Neurodivergent Nutrition

1.  What is your biggest struggle with nutrition as a neurodivergent and why?

2.  What have you done to address this problem? What works and doesn’t work for you?

3.  What are some of your go-to meals and snacks when the thought of cooking or eating is overwhelming?

Supplements – Red Flags

There are a ton of supplements on the market, covering a myriad of different things, and right now there are more supplements and brands than ever. Understandably, it can be pretty difficult to discern what is worth taking and what’s best left on the shelves. The main thing to keep in mind with supplements is what they are first and foremost – a supplement. If you aren’t prioritising your nutrition, sleep & recovery, stress management, and hydration yet, focus on dialling those things in first. As the saying goes, “Don’t mow your lawn while your house is on fire!”

With that being said, there are some things to look out for when buying supplements. Here are our top 3 red flags when it comes to claims made by supplements and/or their companies.

1. Proprietary Blends

This is one most commonly seen on labels for things such as pre-workouts, fat burners, and multivitamins. Proprietary blends only list the combined amount of all the ingredients used in the blend; they don’t disclose how much of each ingredient the product contains. They are often used to trick consumers and hide the fact that their product contains only trace amounts of the active ingredients listed on the nutrition label. Instead, they are composed mostly of fillers, additives, or the ingredients you don’t really want.

2. Outlandish Claims

Bold and outrageous claims such as “clinically tested ingredients” or “pharmaceutical grade”. Firstly, just because an ingredient has been clinically “tested” does not mean it has been clinically “proven” to work. Even if an ingredient has been proven to work, the product may not contain the right amount of ingredient, or suggest the correct dosing. Furthermore, there is no such thing as “pharmaceutical grade” for most supplement ingredients. Claims like these are commonplace in the supplement industry, so it’s important to keep an eye out and not take them at face-value.

3. False Promises

False promises and claiming near-miraculous results. These may present in the form of “Explosive Energy”, “Metabolism Boosting”, “Superior Protein Technology”, or something along similar lines. These promises may look good on a label, but put into practice they’re really nothing more than carefully selected words to bolster the quality and effectiveness of the supplement.

Supplements can be a great tool to implement, when necessary, to kick your training into the next gear – but they’re not magic pills. They’re certainly not going to out-perform poor nutrition, effective training, and adequate rest and recovery. Keep these things in mind when you find yourself searching your local supplement store for the next best thing.

Fitness and Diet Resolutions

Do you find every new year that you set a goal, or a resolution, to “lose weight” or “start working out”? You’re definitely not alone. While setting goals for yourself can be good for not only your physical health, but your mental health too, it’s important to keep them realistic and specific. We’re going to look at a few fitness related goals, and how to make them more actionable, and accomplishable. Spoiler alert… None of them are weight based!

1. Start Working Out/Workout Consistently – How consistently? How frequently? What schedule adjustments need to be made to accommodate? Start small. Commit to only 1-2 days per week to get started, then pick the days that work best in your schedule. If you need help with where to start, talk to one of our trainers about building a program tailored to you!
2. Drink More Water – It’s no secret that the majority of people don’t hydrate enough. Again, start small. If you currently drink less than a litre, make 1 litre your goal. Set a daily goal, and keep track through the day until you hit it. Apps like Water Tracker allow you to set custom goals and intake amounts as you track, as well as set reminders! Sugar free liquid enhancers like Mio can be extremely helpful too!
3. Run a Marathon/Compete in an event – When you commit to an event like a marathon, what you’re really committing to is the training – and often that’s where people fall short. While having that goal/deadline is helpful, it’s important to plan ahead. Pick your event and work backwards from there. How much training will it take? How long do I realistically need to prepare? Be sure it is something you can dedicate a portion of your lifestyle too, don’t set yourself up for failure.
4. Eat Clean/Eat Healthy – This is quite a loaded one, so we’ll keep it brief for now. It’s difficult to know what to change, if you don’t know what things currently look like. A simple start is to just journal your food for a week, as it is right now. This will give you more insight into where you can implement any changes. After that, take it one meal at a time. This one can take a while, and you will slip up as you go. Stay the course, and remember consistency over the long term is key.

If you need more guidance with setting goals, improving your nutrition and lifestyle, book your free consultation today!

