The turn of a New Year is often an opportunity for people to make positive changes to their lifestyle, and Dry January can be one of the most manageable ways to do that. As one of the most popular New Year health initiatives, a lot of people are already planning and pre-empting their alcohol-free month. While this is certainly a noble effort, there are are a few things to consider when going dry for the first month of the year. We’re going to break them down, and provide you with some strategies to be successful.

 

Things to consider:

 

1. Cravings and temptations – Let’s start with the obvious. Depending on how much you drink, giving up alcohol entirely for a whole month can be quite the undertaking. Cravings will likely occur, and temptations may linger. It can be beneficial to keep non-alcoholic beverages in the house in place of alcohol for the time being. Mocktails, sparkling water, diet soda, non-alcoholic wine/beer may not be the real thing but, when it comes down to it, they serve as exactly what they’re intended to be – a substitute.
2. Slip-Ups – Nobody is perfect. 30 days can feel like a long time, and life happens. Just like with your diet at any other time of year, just get right back on track again tomorrow and don’t beat yourself up over it.
3.  Rebounding in February – We’ve written before about the binge-restrict cycle, and the same applies here. If you decide to take on Dry January, be sure to consider how much of a sacrifice that will be for yourself, and if that may lead to a heavy rebound at the end when you “allow yourself” to drink again. Start small, maybe that means only re-introducing 1-2 drinks per week at first. If the momentum is going strong however, why not try for another few weeks?

Alcohol in moderation can have its perks. When not properly moderated, going cold turkey can lead to serious side effects. If you notice any signs of withdrawal from alcohol, we encourage you to seek medical advice right away.

 

Need more help?

Accountability is a big part of sticking to any goal, so if you’re thinking about Dry January, and need someone in your corner to help keep you accountable, share your goals with friends, family and co-workers. If you feel you would benefit from additional guidance in your health and fitness goals in the New Year, contact us for your FREE Nutrition Assessment and consultation!

Intuitive Eating

 

We are all born intuitive eaters, but as we age diet culture, whether it’s promoted by family, friends, or
media, teaches us that we need to fit a certain thin ideal in order to have value. Dieting convinces us
that our bodies can’t be trusted and need to be monitored, and creates a fatphobic society that
dismisses anyone who doesn’t fit into the mold of thin/lean/fit/athletic/muscular, etc.

 

Eventually, some people come to the realization that they can’t possibly endure another diet, but still
want to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. The solution may be intuitive eating, “an evidence-based,
mind-body health approach, comprised of 10 Principles and created by two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and
Elyse Resch in 1995” (quoted from the Intuitive Eating website). This is a weight-neutral approach that
does not focus on weight loss, but instead promotes a healthy relationship with food and the body
through interoceptive awareness.

 

The popularity of intuitive eating has been steadily growing for the last decade, especially as numerous
studies report that this approach to food can improve self-esteem, self-compassion, quality of life, body
image, body appreciation, while also reducing dieting and concerns about weight, emotional eating,
disordered eating behaviours, cholesterol, glucose levels, and blood pressure.
The 10 Principles are a step-by-step guide for returning to intuitive eating:

 

1. Reject the diet mentality – commit to giving up diets by throwing out your diet books, deleting
tracking apps, and establishing boundaries with those who want to discuss dieting and bodies.
2. Honour your hunger – tune in to what physical hunger feels like for you and feed yourself with
adequate energy and carbs to avoid excessive hunger.
3. Make peace with food – give yourself unconditional permission to eat. Feelings of restriction
and deprivation will cause cravings and binges.
4. Challenge the food police – identify food rules, disordered dieting thoughts, and your internal
destructive self-talk.
5. Discover the satisfaction factor – give yourself permission to enjoy your food to ensure you feel
satiated and thus less likely to overeat.
6. Feel your fullness – tune into your body for fullness signals and fuel yourself with filling meals
that won’t leave you hungry in an hour. Listen to your internal cues rather than external (ie.
cleaning your plate, a pushy host, etc).
7. Cope with your emotions with kindness – recognize that food will not fix your feelings. Food is
neutral, so identify what you actually need to feel better and cope with your emotions.
8. Respect your body – all bodies are diverse and deserve dignity. Learn to appreciate yours by
practicing self-care, wearing clothes that fit, and avoiding body bashing (whether your own or
others).
9. Movement-Feel the Difference – focus on how it feels to move your body rather than how many
calories you’re burning or how much muscle you’re building. Movement should be joyful.
10. Honour your health with gentle nutrition – eat for taste as well as health. Your diet should
include indulgent play food as well as whole grains, fibre, a variety of protein, fruit, vegetables,
and water.

 

This is a short summary of these principles and implementing them can be a lengthy, difficult process, so
it can be helpful to incorporate a registered dietitian, certified intuitive eating counsellor, or a weight-
inclusive nutrition coach versed in intuitive eating into your recovery.

What is PNF stretching?

