing with the increase in available information regarding the health benefits. Some professionals may suggest to limit your yolk intake IF you struggle with high cholesterol. Otherwise, you're probably fine (and will reap the benefits) of consuming the entire egg. Ok, back to the recipe... I used dark chocolate chips for this recipe, which I enjoy more than a milk chocolate, personally. This also helps ensure your loaf remains dairy-free, if that's important to you. I am not dairy-free myself, but I do limit the amount of cows milk in my diet to usually yogurt and a little bit of cheese from time to time. Many people, of course, find that cows milk causes digestive distress or other side effects. If you suffer from this, but are not sure why, it's one of the first foods I would suggest removing from your diet as it can be highly inflammatory. There are a couple of brands of dairy-free chocolate chips. For this recipe, I used Enjoy Life, available at most health food stores.   If you're a regular "healthy" baker (if you like to think of it that way), I would say most of the ingredients needed for this recipe can be found in your pantry. I didn't have to go out and grab anything special (other than another carton of eggs so my husband still had breakfast in the morning), as I use all of these items on the regular. So, without further ado, let's get into how to make this yummy treat a reality in your kitchen! Ingredients
Directions
I hope you enjoy this yummy treat on a cold day as much as I did! xo  When Dave and I found out we were pregnant, we were filled with a myriad of different emotions: joy, wonder, excitement, nervousness, anxiousness… the list goes on. With all of life’s uncertainties, nothing can prepare you for the overwhelming feeling that comes from knowing that, together, you created life. And now that life will continue to be sustained inside of you for the next nine months. To say that this is a miracle is an understatement. Even now, 17 weeks in, there isn’t a day that goes by that I am not amazed by what is happening inside of my body. There are so many couples who have difficulty conceiving. I think about these individuals daily and am sure to never take this miracle for granted. Even through the difficult days (and there have been quite a few), I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to become a mother.
Excitement is an emotion I have felt every day since finding out we were pregnant--excited to meet our little bean, excited for the ways in which our family is about to change, and excited for Dave and I to take on our next big gig: becoming parents. That said, my first trimester was anything but easy. As many mothers-to-be do, I experienced a variety of unpleasant symptoms that early pregnancy brings. Of course, I knew all of the possible symptoms that I may be faced with and how common they were. I knew about the ongoing nausea and un-heard of levels of exhaustion and inability to eat or live in ways you were used to, pre-baby creation. And yet? It still hit me like a ton of bricks. 9/19/2016 1 Comment Breakfast Cookies It's been months, but I am back with a new blog! And after a lengthy hiatus, I thought I would ease myself back into things with a simple recipe. Just as a little update, I spent my summer writing an email subscription course for Leanfit Protein, a company based in British Columbia. This was an incredible opportunity, and I had a blast doing it. However, it didn't leave a lot of content in the writing bank for blogging. That said, I submitted my final drafts yesterday and am ready to dive back into Eat.Move.Live.! Today, I am sharing a very simple "breakfast" cookie recipe that I threw together yesterday. Now that I'm back at work and into a routine, healthy baking has made its way back into my weekend activities. Although the name suggests a breakfast food, these cookies can be easily enjoyed at any point throughout the day. Personally, I knew that a "cookie" wasn't going to cut it for breakfast, so I chose to make mine smaller and just have it as a morning snack. That said, if you're not a huge breakfast person, you can pump up the volume, add in more healthy fats and be left with a perfect grab-and-go food to fuel your morning. The nice thing about a recipe like this is that it's hard to go wrong. You can substitute ingredients right left and centre, and still be left with something delicious. This was my second recipe of the evening, so I went for fast and simple: 2 cups oats 1/2 cup peanut butter (I used half sunflower butter) 2 ripe bananas, mashed 1tsp cinnamon 1/2tsp all spice 1/2tsp baking powder 1/2tsp baking soda 1/4tsp salt 1tsp vinilla 1tbsp honey 1/2 cup dried cherries 1/2 cup chopped pecans Optional additions/substitutions: chia seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, almond butter, coconut, etc. Combine oats, nut butter, banana, spices, baking powder/soda, salt, vanilla, and honey. Fold in cherries and pecans. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and spoon on batter at desired size. Cook at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. And voila: cookies for breakfast!  Originally written for www.leanfit.com