Maintaining a healthy body & body image during the holidays

This time of year brings a host of challenges: there is pressure to look perfect for holiday parties and photos, a constant bombardment of delicious treats and drinks, and visits with friends and family you haven’t seen in a while who may be prone to commenting on your body and/or food. After all this, it’s only natural that so many feel pressured to start a new diet or exercise regime in January. Here are a few tips to stay healthy, happy, and confident through the holiday season:

1. Do not start a diet now. You’ll be unable to adhere to it when your routine and schedule is likely all over the place and you’re surrounded by holiday food. Trying to restrict will only make you want to eat more of those treats when you’re around them, especially if alcohol is involved.
2. Do not skip meals. It may seem practical to skip a meal when you have a big dinner or party, but you’ll be famished and end up eating more later.
3. If you choose to drink, set an alcohol limit. How many drinks do you need to have a good time? Think about it and set a reasonable amount of drinks to consume. Alternating alcoholic beverages with water, pop, or mocktails will help.
4. Choose clothing that is comfortable and flattering. This is not the time to try squeeze into an old outfit that makes you feel self-conscious; choose whatever is going to make you feel confident.
5. Focus less on how you look or weigh during the holidays and instead think about what do you want to get out of the holidays—it could be socializing, relaxation, indulgence, generosity, celebration, to name a few.
6. Set boundaries with friends and family members if they choose to comment on your body or food. You can be direct, polite, change the subject, or ignore them, but do whatever is necessary to enjoy your holidays.
7. Keep the big picture in mind. You likely won’t be able to exercise as often as you’d like, you’ll eat too many treats, you’ll wake up with a hangover, and you might gain a few pounds. And that’s all okay. It’s a few weeks out of the year, so instead appreciate being with family and loved ones, enjoying your food, and building memories.

5 Myths about Sugar

Both vilified and coveted, our relationship with sugar can be tricky. It sometimes tastes so delicious that we can’t stop eating it, but we’re also told it’s linked to a variety of health risks. Before cutting it out from your diet, consider some of these myths:

Myth #1: Sugar is addictive

There isn’t a single food that is truly addictive. Unlike drugs, food (including sweet treats) is necessary to our survival, and we don’t experience horrendous withdrawal symptoms when we give up sugar. While sugar certainly elicits pleasure and dopamine that make it difficult to stop eating, there are ways to mitigate our consumption.

Myth #2: Entirely cutting out sugar is the only way to limit consumption

Evolution has taught us that if food is scarce, we need to load up on it since we don’t know when we will get it again. The same goes for sugar, so get comfortable with giving yourself unconditional permission to have a small treat whenever you want it. You may overdo it in the beginning, but eventually sugar’s appeal will diminish, especially if you eat enough protein, fat, and fibre in the day.

Myth #3: Some types of sugar are better than others

Whether you eat whole grain bread, chocolate, fruit, table sugar, maple syrup, or vegetables, all carbs are sugar and sugar is converted into glucose, the body’s main energy source. While some carbs are more nutrient dense than others, they all provide the same energy.

Myth #4: Sugar causes diabetes and heart disease

Health and chronic diseases cannot be simplified to one root cause, such as sugar. Instead, health is influenced by genetics, lifestyle, diet, environment, income, trauma/stress, weight stigma, and education, to name a few. If a person is consuming a high-risk amount of sugar (research suggests the people in the highest quintile of sugar consumption eat the equivalent of 7.5 candy bars every day), there are probably other issues in their life causing them to cope with food.

Myth #5: Sugar is empty calories

We’ve established that all carbs are sugar, but not all carbs are created equally. While fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are a better source of carbs that should comprise the majority of your intake, baked goods, candy, chocolate, and desserts all still deserve a spot at the table. The latter are not nutrient dense, but these foods are often consumed during celebrations, holidays, on good days, and on bad days. We’ve been taught since birth that food brings comfort, and while it shouldn’t be our only means of celebrating and coping, it still serves a purpose.

Effects of Alcohol on Sleep

Alcohol can have various effects on sleep, both positive and negative, depending on the quantity and timing of consumption. Here are four effects supported by research:

Initial Sedation, Disrupted Sleep Patterns:

Alcohol initially acts as a sedative, promoting the onset of sleep. However, as it metabolizes, it can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to broken or restless sleep. Studies suggest that alcohol consumption before bedtime may reduce the time spent in REM sleep, affecting overall sleep quality.