 

PNF stretching stands for Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, and this involves low-intensity muscle contractions to assist in the stretch. Simply put, when a muscle is stretched to its end range and we contract it, it signals our nervous system to turn off any muscle to help protect it from tearing. This is specifically using a structure called the Golgi Tendon Organ, which senses when there is a lot of force (like contracting the muscle at end range, as we do with PNF) and signals the muscle to stop any activity so we don’t accidentally tear the muscle. We can also contract the opposite muscle, or the antagonist, and this will help deepen the stretch for our target muscle, because when one muscle in a stretch contracts, the other will relax. This is called reciprocal inhibition.

 

How can I incorporate it?

Here’s a simple way to add PNF stretching into your daily stretch routine. Here, we’ll use the example of a supine hamstring stretch:

1. Start by holding your stretch as you normally would for 10 seconds.
2. Lightly contract the muscle you’re stretching and hold for 5-10 seconds. In this case, contract the hamstring that’s in the air by trying to pull your leg to the ground. The leg isn’t moving, it’s just an isometric contraction.
3. Contract the antagonist. Contract your quads of the top leg and hold for 5-10 seconds as you actively pull your leg to your face. You may get a bit of movement of your leg here, but it won’t be much.
4. Relax, and now hold the stretch deeper for 30 seconds (you should be able to get your top leg closer to your face).
5. Repeat a few rounds (3-5) or until you feel the muscle isn’t being stretched any further.

 

You can use a band, a partner, or your hands to give resistance to your contraction. PNF is a great way to make your stretching much more effective!

“What I Eat in A Day…”

 

As nutrition coaches, we often get asked what we eat, or what our day of eating looks like. You may even be familiar with the popular trend that a lot of “influencers” are now following such as “What I Eat In Day to *insert fitness goal*”. These videos are generally just a snapshot of what person’s day to day diet looks like, but are they more harmful than helpful?

First off, everybody is different. Whether it be height, weight, lifestyle, or sex, we all have different caloric needs. Not to mention specific dietary restrictions in some instances. You could give 5 different people the exact same diet, and end up with 5 wildly different results. So with that being said, copying somebody else’s diet is unlikely to give you the results you’re looking for.

What can we learn from these videos, though? Well to start with, you can take some inspiration from the meals they create. Customise the meals to suit your own needs, experiment and get creative! You can also take notes of how the meals might be structured – Is the meal balanced with protein, carbohydrates, fats and vegetables? Is the meal serving a particular purpose such as pre or post workout nutrition? Be wary of anything that is too restrictive, or uses firm rules against particular foods. Avoid putting foods into “good”, “bad”, “healthy” and “unhealthy”. 

Keep in mind, the best diet is one you can stick to for the long term. Something that is sustainable for you, built around foods you enjoy. If your day to day eating, meal structure, or nutritional knowledge is something you’re looking to improve, email Kate@groundworkathletics.ca to book your FREE Nutrition Assessment today!

Detoxes

 

The liver creates bile and cholesterol to carry away waste and break down fats while clearing the blood of drugs and toxic substances.

The kidneys are responsible for removing waste and balancing your fluids through the excretion of urine.

Your large intestine helps to move your bowels and excrete solid excrement.

Lungs purify the air we breathe by taking in oxygen and dispelling carbon dioxide.

Your skin protects you from germs and the elements, while sweat regulates bodily temperature through the release of fluids (not toxins).

Regardless of all these filtration and barrier systems, the wellness industry continues to promote cleanses and detoxes to make a billion dollar diet industry richer. Whether it’s fasting, juicing, colon cleanses, dietary supplements, or infrared saunas, your body is perfectly capable of ridding itself of toxins, provided you don’t have kidney or liver disease.

Any weight loss that occurs through cleanses are strictly that: weight loss, not fat loss. Typically bodies put through detoxes are dehydrated, carb deprived (remember every gram of carbs holds 4g of water), and there is less food volume in the GI tract. Any weight loss will be temporary until the cleanse ends.

Those that do report feeling healthier from a detox are likely feeling better from the reduction of less healthy foods in their usual diet, and if anything cleanses usually leave people lethargic, dizzy, malnourished, and at risk of GI complications, such as constipation, diarrhea, and/or the removal of healthy gut bacteria.

If you want to help your body detoxify, that simplest advice is usually the truest: drink lots of water, limit alcohol, don’t smoke, eat a variety of colourful foods, and get plenty of fiber.

Eating to Build Muscle

When it comes to building muscle mass or “bulking”, nutrition is going to play a vital role not only in providing your body with adequate energy to push hard in your workouts, but to recover properly afterwards. After all, muscle is built by effectively damaging and tearing down the muscles, and rebuilding them again. As you can well imagine, this process alone is going to require a lot of fuel, so it’s going to require a caloric surplus – typically around 200-500 calories above your maintenance intake. The division of your macronutrients becomes a little more important here to make sure this phase of your diet is as effective as it can be.

Protein

First and foremost, protein is the most important macronutrient for building muscle due to the essential amino acids content, therefore it should be the highest priority of your macronutrients. These amino acids facilitate the building of new muscle (muscle protein synthesis) and prevent the body from using any existing muscle as fuel during workouts. For most people, hitting your daily protein requirements from whole foods is doable. However, when trying to build muscle or participating in sports, supplements including protein powders, and bars are a convenient way to increase the amount of quality protein you’re taking in each day.