1. It’s not always as simple as calories in vs. calories out. For people looking to lose weight or gain muscle, it isn’t always as simple as eating in a calorie deficit or calorie surplus. Depending on where you are in your nutritional journey, this may be a good starting point, but it will only take you so far. The type of calories (or macronutrients) consumed will have an impact on how much energy you expend during your daily activities. Various foods have a different metabolic effect on your body, and that’s an important consideration when working towards composition goals. Protein, for example, has a high thermic effect, which means the body literally burns more calories when breaking it down than, say, carbohydrates. For example, when you eat 100 calories of carbs, and 100 calories of protein, your body will actually burn more calories processing the protein. This is quite a complicated topic, with plenty of related science to consider, but if you can remember that a calorie is not just a calorie, this information will take you a long way. 2. What works for your neighbour will not necessarily work for you. Nutrition is a complex topic, and our bodies are even more complex. People are often quick to jump on the diet bandwagon as soon as they witness someone having success with a particular eating plan. When they don’t experience the same success, they are left feeling confused and discouraged. Instead of playing the never-ending game of musical diets, jumping from one nutrition fad to the next, be consistent. Make simple and realistic changes to your daily eating habits. Choose sustainable practices that you can maintain and that work with your lifestyle. This is the first step on the road to healthy eating. 3. A little tough love: you might be eating too much. This is a bit of a sensitive topic, because I meet many women, in particular, who are actually not eating enough. They’ve been on a calorie-restricted diet for years, and as a result, are experiencing some level of metabolic damage. Or, people limit their calories for days at a time, resulting in a huge binge at the end of the week, and consuming far too many calories for their body type. However, more often than not, people are fooling themselves. They believe that as long as they make healthy choices and are consuming nourishing foods, they should be good to go. The fat will take care of itself. And, although I wish it were as simple as this, calories do play a role. Now, this may seem contradictory to my first point of calories in vs. calories out, but we can’t deny that calories are important. If you are eating too much on a consistent basis, you will gain fat. It’s science. So that extra handful of nuts in the afternoon, eating mindlessly straight from the cereal box (guilty), or taking too many samples from the lady in Costco can really add up. All of the sudden, you’ve eaten 400 calories over your daily goal and you didn’t even notice! 400 calories x 7 days = 2,800 extra calories a week! Another example is falling into what I call “the smoothie trap.” Don’t get me wrong—smoothies and shakes are a convenient, nutrient dense meal to add into your nutrition routine. I have at least one every day. But, too often, people begin loading in the fruits and fats, without being cognizant of serving size. And, sure, every ingredient is real, nutritious food. But, suddenly, they’ve made a 900 calorie smoothie without even knowing it. It’s important to gain an understanding of what you are consuming in a day. Try tracking your food for a week, using an app like My Fitness Pal (see my previous post for more info). This will provide you with an overview of what you are consuming on a daily basis and areas of nutrition where you may be falling short (or going over!). So, to sum here, here are the top 3 things I wish everyone knew about nutrition: 1. It isn’t always as simple as calories in vs. calories out. Our bodies process different foods in different ways. Pay attention to the types of foods you are consuming and find a balance between macronutrients. 2. Just because a particular eating plan works for your neighbour, does not necessarily mean it will work for you. Find sustainable and healthy practices that fit your lifestyle and be consistent. 3. You may be eating too much. Try tracking your food and begin to gain an understanding of what you are actually consuming in a day and changes that may need to be made. Knowledge is power. 4/15/2016 1 Comment Food TrackingOriginally written for www.leanfit.com
Client question: What is the best way to track my nutrition? Tracking nutrition is a great tool for those looking to gain a better understanding of what their daily food intake is. It helps build awareness of nutrition and often shines light on areas of our diet where we may be falling short. Although it isn’t for everyone, and certainly not a strategy that needs to be used daily, all year long, it is a tool that people can utilize to get their nutrition on track and learn how their eating style may be affecting their body composition and goals. In today’s era of technology, tracking is easier than ever. Numerous aps and online programs have been developed that allow people to simply track their daily food intake. By far, the most popular of these aps is My Fitness Pal. MFP offers a variety of features, including goal setting, macro, calorie and exercise tracking, progress reports, and sharing your journey with friends. MFP is an awesome tool, particularly for those who are working towards a specific goal. Remember: the more specific your health and/or fitness goal, the more dedicated you must