(source: Roehrs, Timothy, and Thomas Roth. “Sleep, sleepiness, and alcohol use.” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 2001).

Worsened Sleep Disorders:

Alcohol may also exacerbate existing sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea. This is because alcohol relaxes the muscles in the throat, potentially worsening symptoms and contributing to obstructive sleep apnea episodes, leading to further disturbances in sleep.

(source: Prinz, P. N., et al. “Sleep and sleep-disordered breathing in alcoholics.” Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 1980).

Negative Impact on REM Sleep:

Consumption of alcohol before bedtime can suppress rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is essential for cognitive function, memory consolidation, and emotional regulation. Disruption in REM sleep can lead to feelings of fatigue and grogginess even after seemingly adequate sleep duration.

(source: Feige, Bernd, et al. “Alcohol and Sleep I: Effects on Normal Sleep.” Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 2006).

Increased Nighttime Awakenings and Early Morning Disturbances:

Alcohol can lead to increased awakenings during the latter part of the night and early morning. It can disrupt the sleep cycle by causing disturbances that prompt individuals to wake up earlier than desired, leading to a decreased overall sleep duration and compromised sleep quality.

(source: Colrain, Ian M., and Fiona C. Nicholas. “Alcohol and the sleeping brain.” Handbook of Clinical Neurology. 2014).

Moderation in alcohol consumption and allowing enough time for its metabolism before bedtime can help mitigate some of these negative impacts on sleep.

This week, we’re featuring nutrition coaching client Christian White! Christian originally
came to Coach Kate with the goal of losing weight to compete in his first half- marathon, and was hesitant when Kate recommended he increase his food consumption rather than restrict. Regardless, he trusted the process and has now successfully completed not one, but two half-marathons, with another taking place this Sunday, November 5 th ! Christian’s transformation from chronic dieter to fueling for performance is inspiring, and we wish him the best of luck in this weekend’s race!

1. What did you want from coaching?
I was hoping to find a long-term sustainable approach to eating. Specifically, a plan that would work for me throughout the year and was not something I cycled through.

2. How were you feeling about nutrition prior to coaching?
Prior to nutrition coaching, I was skeptical. I assumed that this would be another app-oriented, calorie counting, food-weighing methodology. In the past these approaches gave me only short- term benefits, then I would get tired of the logging and tracking and slide back to old habits.

3. What had you tried in the past?
In the past I tried many different nutrition plans such as keto, lower calorie intake and tracking using MyFitnessPal. However, the “aha” moment with Kate was when I realized I needed to be consuming for performance and not weight loss. I made the incorrect assumption that I needed to remove the fun foods and restrict calories to reach my fitness goals, when in fact I needed to bring moderation to the fun foods and significantly increase the volume of healthier foods. It was initially difficult for me to grasp the idea that reaching my goals could be done by increasing my consumption.

4. Why did you decide to work with Coach Kate?
I decided to work with Kate out of curiosity to start. When she told me I was not going to be weighing food, calorie counting or using some detailed tracking system, I felt that her approach was sustainable. Sustainable was not something I was used to.

5. How would you describe your sessions?
Kate’s approach was not abrupt. It was quite subtle. It did not require me to totally remove certain foods or only eat at home. She zeroed in very quickly on where my diet was lacking and we focused primarily on adding foods as opposed to taking away food, which is what I was used to.

6. What are some successes you’ve had from nutrition coaching? How do they make
you feel?
The three most significant successes I have from Kate’s nutrition coaching are weight loss, performance recovery and focus. The most interesting part of my weight loss is that I have been eating more food volume now than I was before. My meals are larger, and I snack, multiple times per day, which I was previously not doing. Prior, my recovery from longer distance runs or high intensity training sessions would take me many days to recover. My recovery days are 1-2 days max now. My overall energy levels have improved also.

This weekend our powerlifting team, and GWA coach Nathan, will compete in the 2023 BCPA Fall Classic powerlifting meet. With that, we thought it would be appropriate to talk about how to handle your nutrition on competition day. Powerlifter or not, you may glean a few useful nuggets of information here that may apply to your respective sport.