 

Carbohydrates

Second, carbohydrates (carbs) are equally as important as protein during a muscle building phase for three reasons. Energy, recovery, and protein synthesis (protein absorbed and utilized by the body for muscle growth and repair). Carbs are going to be your main source of energy for your tough workouts, because to build muscle you’re going to have to train hard. After training hard, carbs are going to replenish your energy stores and work alongside protein to facilitate a higher amount of protein synthesis. 

 

Fats

Lastly, fats. Fats are typically not going to make up a large portion of your diet, but they remain important for maintaining hormonal function and a healthy immune system. With that being said, if you are someone who struggles to eat in a caloric surplus due to time constraints or even a lack of appetite, fats are going to be your best friend when it comes to hitting your daily caloric requirements. Why? Because they are very calorically dense, packing 9 calories per gram unlike protein and carbs each containing only 4 calories per gram.

 

Muscle building, for the most part, is relatively straightforward. It’s going to take time, consistency, patience, and effort; both in the kitchen and in the gym, and we haven’t even covered sleep yet! With that being said, there are multiple ways to approach your muscle building phase. Keep an eye out for our blog post on a clean bulk vs a dirty bulk for an in depth look at how these approaches differ!

Meals Under 30 Minutes

It’s hot outside, you’re working late, you hate cooking, you’re watching the kids—whatever the reason, we all need meals we can prepare in 30 minutes or less. Here are the go-to recipes of our coaches:

 

Kate:

Egg Roll in a Bowl (https://www.theseasonedmom.com/egg-roll-in-a-bowl/#recipe)

I’ll usually swap the grated carrots for beansprouts since most coleslaw bags already contain carrots. I’ll also halve the soy sauce and double the hoisin for more flavor and less salt. Option to serve with rice if you need carbs.

 

Michal:

Banana Pancakes

1 medium or large banana

2 large eggs

1 scoop of chocolate protein powder

A little bit butter for the pan

1 tbsp of peanut butter on top

Smash the banana then mix it with 2 eggs and protein powder. Add butter to the pan and fry both sides until brown.

 

Donny:

Steak and Asparagus

Sear steak in a frying pan in butter or olive oil for 2 minutes per side, then put in in oven at 400F for 8-10 minutes. Boil water while searing steak, add asparagus, and cook until desired tenderness.

 

Alejandra:

Sweet Kale Salad

Buy a bag of Sweet Kale Salad and add a can of tuna or grilled chicken breast. Option to add in cooked rice for more carbs.

Calum:

Smokey Quinoa and Black Bean Salad (https://www.budgetbytes.com/smoky-quinoa-black-bean-salad/)

Option to add extra protein of any kind.

 

Mitchell:

Oreo Pudding

175g Greek Yogurt

1 tbsp E.D. Smith Sugar Free Syrup

1 tsp Vanilla extract

10g Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Mix

Mix together then add 4 Oreo Things or 9 Oreo Minis for a snack or dessert.

 

Nathan

Omelettes

Mix together 4 eggs and some milk and pour into a skillet heated to medium. Cook until the eggs have set then add tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheese in the middle before folding in half.

Surviving a Social Summer – Sticking to Your Goals

Summer is a favourite time of year for most people; the perfect season for vacations, barbecues, social gatherings and all manner of outdoor activities. For some people, this may feel like an impossible time of year to stick to their nutrition goals, so the tendency can be to “throw the baby out with the bath water” and abandon their goals until the summer is over. Fast forward to Fall, and you find yourself 3 steps behind where you could be. But it doesn’t need to be that way! Here are some ways to navigate through your Summer, and stick to your goals while still enjoying yourself:

1. Take advantage of the great weather and use any opportunity to get outside and move a little more! Hikes, volleyball, bike rides, leisurely strolls on the seawall – Whether your goal is to lose weight, improve your fitness, or even complete a fitness/sporting event, being more active goes a long way!
2. Plan ahead – Lunches and dinners out are a big part of the Summer season. Where possible, scope out the menu ahead of time and figure out which are the most nutritious items on the menu so you won’t be surprised or swayed when you get there. Balance your plate with a protein source, vegetables and a carbohydrate. For trips and vacations, keep nutritious snacks on hand: fruits & veggies, beef/turkey jerky, protein powder/bars.
3. Avoid over-restricting to mitigate over-indulging. Map out your week ahead of time to account for social events – put provisions in place to make room for a couple of dinners/drinks/parties and enjoy them!
4. Stay hydrated with water, flavored water and diet soda. Limit alc
   oholic drinks and do what you can to reduce drinking your calories.
5. Hire a coach to keep you accountable and help you navigate through all of your obstacles.

 

Keep in mind Summer is meant to be a fun time of year, but don’t let a few dinners and gatherings derail your progress and get you off track from your goals. You wouldn’t slash the three remaining tires every time you got a flat, it’s always better to put on the spare and get there a little slower than not get there at all!