be to your diet. MFP allows you to track each meal and lets you know when you have hit your calorie and macronutrient goals. As much as I love this tool, there are certainly downfalls to be aware of. First, anyone can add foods to the MFP database, and it’s not always clear whether the nutritional information on these items is correct. The best way to combat this problem is to use the barcode scanning feature (available through the app, but not the online interface) if the food is packaged, or look for similar foods with the green checkmark beside them. This means the content has been verified. Another tip to remember when tracking your food is that “eyeballing it” isn’t always the most reliable method. Serving sizes may be misjudged, and that can be enough to throw you into a calorie surplus when you’re trying to eat in a deficit (or vise versa). Unless you are loosely tracking to ensure you remain relatively on point with your diet, I do recommend weighing and measuring your food when possible. Again, this is for those individuals who are striving to reach a specific goal within a given time frame. Otherwise, a more relaxed approach to tracking is acceptable and recommended. Another factor to be aware of is that, by no means, is tracking a perfect science. Not only can there be error in the data, but everyone processes calories and nutrients differently. So it’s very difficult to know how your body will absorb and utilize the amount of calories documented for a specific food. If you are working with a professional, nutrition tracking may be as simple as keeping a food journal. Your coach or nutritionist can then view your log and provide suggestions moving forward. In conclusion, I think food tracking is an excellent tool to have in your nutritional toolbox. It can help build food awareness and support you in reaching your goals. That being said, it can be time consuming and inaccurate. So take it with a grain of salt and only use it if it makes sense to do so. Tracking is not a strategy that needs to be employed 24/7, so take advantage of it when it can be most useful to you. If you find yourself obsessing over the numbers, it may be time to opt for a less all-consuming nutrition approach. 12/22/2015 1 Comment 5 Holiday Nutrition Survival Tips
I love the holidays. Although there is Christmas buzz everywhere you go, everything also seems so much quieter. There are fewer things open, no deadlines to worry about, and a pull to just snuggle in with the family on snowy days. And of course, my other favourite part: consuming copious amounts of delicious food. Unfortunately, all of the indulging can often lead to a feeling of full-until-it-hurts, and the infamous food (or other) hangover the next morning. So how can you indulge without losing sight of your goals or feeling like you have to deprive yourself for weeks, post-Christmas? Well, with these challenges in mind, I decided to share my tips for surviving the holidays without sacrificing your waistline: 1. Backload your day This is my favourite trick of the season. If I know I have a holiday event in the evening or afternoon, I will plan my meals accordingly. This might mean a light breakfast that is higher in protein and fats (knowing I will be having a meal wuite high in carbohydrates later), or I may even remain in a fasted state until late morning or lunch, if that feels right. Fasting during the first half of the day not only sets you to eat more in the evening, but it also puts your blood sugar in a good position for eating more insulin-inducing foods (think shortbread, assorted chocolates, and sausage rolls. Oh my). These practices can also support your energy levels. By keeping sugar low during the first part of the day, you encourage healthy cortisol levels (providing energy), and limit your insulin response. Later in the day, when you are indulging in some yummy holiday treats, cortisol levels decrease as insulin levels are heightened. This is also helpful for our hormone levels, as the pattern supports a natural sleep cycle. Have you ever noticed how you become a bit sluggish after a large meal? That’s the power of a high insulin response. So keeping insulin levels low in the morning, can help aid in supporting a natural sleep cycle. Ultimately saving your calories for the afternoon/evening will allow you to really enjoy the holiday treats without worrying about limiting yourself. 2. Find time for activity So you ate until you couldn’t move last night and washed it down with four glasses of eggnog. So what? You had a blast and laughed with friends and family until your sides hurt. Sounds like an evening well spent. But now is a really awesome opportunity to put that food to work. Once you awake from your food coma, engage in some resistance training. You might as well turn those carbs into muscle, am I right? You are stocked up on glycogen stores and your body can use those to help you hit new PRs. I like to focus on large muscle groups on these days (such as legs or back) to ensure I get the biggest bang for my buck. I will also incorporate some full-body movements, just because… it can’t hurt. My bet is you have a great workout! 