When it comes to putting in a good performance on the platform, whether it’s your first meet or your fifth meet, preparation is paramount. This means trusting the hard work you’ve put in leading up to meet day, having your paperwork ready to go and, most importantly, having food, snacks and drinks planned out. For this particular post, we’re going to keep things as basic as possible. As such, we won’t be discussing water cuts, or fasting. With that being said, here are some simple, general guidelines for having a successful meet day with regards to your nutrition and hydration:

1. Eat a well balanced breakfast. Prioritize protein and carbohydrates, stick to foods that you would normally eat.

2. Keep water on hand, all day. It’s easy to get caught up in competition shenanigans and forget to drink. STAY HYDRATED.

3. Now is not the time to experiment with new foods. This includes supplements, new protein snacks etc. Stick with foods that you know your body can digest well.

4. It’s a long and exhausting day, steadily sipping on Gatorade, Powerade, or Pedialyte can go a long way.

5. Plan a lunch that is an APPROPRIATE size. Do not use this as an excuse to overload on food. At this point, it will be more of a hindrance than a help.

6. Snack on simple carbohydrates in between meals. The most opportune times will be between lifts, in most cases. Don’t over-do it or you may experience a heavy crash later.

7. Only eat to your comfort level. If you feel bloated or over-stuffed, it will impact your performance. 

8. Your meet day nutrition should not look too drastically different from your regular training day nutrition. 

At GWA, it has never been our main objective to sell dramatic body transformations, quick fixes, and crash diets. Instead, we are proud to offer services that promote sustainable, healthy habits, and nutrition coaching is no exception.

Working with one of our nutrition coaches can be drastically different from what you may have experienced with other nutritionists, because we choose to focus on your health rather than your weight. This means we respect the diversity of body sizes out there and believe they are all entitled to health at any size, and that dieting may not always be the right answer.

This is not to say you will not learn how to eat more nutritiously—you will still be held accountable to ensuring you consume appropriate servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, a variety of different proteins, and healthy fats. However, you will also be given permission to explore why you might moralize some foods, learn how to eat without guilt, tune into your hunger and fullness to stop mindless eating, and accept that sometimes we eat for nourishment and other times we eat for pleasure.

If you’re tired of failing diets and weight cycling, struggle with your body image, or have a complicated relationship with food, consider booking a free nutrition assessment with us to learn more!

Among many other things, Thanksgiving weekend is often associated with behaviours like “over-eating”, being “lazy”, and a variety of other actions that are deemed “unhealthy”. We’d like to challenge that ethos, and offer up a slightly different sentiment. At the very least, it’s a time to be thankful for the food available to you, whatever that looks like. Thanksgiving is an opportunity to give yourself the permission to enjoy a meal with your loved ones, without restrictions, or consuming to the point of discomfort. If you remove the “rules” going in, you’ll likely be less inclined to consume more than normal just because you can. With that being said, it’s one day out of 365, and one meal out of many in a year. Here are three ways you can get the most enjoyment out of your Thanksgiving dinner:

1. Enjoy the dessert, drink the drinks.

First things first, give yourself a break. If you’re already telling yourself that you’re going to skip dessert or say no to a glass of wine, there’s a good chance you’re setting yourself up for failure. That’s not to say you have to eat dessert or drink if you don’t want to. Rather than putting boundaries on a meal that you’d rather enjoy, try telling yourself you will make the decision when the opportunity is presented to you. This can help take away the element of surprise and reduce impulsive decisions. Moreover, you’re not making any grand promises to yourself that you might not keep, and feel guilty about later.

2. Eat the vegetables & stay hydrated

If you can guarantee one thing about Thanksgiving, it’s vegetables. Nobody really likes them, but we know there are a lot of benefits to eating them. The great thing about vegetables is that they’re hard to “overeat”, not to mention they are loaded with nutrients. Two perfectly valid excuses to fill your plate with vegetables first, and fill in the gaps with everything else. Combine this with keeping a glass of water handy, and your meal will be much more satiating and easier to digest.

3. Go for a morning walk

Lastly, there’s the post dinner crash. You’ve enjoyed your meal, you’ve socialised and entertained, now you’re exhausted and it’s time to wind down. If you have a tendency to feel like you need to work off a big meal, going for a stroll before the festivities begin can go a long way. Get ahead of the rushing errands and dinner preparations, and take a short walk in the morning. This starts your day off with a win, and gives you even more time later to slow down and savour the time with your loved ones.

Remember, there are no rules here. It’s one day, one meal, and there is no moral value attached to how you choose to enjoy it.