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.

Stress & Food

 

Stress is both an appetite killer and booster:

• When we are facing immediate, acute stress, our bodies release epinephrine (adrenaline) to prepare for fight or flight. Hunger and digestion are moved down the list of priorities as blood flow is prioritized away from our digestive tracts to muscle tissue, and appetite is suppressed.
• With longer periods of chronic stress, however, appetites are increased. This is in part due to the release of another stress hormone, cortisol, which regulates your body’s stress response and can increase cravings for foods high in fat and/or sugar. In addition to this, we are also taught from birth that food is comfort—when you cried, you got a bottle and felt better. While coping with food is often vilified, it is a natural, normal response.

So how can we support our nutritional needs when stressed? Firstly, attempt to get to the source of the problem by addressing your stressors and diminishing them. What is the root cause of your stress? What problems are within your sphere of control to address and which things are not and can be dismissed? What do you need to cope and truly feel better? Is it exercise, meditation, social support, asking for help, something else?

Secondly, what we put in or don’t put in our bodies is also going to affect our stress. Whether you’re too stressed to eat or you’re overeating, you can try these tips:

• Practice self-compassion by reassuring yourself this period is temporary and you’re doing the best you can. You don’t need more stress by worrying about all the food you’re eating/not eating.
• If you’re not hungry, try to still stick to your regular eating schedule (or even switch to smaller, more frequent meals) and attempt to eat something in a calm space. While whole foods will be more nourishing and energizing, eat whatever is appetizing; some food is better than no food at all. Smoothies, juice, soup, and milk are also great options if you’re feeling too nauseous to eat, and soft, bland foods like rice, lean meats, legumes, tofu, and spinach may be gentler on an upset stomach.
• If you’re overeating when stressed, what can you do to distract before reaching for food? This could include things like going for a walk, stretching, doing mobility work, colouring, painting, journaling, knitting; preferably something more active than passive like watching TV (and thinking about how nice it would be to eat a bag of chips while doing it). If you decide to seek comfort through food, ensure it is a conscious decision and give yourself unconditional permission to eat without guilt afterwards. Lastly, ensure you’re still eating a minimum of three balanced meals to remain nourished and satiated.
• Finally, dial in the basics: get 7-9 hours of sleep, drink plenty of water, prioritize a variety of nutrient dense foods, and participate in gentle, joyful movement.

Pre & Post-Workout Nutrition – How important is it?

 

You’ve been making great progress in the gym, you’re crushing your workouts, and you want to make sure you’re getting the most out of each session. You might be curious about the best way to fuel and refuel your body before and after a tough workout, but is it really that important? Well, it depends. Since most of us are not competitive, high-level athletes or training several hours of the day, we’ll keep things simple.

 

Pre-workout:

Let’s start with pre-workout nutrition, since many people tend to put a little thought into this and wind up more confused than anything. A pre-workout meal or snack may have a small, positive impact on your performance. There are, however, some caveats. 

1. When did you last eat? Whatever time of day you typically train, if it’s only been 1-2 hours since your last meal and your energy is good, you likely won’t glean much from a dedicated pre-workout snack. A sports drink would be more than sufficient, if you need it. On the flip side, if you skipped breakfast at 7am and start your workout close to noon, consider a small snack before exercise. This will help keep your blood sugar regulated and help prevent energy crashes, light-headedness, or headaches.
2. How soon are you working out? A general rule of thumb is, the less time you have until your workout, the smaller the snack should be. This is better for digestion, and will mitigate the discomfort of your body trying to digest food while exercising.
3. How long/intense is your workout? Keeping the last question in mind, consider whether the duration or intensity of your workout actually calls for additional energy intake. Typical strength workouts around 45-60 minutes will likely not see any extra benefit. Longer duration workouts can benefit from a small pick-me-up before or during.

Post-workout:

Post-workout nutrition is more straightforward than it may initially seem. You might have heard of something called “the anabolic window”, which is the idea that your body has a finite amount of time to optimize post-workout recovery. While there is an element of truth to this, it’s definitely not as finite as some would have you believe. 

 

After your workout, when you and your muscles are hungry for fuel, blood flow is increased to deliver nutrients more efficiently for up to an hour, so it is theorized that this is the best time to recover. In reality, it’s not that clear cut and there is lacking evidence to indicate when exactly post-workout meals are best. For most people, waiting until your next meal is just fine, and post-workout meal timing isn’t a crucial component to your diet or fitness success. However, being somewhat diligent with your nutrient intake between workouts can promote better recovery from one training session to the next.

As far as balancing your next meal post-workout, prioritize carbohydrates and protein. Working out requires your body to extract from its glycogen stores (glucose stored in the muscles) for energy, and the fastest way to replenish these stores post-workout are with carbohydrates. Along with the glucose, your muscles will draw in water and other nutrients (such as protein) that can improve your recovery. Pairing carbohydrates with protein helps the body absorb more of the amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) to repair the typical, minor wear and tear on the muscles that occurs during training.

 

Conclusion:

With all that being said, keep in mind that for most people your calorie and macronutrient intake over the course of the day, and week, is far more impactful to your fitness goals than specific pre or post-workout meals. If you need help finding balance with your nutrition and adequately fuelling your workouts and recovery, fill out the form below to book your FREE nutrition consultation with Kate today!

 

Eat the Rules with Summer Innanen – #274: Body Image Series: Where our Body Images Comes From

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Diet Culture Rebel – The Body Image Pep Talk You Didn’t Know You Didn’t Know You Needed with Kenzie Brenna

@diet.culture.rebel & @kenziebrenna

 

Book your complimentary, comprehensive nutrition assessment today. Fill out the form below, or email kate@groundworkathletics.ca to get started!