3. Show you body's systems some love when you can After a bit of an indulgent meal, I like to fill the following day with lots of detoxifying foods, like lemon and greens. In fact, I generally start my morning with a green smoothie, incorporating lots of mixed greens (or greens powder) and lemon juice, usually with a fruit of some sort. Grab my free smoothie guide here to get your hands on some fresh recipes! Get lots of vegetables in during the rest of the day, and drink plenty of water and herbal teas so encourage your body to move things along… 4. Ditch the crap It never fails that, during the holidays, my counter top and refrigerator become filled with a variety of Christmas treats. But let’s be honest: there’s enough of these items at the 17 get-togethers we all inevitably have (other than in the year 2020). So get rid of the extras. There’s no need to pick at a plate of Aunt Carol's traditional Christmas baked goods every day of the week (sorry, Aunt Carol). Save the treats for social gatherings and your regular diet the rest of the time. I may keep my favourite dark chocolate in the freezer, but I usually chuck the rest after a day or two. I have a sweet tooth myself, and definitely don’t need Christmas cookies taunting me 24-7, because I know overindulging doesn't make me feel well. I become low-energy and foggy. So you can wait until Boxing Day or January 1st for the traditional trashing-of-the-treats, but I recommend just doing it now. You’ll be thankful you did. 5. Enjoy Last but not least: enjoy. The Christmas season comes around once a year. There is no reason why yours should be filled with endless moments of temptation, post-binge guilt, and social gathering avoidance (again.. unless it's 2020). Set yourself up for success using the tips listed above, and enjoy time spent with family and friends, while eating delicious meals. Food is one of the great pleasures in life. Why deprive yourself of something so wonderful? I am a huge proponent of balance, and believe that the holidays are meant to be enjoyed, whatever that may mean for you. So indulge. Eat and drink until your heart desires, but plan accordingly and put strategies in place that allow you to do so with minimal damage. From my family to yours, happy celebrating, and Merry Christmas!
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Dave and I at our own family Christmas celebration. Matching by accident, I swear.
8/17/2015 0 Comments Nutrition Coach Certified Well, I am happy to report that I have officially completed my Nutrition Coaching Certification! I have learned so much throughout this course and have been able to build on and expand my knowledge of health and nutrition. The science was heavy, I'm not gunna' lie, but it truly helped to put everything in its place. The human body is an incredible and complex machine, to say the least.
I have already begun taking on clients and am excited and honoured to join them on their journey. Health and nutrition is something that I have been passionate about for a long time, and coaching others, while continuously working to better myself, definitely feels like the next step Although many people reach out to me with weight loss as their primary goal, others are simply looking to create a healthier lifestyle. Most already have the tools to accomplish this, but find themselves caught up in the plethora of information bombarding them daily, or stuck in a rut created by years of poor habits. Sometimes all you need is an outside perspective to help find a little clarity and give you the push to get your butt in gear. Even as a professional (that seems like an overstatement, but you know what I mean), I am constantly reaching out to industry exerts with years of experience. I will never pretend to know it all, and I am so happy to have those people who provide me with guidance and keep me humble and accountable. I admire and look up to them. This body of knowledge will never stop growing or developing, and therefore, neither should we. The Precision Nutrition certification program also emphasized performance nutrition, which means helping athletes to meet their specific goals through proper nutrition. Food is fuel, and athletes understand this better than anyone. Be sure to follow me on Instagram where I am always posting interesting health and nutrition tips, as well as my day-to-day health nut ways. Thank you to everyone who supported and inspired me throughout the completion of this certification, and who continue to support my writing on Eat. Move. Live. You guys are awesome and make me love what I do even more.  I found out very quickly that the end of a school year + working on a course + planning a wedding/honeymoon meant not a lot of spare time for hobbies. So, it's been a while since my last post. However, Dave and I returned home to the chaos that is our condo a few days ago and I am ready to get back into it! I wanted to begin by saying that we had an absolutely amazing wedding day! The sun was shining, to say the least (we apologize for any cases of heat stroke that may have been endured by our guests), and Dave and I both agree that it was the best day of our lives. It's difficult to describe the feeling of being surrounded by loved ones from all walks of life. It was surreal and humbling and the room was filled with so much love. We could not have asked for a better day. I now understand why everyone says that they wish they could go back and experience it all over again! We only have photos collected from family and friends, but here are a handful of pics to get the ball rolling:   |
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